Quinta wildlife #11
Saturday, November 6th, 2010A Common toad (Bufo bufo) hanging out in a pile of ex-floorboards. Pictures by Ema.
Archive for the ‘Wildlife’ Category
Jammin’
Thursday, October 28th, 2010It’s Aonghas‘s birthday today. He would have been 15. So in honour of that we got creative in the kitchen since cooking was one of his favourite pursuits. And we had to do something with all those chestnuts …
Lunch
Friday, October 22nd, 2010One of the disadvantages of being busy with building at this time of year is that it doesn’t leave much time for fungus forays.
Going nuts!
Monday, October 18th, 2010
With so many simultaneous building projects on the go, it’s been easy to overlook the harvesting on the quinta needing done. Thanks to daily reminders though from some of our Portuguese neighbours further along the track, we were in no danger of overlooking the chestnut harvest. Over the last 2 days I’ve collected some 20 kilos or more.
The trouble with voles …
Saturday, October 9th, 2010… is that they seem inordinately fond of our root vegetables. These beetroots are the latest victims.
Quinta wildlife #10
Monday, August 23rd, 2010The boozing butterfly is a Two-tailed Pasha or Foxy Emperor (Charaxes jasius). Not seen in the UK as its range is too far south. Its feed plant is the Strawberry tree, Arbutus unedo, which is part of the original flora of this region.
This is what’s happening to the oaks
Thursday, June 24th, 2010A year ago I asked what’s happening to the oaks round these parts. Suddenly around June, the leaves all seem to turn brown and take on a skeletal look. Last year I thought it might be fungal because I couldn’t see evidence of insects, but now that we’re here full time and have the benefit of catching it in the act of happening, this year it’s clear that it’s not.
Despite searching on Google for oak leaf miners and the like, so far I’ve been unable to identify this pest. Anyone?
Addendum: Thanks to Miguel (comment below) I’ve discovered that this pest is the Oak Flea Beetle (Altica quercetorum). I’ve also noticed that, like many plants subject to insect attack, water stress plays a part. The oaks in wetter parts of the quinta have far less damage, or even none, while the ones in the driest areas have the most damage.
Quinta wildlife #9
Sunday, June 6th, 2010Butterflies again! The profusion and variety of them here is a continual delight. I’ve been trying to capture this one (on camera) for a few weeks now. Today one obligingly posed for me on a grapevine. The Scarce Swallowtail (Iphiclides podalirius), so called because it is in the UK, though apparently not here as I’ve spotted several.
Quinta wildlife #8
Sunday, April 4th, 2010The number and variety of butterflies on the quinta is growing every day.
Wall Brown (Lasiommata megera).
Quinta wildlife #7
Wednesday, March 10th, 2010Discovered by Helen while digging up the middle terrace to prepare vegetable beds for planting. A Marbled Newt (Triturus marmoratus). These mainly terrestrial members of the Salamander family apparently navigate by the stars to find their way back to their breeding pools. Here it must be right at the southernmost extent of its range.
