Tag: Hull General Cemetery

Cemetery Wildlife – April 2024

by Helen Bovillin Wildlife2 Comments on Cemetery Wildlife – April 2024

It might seem strange to be starting this report with a photo that was so obviously NOT taken in the cemetery.  After all, this is about the cemetery wildlife!  However, I’m pretty certain that this Mallard and her nine ducklings had just come out of the cemetery and were heading down Princes Avenue and towards Pearson Park, which is less than half a mile from the cemetery.  There was no doubt in my mind that this was where she was heading.

If I’d been at that point on Spring Bank West just a minute earlier then I’m sure I would have seen them coming out of the cemetery.  One of our volunteers told me he’s occasionally seen a Mallard in there.  Also, a few years ago a regular cemetery user showed me some footage he’d taken of a Mallard leading some ducklings through the cemetery.  I knew this was genuine because I recognised one of the headstones in the video.

Obviously I wasn’t going to just walk past – I decided to escort them to the park, making sure I kept a respectful distance to avoid scaring them.

3 photos of a mallard walking up the street with 9 ducklings
Heading up the road – along Princes Avenue and then crossing Welbeck Street.

I kept them on the footpath until she decided to cross the road.  I held up the traffic on one side of the road; a kind passer-by held up the traffic on the other side.  Both the drivers that had to stop were smiling and one had his phone out, recording the event.

I followed her into Pearson Park – she seemed to know the way.

3 photos of a mallard and her 9 ducklings in the park
The Mallard family reaches Pearson Park. She seems to know the way to the pond. 

I then watched as she coaxed all nine ducklings into the water.

A mallard and her 9 ducklings entering a pond
Made it! 

Birds

After this unexpected encounter I decided to find out a bit more about Mallards, this common duck most of us see in our local parks and take very much for granted.  Although they occasionally nest in trees, they usually nest on the ground, in dense foliage to keep hidden from predators.  She would have laid her eggs over a period of a few days, and then once she’d finished, she would then have started to incubate them.  Incubation takes around 4 weeks, so she could have been there in the cemetery for well over a month, quietly concealed from predators who could have taken her eggs.

The ducklings all hatch within a few minutes of each other and are mobile within a few hours of hatching.  These would have been less than 24 hours old, and ready to take to the water.  But the cemetery has no natural source of water so they couldn’t stay there any longer.

I saw plenty of our usual birds in the cemetery in April – Blue, Great and Coal tits, Bullfinches, Chaffinches and Goldfinches, Robins, Wrens, Dunnocks, Blackbirds, Carrion Crows, Wood Pigeons and Stock Doves.  Our seasonal visitors, the Chiffchaffs, were in fine and distinctive voice all month.  I was very pleased to see a Mistle Thrush – I usually just see Song Thrushes in the cemetery.

Here are just a few members of the avian branch of the cemetery wildlife as they go about their daily lives.

A mistle thrush high up in a tree
Mistle Thrush (above)
6 photos showing blackbird, magpie, robin, chiffchaff, chaffinch and wren in the cemetery
Top from left to right: Blackbird, Magpie and Robin.  Bottom from left to right – Chiffchaff, Chaffinch, Wren. 

I saw several of them gathering nesting material, and I noticed some of the smaller birds checking out the nest boxes.  I haven’t seen any fledgelings yet.

Insects

Butterflies

April was a very good month for butterflies, provided the days were sunny, reasonably warm and not too windy.  I saw my first Speckled Woods, Large Whites, Small Whites and Green-veined Whites of the year – it’s always a delight to see this most colourful branch of the cemetery wildlife.  Last to make an appearance, on the last day of the month, were the Orange Tips.

A speckled wood butterfly in the cemetery
Speckled wood (above)
Two photos of large white butterflies in the cemetery
Large White – female (left); male (right)

The Small White is slightly smaller and has less black markings on the edge of the upper wings. The male has one spot on each wing.

Two photos of Small White butterflies on dandelions in the cemetery
Small White – female (left); male (right) (above)
Two Green-veined White butterflies mating on a cow parsley leaf
Green-veined Whites mating (above). The male is at the top. 
An Orange Tip butterfly on a garlic mustard flower in the cemetery
Orange Tip (female) on a garlic mustard flower, their favoured food plant. The alternating black and white bars along the edge of the wings, and the distinctive mottled effect underneath the wings, set this apart from other white butterflies.  Only the male has orange wing tips. 

All the butterflies I’d seen for the first time in February and March also made several appearances during the month.  One thing I found most surprising was the fact that although I saw my first male Brimstone of the year in mid-March, it wasn’t until mid-April that I saw my first female.  However, females do emerge slightly later than the males but not usually that much later. I saw a total of ten different species of butterfly in the cemetery or on the Spring Bank West verge this month.

Two brimstone butterflies in flight
Brimstones (above). The female is on the left and the male on the right. 
Four photos of Holly Blue, Small Tortoiseshell, Peacock and Comma butterflies in the cemetery
Top – Holly Blue (left); Small Tortoiseshell (right). Bottom – Peacock (left); Comma (right).

