Cemetery Wildlife – August 2023

 

August was a cool and wet month with lots of rain, some of it very heavy, in the first week. There were some warm sunny days too, but nothing even remotely resembling a heatwave. Some of the paths inside the cemetery are therefore still muddy.  It was very windy on several days, resulting in some fallen branches although none had caused any damage. With no extremes of temperature to adversely affect the cemetery wildlife, it continues to thrive.

Insects

Butterflies

The good news is that I observed butterfly species number 12 in the cemetery this month – a Gatekeeper.  I’ve never seen one in the cemetery before.  This one was on the grass verge along Spring Bank West, and is pictured above, on Ragwort.  They can be seen in the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust’s wildlife garden in Pearson Park, which is less than half a mile away from the cemetery, so that could be where it came from.

It has been a very quiet month for butterflies.  The only other ones I’ve seen are Red Admiral, Speckled Wood, Small White, Green-veined White and Holly Blue.  I didn’t see any of them in large numbers, just singly or in twos or threes.

 

A female small white butterfly resting on a dandelion
Small White (female) (above)
Two Green-veined White butterflies on green foliage
Green-veined White Butterflies. Note how the female (resting on the leaf) has her abdomen raised – this is to warn the approaching male that she does not want to mate. In fact it looks like she was in the process of egg laying before the male approached her. 
Holly Blue butterfly laying eggs on an Ivy flower bud
Holly Blue laying eggs on an Ivy flower bud

Other Insects

The main types I’ve seen this month have been Ladybirds, Bees and Hoverflies. The most striking of them was this Hornet-mimic Hoverfly.  It’s noticeably larger than the other ones that are around at the moment, and is harmless to humans. The yellow band between the eyes indicates that this one is female.

Hornet-mimic Hoverfly on a Dandelion
Hornet-mimic Hoverfly (female) 

Plants

Small

Most of the Thistles that had taken hold of the grass verge have now died back, so it looks a bit tired at the moment.  However some Dandelions and other similar yellow flowers, often difficult to identify with certainty, have now started to come through.  There is still some Knapweed for the cemetery wildlife to feed on, including this White-tailed Bumblebee.

White-tailed Bumblebee on Knapweed in the cemetery
Knapweed and White-tailed Bumblebee

The Teasels planted in various locations in the cemetery have now started to flower.  However, they can sometimes be difficult to spot because the wind and wet weather has caused them to lean over.  But again, they are great for the cemetery wildlife and there was also a small bug of some sort on this one which I didn’t get time to identify.  This is because a Bee landed on the flower, thus displacing it.

A Buff-tailed Bumblebee on a Teasel flowerhead in the cemetery
Teasel and Buff-tailed Bumblebee

I’ve been keeping an eye on the Toadflax that was planted on the grass verge last year.  It started to flower last month but is looking at its best this month.  I was delighted to find this Sloe Bug, also known as a Hairy Shield Bug, on the flowerhead.

Toadflax with a Hairy Shield Bug on the flowerhead
Toadflax and Sloe Bug or Hairy Shield Bug

Elsewhere along the Spring Bank West verge I found White Campions, Feverfew and a new one I hadn’t noticed before – Black Medick.

A white campion flower on the grass verge alongside the cemetery
White Campion (above)
The Daisy-like flowers of Feverfew growing in the cemetery
Feverfew (above)
The tiny yellow flower of the Black Medick, with clover-like green leaves
Black Medick

The Crocosmia growing in the Quaker Burial Ground was looking at its best earlier in August, adding some welcome colour to that rather dark part of the cemetery.

Crocosmia growing in the Quaker Burial Ground
Crocosmia

In another dark part of the cemetery, away from the footpaths, I found some Cuckoopint, also known as Lords-and-Ladies.  The seeds should end up red, but this small group of plants never seems to thrive and they usually die off before the seeds reach maturity.

The seeds of the Cuckoopint plant, with a few of the top ones just starting to ripen
Cuckoopint or Lords-and-Ladies

Trees and Fungi

The windy weather has dislodged a lot of the fruits from the cemetery’s trees and they make for a lush green carpet on the ground.

Hornbeam tree and fruit in the cemetery
Hornbeam and fruit (inset)

Whilst not being plants of course, I’ve included fungi under this heading because many of them grow on trees, both living and dead.  I didn’t find much in the way of fungi in the cemetery this month but I did find this small group of what appears to be some sort of Honey fungus.

Honey Fungus growing on a fallen log in the cemetery
Honey Fungus

Birds

Young birds are still fledging, including this Goldfinch, pictured with one of its parents.

Two photos showing a young Goldfinch and an adult Goldfinch on a tree in the cemetery
Goldfinches – fledgling (left); adult (right)

The Chaffinches, Blue Tits and Great Tits seem to have had a very successful year with lots of youngsters around.  The adults are looking a little worse for wear, so it was nice to see a smart-looking Great Tit in full breeding plumage.

An adult Great Tit in full breeding plumage
Great Tit

When I’m walking in the cemetery I often hear loud crashing noises coming from high up in the trees.  I look up and see these – Wood Pigeons.

Wood Pigeon high up in a tree in the cemetery
Wood Pigeon

Early in the month I heard the sound of at least two Sparrowhawks calling in the trees, but I wasn’t able to get a photo of them.  As birds of prey are usually silent, I assume these were youngsters, calling to a parent for food.  Other birds I’ve seen this month include Coal Tit, Wren, Robin, Stock Dove, Crow, Magpie and Blackbird.  I didn’t see any Dunnocks or Long-tailed Tits though, or any sign of the Bullfinches I saw regularly earlier in the summer.

A young Blackbird on a branch
Young Blackbird 

Conclusion

Another great month for the cemetery wildlife with plenty to see all around the site.  Some of the bramble bushes around the cemetery are already bearing lots of ripe fruits, signaling that Autumn is not too far away.

A Squirrel feeding in the cemetery
Your Squirrel for August. See you next month!