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November 3rd, and the skies have turned grey. I have found
the change from winter to summer time more difficult to cope with than usual
as the weather seemed to change at much the same time and we have been spoilt
for blue skies and sun this year. However the gardens have been desperate for
the rain and at least that is what the grey skies have meant. At long last
the pond is beginning to look more as it should and the grass is once
again turning green.
The autumnal colours have been wonderful this year although with some
strong winds over the last couple of days the leaves are now beginning to
colour the ground more than the trees.
 With
a shortage of moths with the exception of the November moth and the common
marbled carpet I was pleased to be able to take this photo of the feathered
thorn, Colotois pennaria, again.
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  November
4th and having complained about the grey skies we are today having a
wonderful late autumnal day displaying the colours beautifully as can be seen
from the picture taken this morning of the church porch and sycamore trees in
the churchyard. The moths continue to come but at the moment they are not the
most exciting on the whole as the moth to the right shows. I am confident
that this is a winter moth Operophtera brumata, although it is just
possibly a northern winter moth, Operophtera fagata. It is displaying
it's under wing quite nicely which is not so common.
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 Playing
catch-up I realise that it is a week since I last updated this site. Later on
in the evening of 4th I managed a photo of this ichneumon that decided to
display itself on our hall window, inside. I am not certain which of these
parasitic egg laying insects it is.
  The
autumnal colours and the continuing good weather encouraged us to take a walk
in Hatfield Forest on 5th November and I thought some of the leaves above me
worth a camera shot. Also we saw the great crested grebe (we never see more
than one there) As usual it was rather far off but the outline is quite
distinct as is it's habit of disappearing under the water for quite long
periods of time.
On the moth front there is very little to report. I have only seen 1 moth
since 4th on our patio windows, it was an agonopterix arenella, this appeared
on 8th November but the photo that I took was not good enough to bother
downloading.
 Yesterday
the weather became more like November, misty and with grey skies although the
sun tried a little reluctantly to show it's face. We went to Kings Lynn and
the tide was the lowest I have ever seen it, as a result of which there were
a lot of birds on the mudflats either side of the estuary by which we walk
into town. This heron was on the bank nearest us.
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  November 13th and at long last
a moth that I have been watching out for since having read that it flew at
this time of year. First arrival to light this evening was a caddisfly then
one of the winter moths and then resting butterfly-like at first on one of
the chains of the bird feeder and then on the wall the red-green carpet, chloroclysta
siterata. Both pictures open up if clicked.
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 November
15th and overnight on the porch window there has been what I believe is
another Winter Moth Operophtera brumata, as it was smaller than the
one pictured on the 4th of this month I am more inclined to think that the
earlier one was a northern winter moth.
 Also this morning I noticed a shield bug on
the wall of the garage which was behaving in the same manner as one that I
saw earlier this year in a similar situation. In both cases the insect was
holding itself at an angle from the wall. I have no idea why this should be
except that on both occasions the weather was windy and the area in which
they were found tends to be a bit of a wind tunnel. If anyone knows the
reason why they should behave in this way I would love to hear from you at
jollgreen@tiscali.co.uk
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  November 19th and the days are short and grey
although the weather is warm. There has only been a winter moth on the wall
the last couple of nights but this afternoon as I set out I noticed this
ichneumon on the front door and saw for the first time the delightful
markings on it's head, so out came the camera which is always in my handbag.
I also took a photo of the side view to show the narrow waist of this
creature. Both pictures enlarge if clicked on.
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 November
25th, Following an awful weekend weather wise with continuous rain for 2 days
Monday was a bright dry day. Today it looks as if it is going to rain shortly
but we have had a dry morning and I was delighted to see the nuthatch once
again, I thought that having changed the feeders around it had deserted us.
We have managed by changing the feeders around to retain some of nuts and
seed for the sole use of the birds but they are continually working out new
ways of gaining food. The new hopper type feeder proved all too easy and one of
our furry friends posed quite happily this morning on it. They certainly give
us a a great deal of pleasure watching their antics.
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November 30th, the last day of this month and the
beginning of the Churches year as it is Advent Sunday. The build up to
Christmas is on and it certainly is a busy time, but hopefully there will be
some time for reflection on the true meaning of Christmas.
On the moth front I hopefully can look forward to seeing a December moth,
although of course it is never guaranteed. Meanwhile I will continue to keep
watch and rejoice when I am privileged to receive an unexpected visitor.
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