By Helen Bovill
What a dull, wet and often windy month February turned out to be, and half way into it I was wondering what I’d find to write about. It started off cold, but with only a very light frost on a couple of mornings, and there wasn’t much plant growth to be seen. But the weather turned much milder mid-month, and there was even some warm sunshine in the last week. This warmth gave a much-needed boost to nature in the cemetery – enough to wake the first butterflies of the year from their dormant winter state!
Insects
The first butterfly I saw was a Peacock (above) on 22 February. This is the 7th year I’ve been regularly monitoring the wildlife in the cemetery and on the verge alongside it, and it’s the earliest I’ve ever seen one of these here, as I don’t normally see them until early March. A couple of days later I saw the first Brimstone of the year, and the first Comma too. Seeing 3 different species of butterfly in February, while it’s still winter, is a first for the cemetery as far as I'm aware.
I also saw plenty of other insects too, including bumblebees, honey bees, hoverflies and a shield bug. The most abundant insects were ladybirds though – I saw dozens and dozens of them on the vegetation and on some of the headstones. The majority were the native 7-Spot ones, but I did see a few Harlequin ones as well.
Brimstone (male) (above)
Comma (above)
7-Spot Ladybirds; Harlequin Ladybird at the top (above)
Early Bumblebee (top); Tree Bumblebee (inset)
Common Flower Fly
Green Shield Bug - winter colours
Plants and Flowers
After a slow start, the Lesser Celandines burst into flower and I saw hundreds of them on the verge and inside the cemetery, and many dandelions too, all providing nectar for the early insects.
Lesser Celandines (main photo) and more 7-Spot Ladybirds, with an unusual twin-flowered Lesser Celandine growing from one thick stalk (inset)
The snowdrops are in abundance all over the cemetery – this was the best month to see them in all their glory. There are at least two different types in the cemetery – common and greater. Many of the daffodils are now open, on the verge and inside the cemetery. Some of the crocuses planted by the volunteers a few years ago are now open.
Common Snowdrops
Greater Snowdrops
As I mentioned in last month’s report, the Blackthorn is now covered with lots of flowers as expected. There are two Blackthorn bushes in the cemetery – both along the north path. The one on the south side of the path was the first to flower, the first flowers opening at the end of December. But I only noticed flowers on the bush on the north side of the path during the last week of February.
I didn’t find many other flowers this month, just some Red Dead-nettle, Hazel, Greek Anemone and some almost-open buds on the Chinese Barberry. A few flowers have already opened on the Forsythia near the main gates. It should look spectacular next month! I also found a plant I’d never noticed in the cemetery before – Dog’s Mercury. The flowers are so small it’s easy to miss.
Blackthorn - south side
Blackthorn - north side, with a few shrivelled sloes from last year still present
Chinese Barberry, with some of last year's fruits still present
Dog's Mercury
Birds
I saw two Treecreepers early one morning near the Quaker Burial Ground. Then later in the month I saw one at the other end of the cemetery. It’s nice to see these elusive little birds making the cemetery their home. Their flight pattern makes them easy to distinguish from other small brown birds. They usually fly down from the top of one tree to the bottom of another, then they start to work their way up and around the trunk, looking for insects under the bark.
I saw all four species of tit this month, plus Chaffinches, Goldfinches, Dunnocks, Robins, Wrens, Blackbirds, Wood Pigeons, Carrion Crows and Magpies.
Treecreeper
Blue Tit feeding on Alder flowers - the long ones are male; the round dark ones female
Wren gathering nest material
Magpie
Fungi
The persistent rain and milder weather created the ideal conditions for fungi to thrive all over the cemetery, especially on fallen branches. I was delighted when one of our volunteers showed me some red Elf Cup mushrooms she found during litter picking. Another one found me some fungi I’d never seen before – White Brain, or possibly Crystal Brain, as the two are very similar. The branches hosting the fungi were left safely on the ground to continue providing important woodland floor habitat.
The most common fungi in the cemetery at the moment are the Jelly ones, with the general appearance of brownish-pink ears. I was delighted to see some beautiful white ones I’d never seen before. They turned out to be a rare white form of Wood Ear, scientific name Auricularia auricula-judae var. lactea.
White Brain, or possibly Crystal Brain
Scarlet Elf Cup or possibly Ruby Elf Cup - the two species have only microscopic differences
Auricularia auricula-judae var. lactea, with Jelly Ear (brown, top of photo) growing on the same branch
Conclusion
A very damp February, ending with a day that summed up the whole month perfectly – rainy, cool and windy with just a tiny bit of pale sunshine. The mammal branch of the cemetery wildlife has been quiet – I didn’t see any foxes this month, but I found an unusual footprint in the mud which I’m still trying to identify. I’ll write more about it next month if I manage to get a definite answer as to which animal made it. But in the meantime, readers, why not put on some waterproof footwear and enjoy a lovely nature walk in our favourite cemetery? There is always something interesting to see here!
A very damp-looking Squirrel of the month. See you next time!
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