botanique

 

22-09-26 Another wander to the Botanics.

But first I checked the buddleia on the obligatory diversion to Dunedin Street. Bingo! A comma and a very handsome one. It wasn't too keen on having its photo taken and migrated to less photogenic shrubs. I was undeterred and enjoyed taking the berry tree photos it landed on next.

hiding in plain sight

haven't seen the grey wagtail in a while

I suspect it is the same one who lost his tail a couple of years back and then grew it back over a few weeks. He tends to take a wife in Spring and disappear in Summer (to raise a family) returning about now.

grey heron

dunnock

This is the best bush in the rock garden for butterflies. I couldn't see a name plate for it. Ken reckoned it might be the thorny bush from which Jesus' crown of thorns was made but couldn't remember the name either. While it attracts the butterflies with its perfumed white flowers, they prefer a less thorny perch nearby when relaxing between snacks, only landing on the bush when feeding. Otherwise check the nearby bushes for resting admirals, painted ladies and a small tortoiseshell.

in particular this variegated bush next door is a favourite

and this one

thorny perch for feeding

good to see a small tortoiseshell

again on nearby shrubs to the white flowering favourite

the ceratostigma minus has not been attracting butterflies
as much as in previous years - always worth a look though

Syrphus ribesii

I had not seen this Nepalese carved stone before
- not far from the other similar one (carved eyes)

there can sometimes be a comma at the back of the rock garden near these verbena
but today just a solitary painted lady

It reminded me of a very enjoyable day 51 weeks ago (Sept 28th 2025) when I bumped in Andrew and Unda and we stood yakking and taking photos of a comma on the same verbena as the sun went down until eventually they rang the bells and threw us out. 

As I was standing taking photos of the PL, a speckled wood glided in and circled before landing on my shoe. I only just had the minimum focal distance to stand up straight and get it in focus with the zoom lens. I felt honoured to have been chosen!

there were a couple of speckleds about

this was my favourite photo of the painted lady

A very positive start to the safari, I felt I should get round the place and see what other treats were at a few of the favourite spots. Next stop, heading West along the Southern boundary, as commas have been spotted off the path and beyond a couple of benches where romantic sorts sit reading poetry. 

OMG! corn on the cob with eyes!

Autumnal crocuses

The crocuses can be useful for small coppers and I was rooting around in the borders, checking blooms for coppers when I was spotted by Colin R doing exactly the same as I was. We spooked a large handsome frog who was out doing some shopping and had quite a turn of speed between sitting for photos.

Colin R

When Colin heard I'd seen lots at the rock garden he headed that way and I tried to describe where all the hotspots were. Meanwhile I had a quick look at the Chinese pond (nothing of note) then over past the cafe to the Herbaceous Border.

family of moorhens at the Chinese hillside pond

This robin was notable, but not so much on this occasion. I heard him singing and stopped to throw down some seeds and nuts to get him to come closer for a photo. He was kinda stand-offish and I sort of cursed the time wasted for very little return. He stayed hidden in the undergrowth, although I think he maybe appreciated the snacks.

The following day I happened to be back at the same spot with Mary and we heard him singing again. I held out my hand with bird-bribes on it and he flew over for a look. Within a minute he flew to my hand and took a seed. Unfortunately Mary missed the photo. It was a bit gloomy and the robin did not stop or rest; just in-and-out in a fraction of a second. 

I was impressed how little encouragement is needed to make friends with these bold creatures. I think last Winter there were 2 or 3 around the gardens that would happily sit on my hand and chat. As well as a pair of great tits which was a first. Very few species will break the unwritten rule of touching humans.

When the sun is casting a shadow I like to photo the inaccuracy of the cafe sundial. Today it was within about 10mins of true: 13.51 on the camera exif data date stamp. I was also delighted to read the name plate describing the sundial and to see they have credited Michael Harvey, who presumably carved the work. You may recall my scathing remarks (100 photos of Jupiter) about the work of IHF, who employs those more skilled in stone masonry rather than go to the bother of learning the craft himself. It is more forgivable if he at least credits those doing the heavy lifting (and basically everything except for thinking up the words) as a collaborator.

With the zoom lens on it is difficult to stand far enough back from the sundial to get it all within the frame, without sitting on an occupied table in the outdoors cafe. So I took pics of the upper and lower portions and joined them (almost seemlessly!) in photoshop later. Like much of IHF's collaborative work, the lettering is beautifully done if a little short of intelligent communication.

There is usually a decent turn out at the cafe buddleias, but today the regular painted ladies and red admirals were replaced with a solitary small tortoiseshell.

what the Reg Butler saw

Cimicifuga Actaea

A highlight of this time of year (in the Herbaceous Border) can be (what used to be called) Cemicifuga. The long white plumes of Purple Torch are now called Actaea, and oddly the butterflies, in a protest about the name change, have boycotted it. Although I did see Andrew had posted a photo of a scab-admiral unable to hold the strike and enjoying the nectar that used to attract a crowd of a dozen or more to a couple of stands (simplex and racemosa) of these spectacular blooms. I am not a fan of "in the old days everything was better" but in this case, they were.

empty of insects save a passing hoverfly

the mini-pond king
in the demonstration garden

pumpkin time

Ken (also seen earlier) predicted a small white near the cabbages
in the demonstration garden and was spot on

Eristalis pertinex

I then retraced my steps and saw the majority again in reverse order.

caf budd sm tort (still there)

Ch hllside robn (still there)

Rck Gden PL (near verbena) still there

rck grdn sm tort (near white thorny bush, still there)

warm spot facing the sun

famous bush

After quite a bit of unproductive searching I think the famous white flowering thorn bush in the Rock Garden that attracts butterflies (and was not used for Jesus' crown of thorns) may well be Colletia paradoxa. If not, sue me. Just along from the cerastostigma minus (electric blue flowering job.)

white-berried rowan or mountain ash?

stock dove (not pigeon)

On the way back through St Marks I like to photograph the resident stock doves. Usually one of them has a limp which they have developed because they have heard a sympathetic back story is mandatory for everyone stupid enough to watch Saturday night telly. It doesn't always seem to be the same one that has a limp (and the leg changes) and I think they take turns. They are prepared to come closer than the stimpulated 2.5m that the crows strictly observe and so get the lions share of bird treats while the crows simmer with rage 8 feet away.

one of three stock doves - note black eyes
Mary now calls them "your black-eyed pigeons"

simmering with rage

magpie - will cheekily break the 2.5m corvid rule

jackdaw: steely blue eye watches for incursions

it was murder out there today chaps

The Dunedin Street comma was back out nectaring on the return journey. It is a handsome specimen and even teamed up with the painted lady when a passing white bumped them both onto the same plume. I failed to get the white in the frame but the other two were happy to momentarily share a table in Cafe Buddleia.

top quality two-fer

6miles in 4hrs