Frog End wildlife

House Sparrows and Wood Pigeons are among the most common bird species at Frog End. This is a juvenile Wood Pigeon - it lacks the white neck patch of the adult.


This Willow Beauty moth came to the kitchen light one evening.


An unidentified caterpillar - possibly a Clouded Drab but I'll need to check that out when I get home.


A male Southern Hawker was around the pond for a while - the Southern Hawker has been the most frequent dragonfly visitor since I arrived.


Another female Lesser Stag Beetle was rescued from a post hole prior to it being filled with concrete. Note the typical red Devon clay soil.




A female Golden -ringed Dragonfly oviposited in the pond on Saturday and then flew to a garden chair to bask.


The Golden-ringed is the sixth dragonfly species to be seen at Frog End. The others have been Migrant Hawker; Southern Hawker; Broad-bodied Chaser; Common Darter; and Emperor.

Frog End Nursery & Nature Reserve

I spent the day at

The weather was warm with intermittent sunshine.


As well as taking lots of plant photos I had plenty of time to search for eggs laid by the Southern Hawker yesterday. I found what could possibly have been one but the majority seem to have been laid under the surface of the wood in tiny holes and cracks.


A fully grown Common Frog put in an appearance by the pond in the morning.


The Slow Worm was basking on the fence again.


When I looked for more Slow Worms in the undergrowth I found a Smooth Newt. Back in Pensby the adults usually leave the pond around this time of year and it looks as though they do the same here.


A Corn Marigold in the wild flower border.


And what I think is Feverfew, in the same location.

The hoverflies in the garden included

the very common Episyrphus balteatus


and the rarer Xanthogramma pedissequum.




Sitting on the back step I was visited by a female Lesser Stag Beetle (Dorcus parallelipipedus).



This is a piece of flint from Buddleigh Salterton that I knapped to make a couple of small and exceedingly sharp blades.