It’s December 16^th 2015, 3.15 pm. Temperature is 13 degrees centigrade and look what’s above ground in Kilteevan today!

Is this climate change or confusion of the seasons?

I wonder what Wordsworth would have to say?

It great to see neighbouring parishes interest taking an interest in and contributing  information to this Biodiversity Section of our website. While its not seasonal, we like to share information as we receive it. 

These photos of Elephant Hawk Moth Caterpillar were taken by Richard in Mount Plunkett Lecarrow in August. Amazing images!

No more than the Goat Moth caterpillar, (which we have already posted), the Hawk Moth caterpillar, is a sight to behold if you are lucky enough to spot it.

So here is the result of our basic research on the Elephant Hawk Moth Caterpillar

Scientific: Name Deilephila elpenor

Family: Sphingidae

Distribution :Widespread and commonIreland England, Wales, southern and western Scotland and beyond. 

Habitat: Gardens, waste ground and woodland clearings.

The preferred food plants of the caterpillar are Willowherb(already posted) and Bedstraw which we know are abundant in Kilteevan. The caterpillars can generally be seen from July to September, when they pupate.

The caterpillars can be green but are more frequently brown with a net or snake like pattern along the body as well as the four large 'eye' like patches at the head end. They have a backward curving spine or "horn" on the final abdominal segment.

The caterpillars has a trunk-like section just behind the head, hence the name “Elephant.”  This trunk like section can be extended or retracted as a defensive tactic.

When threatened this section is drawn in towards its body. This shields the head from danger and has the added advantage of inflating its body, making the four eye markings look much larger.

Caterpillars are preyed upon by birds, but can shy away from caterpillars "snake"like posturing.

When fully grown the caterpillar moves down to the ground to pupate.  It remains in this state until the following spring when it emerges as an adult moth.

Adult

The Elephant Hawk moth is spectacularly coloured, seeming to shimmer with green and red when in motion.  It has a wingspan of approximately 70mm.

To the inexperienced eye it looks like "pink butterfly"

The imago (adult) feeds at night, and often takes and often takes nectar from plants like honeysuckles and petunias. 

The life span of the adult moth is up to 5 weeks and they are generally seen from May to July.

This species possesses good night or scotopic vision  and can discriminate colours very well.  Adult moths are eaten by some species of bats.

We are delighted to note that interest in this section of our website is growing.

Our magnificant pheasants are being admired these days and a deer has been spotted in the woodlands near Grove.

So have the camera ready and send us the photos to [email protected]

Keep those reports coming in. 

Our plant this month is Spindle, Euonymus europaeus, Feoras.

Flowering May- June. Fruiting September- November.

Spindle is a decidious native shrub or small tree, a species of flowering plant in the family Celastraceae. A plain shrub that comes alive with unbelievable colours in Autumn.

It appears in roadside hedges occasionally usually in relatively old and botanically diverse hedges. We are lucky in Kilteevan. to have old diverse hedges. There is lots of Spindle to be found.

The flowers are small greenish yellow, hardly visible, but the fruit from the tiny flowers are very noticeable. The fruit is green through summer gradually developing to dull, four cornered, pink-red fruits.

The fruits are carried in clusters dangling from flowers stems. Over a period of a few weeks the red fruits spilt, creating their own fireworks, revealing bright orange seeds .   The orange and crimson contrast is very eye-catching but beware Spindle is toxic if ingested.

Spindle is one of the few trees to get its name from one of its traditional uses.

The name harks back to a time when the plants dense white wood was used for making wool spinning spindles as well as knitting needles. It was also used for the bars in bird cages in times when wire was not available or affordable.  

In more recent times Spindle wood is used in the production of skewers and toothpicks as it can be cut to a sharp point without breaking.

Be alert for Spindle and admire its beauty as you ramble The Groves of Kilteevan.  Our photo taken by an amateur photographer in Kilteevan.

Helen Boland from Birdwatch Ireland will give a talk on Waterbirds on our Lakes and Rivers , in Hannons Hotel on Thursday 19^th November at 8pm sharp 

Red Squirrel ,  Sciurus vulgaris,     Iora Rua

It has been bought to our attention that two Red Squirrels were spotted in birch scrub in Kilteevan on September 29^th 2015.  This is good news about these small native mammals.

Distribution

Red squirrels have a widespread but patchy distribution throughout Ireland, which is limited to forested areas. Red squirrels continue to disappear from forests where the grey squirrels have been present for a long time, in particular large parts of Counties Leitrim, Cavan, Louth, Westmeath, Meath and Dublin In the midlands they have been largely out competed for habitats by the grey squirrel, especially in mixed and broadleaf woodlands.

Grey squirrels are non-native and were introduced into Ireland at the beginning of the 20th century. Greys continue to spread to the northwest and southwest, but moves to the west of Ireland have been halted by unsuitable terrain, with the River Shannon delineating the western extreme of their distribution.

Nests

Squirrels nest in dreys. These are round structures built of sticks and foliage against the trunks of trees. Dreys can also be built in hollows in trees, or within heavy ivy.

Diet

Red squirrels are largely vegetarian feeding on a wide selection of fruits, seeds and berries .  They will consume large daily quantities of pine and spruce seeds, acorns, berries, fungi, tree sap and bark depending on their seasonal availability. in order to fuel their high metabolic rates they must consume up to 5% of their body weight each day in food.They forage all night in summer while restricting feeding periods until the early morning in late autumn and in winter.

Red squirrels will bury collected nuts and seeds when they are plentiful in the autumn in numerous hoards which are shallow pits dug in soft ground in case the forthcoming winter is excessively cold. Red squirrels do not hibernate but can remain in their nests for several days if the weather conditions are bad, making only quick trips to a nearby hoard can sustain a red squirrel for up to three months. They spend most of their active periods in tree canopies.

Life Cycle

Following a gestation period of five to six weeks, the female gives birth to a litter of one to six kittens, with three being the usual litter size. The young are born blind and naked, and are not fully weaned until approximately seven to ten weeks after birth.Though they are born blind they deveop excellent eyesight with a wide angle of vision and a sharp focus which allows for rapid movement within the tree canopy while foraging.

 On average Irish red squirrels live up to 3 years in the wild but females generally out live males and can reach up to 6 years of age.

 Disease

The recently discovered presence of squirrel pox virus, a disease posibly carried by grey squirrels and fatal to reds, further threatens their future in Ireland.

 Conservation

Red squirrel's habit of hoarding stores of nuts and seeds are important to the ecosystem of forests as this activity spreads tree seeds over large areas at the vital time of Autumn. 

Protection

The importance of this native squirrel species is reflected in its protection under Irish legislation and international conventions. The red squirrel is protected under the Wildlife Act (1976) and Wildlife (Amendment) Acts (2000 & 2010)and the Bern Convention (Appendix III)

Reporting sightings of both red and grey squirrel is important so that researching groups can become of aware approximately how may species of squirrel there are in the area.

The Hawker Dragonfly rarely settles and can be difficult to approach but this female Hawker Dragonfly posed for us on 22^nd September 2015 in Cloonmore Kilteevan.

Information

The Common Hawker, (Aeshna Juncea) is one of the larger species of hawker dragonflies.

It is native to Palearctic (from Ireland to Japan) and northern North America. The flight period is from June to early October.

Length: 74mm (2.9 in) long with a brown body

Hawkers are the largest and fastest flying dragonflies; they catch their insect-prey mid-air and can hover or fly backwards.

The male has a black abdomen with paired blue and yellow spots on each abdominal segment, and narrow stripes along the dorsal surface of the thorax.

In the female, the abdomen is brown with yellow or sometimes green or blue spots.

The wings of both sexes display a yellow costa (the major vein running along the leading edge of the wings.

 Habitat

In moorland habitats with acidic pools, bogs. Sometimes seen hunting woodland at dusk.Males and females often fly high into the tree canopies to hunt.

Status & Distribution

Common.  Ireland, Western England, Wales, Scotland .

Thank you to David Fallon Roscommon for helping us with identification.