Bees, Flies and Bugs

I took part in the iNaturalist City Nature Challenge this month.  Running for 4 days from 26 to 29 April, its aim was to encourage the observing and recording of nature throughout the UK.  Hull took part for the first time last year and it was such a success that the city took part again this year.

Although I visited several parts of the city to see and record as many species as possible, the vast majority of my observations were of the Hull General cemetery wildlife. It made me look even more closely at all our insects, and I saw my first-ever Sun fly.

A Sun Fly on a dandelion
Sun Fly

That distinctive striped head made it stand out from all the other hoverflies I saw in April.  I also saw several types of bee including Red, Buff and White-tailed Bumblebees, Mining Bees and Honey Bees.

Tawny Mining bee on a leaf
Tawny Mining Bee (above)
A honey bee on a dandelion in the cemetery
Western Honey Bee

I also saw an abundance of Ladybirds – native British ones as well as Harlequins.

7-spot ladybirds mating
7-spot Ladybirds

I also saw a Green Shield Bug.

A Green Shield bug on a leaf
Green Shield Bug

Plants

The iNaturalist challenge also included plants, and I enjoyed looking more closely at some of the many plants, large and small, that we have in the cemetery.  Here are some of them – the Bluebells are at their peak just now.

Dove's-foot Crane's-bill growing near a headstone in the cemetery
Dove’s-foot Crane’s-bill (above)
Quince growing in the cemetery
Quince (above)
Bluebells growing near a grave in the cemetery
Bluebells (above). These are Spanish ones rather than the native British ones.
Cowslips growing near the entrance to the cemetery
Cowslips growing just inside the cemetery gates.

During the 4 days of the iNaturalist challenge, I saw nearly 100 different species of flora and fauna in the cemetery, and it could easily have been more as I missed some obvious ones.  Everything was eligible, even the humble dandelion!  And Hull as a city did extremely well in the overall scores at the end of the event.  Please see the link at the end of my report for more information.

Conclusion

April was a month of mixed fortunes, weather-wise.  There were some warm, sunny days but a much colder than average spell at the end of the month.  There were rainy days and some extremely windy ones, resulting in some large branches falling across the footpaths.  But the cemetery wildlife was thriving this month, and the very last day was very warm – warmer than average for the month.

A squirrel perched on a headstone in the cemetery
Squirrel of the month. See you next time!

Link to iNaturalist’s City Nature Challenge –

City Nature Challenge 2024: UK Leaderboard · iNaturalist United Kingdom

Cemetery Wildlife – March 2024

by Helen Bovillin Wildlife2 Comments on Cemetery Wildlife – March 2024

For me, nothing signals the start of spring more than the sound of a Chiffchaff singing, so let’s start this month with a song!  There’s a link at the end of this report with some more information and a sample of one singing.  The cemetery wildlife had a mixed bag of weather to contend with in March, but when the sun came out there was plenty to sing about.  There was rain on quite a few days, but no really heavy showers.  However, even a modest fall was enough to create puddles on and around the footpaths due to the ground still being saturated from all the winter rain.

Birds

I watched the above Chiffchaff high up in the trees.  Occasionally it would swoop lower, catch something in mid-air, and then fly back up.  They do eat flies, but whatever it was catching was far too small for me to see at such a distance.

I noticed one of the local Chaffinches making good use of one of those muddy puddles.

A male chaffinch bathing in a puddle in the cemetery
Chaffinch (male)

I kept regularly seeing male and female Bullfinches in the cemetery this month.  This is not something I would have expected to be saying a year ago, when they were quite a rare sight here.

I regularly see small groups of Goldfinches and hear them chattering to each other as they flit from tree to tree.

A goldfinch high in a tree in the cemetery
Goldfinch, fluffed up to keep warm on a cold windy day!

I saw plenty of members of the tit family in the cemetery including Great Tits, a couple of Coal Tits, Long-tailed Tits and Blue Tits.

Avian cemetery wildlife - two photos, one showing a Long-tailed tit and the other showing a blue tit
Long-tailed Tit (left) and Blue Tit (right)

Wrens and Robins were in fine voice as the breeding season got underway.

A wren singing in a tree in the cemetery
Wren (above)
A singing robin perched on a fence post
Robin in the Quaker Burial Ground. The pastel colours in the background are a mural on a wall near Thoresby Street school.

I also caught a brief glimpse of a Treecreeper, quickly winding its way up a tree.  And I had some distant views of a Great Spotted Woodpecker.  But the most surprising sight this month was a Siskin.  They’re the same size as Goldfinches, and it was with a small group of them.  They’re normally seen in small flocks, making me think it might have got separated from its own flock and ended up with some Goldfinches.

Insects

Butterflies

The most colourful branch of the cemetery wildlife kept me delighted every sunny day this month.  I saw my first Peacock of the year, mid-month, on the verge alongside the cemetery on Spring Bank West.

Two photos, each showing a Peacock butterfly on celandines and leaves
Peacocks

Peacocks spend winter as adults, so they can sometimes be a little battered when they first venture out.   In the first photo you can see the edges of the lower wings have parts missing.  For comparison, the one on the right, which I saw at the end of the month, is in much better condition.

I also saw my first Brimstone of the year, again on the verge alongside the cemetery.  This was also during the middle of the month.  I saw them a few times after that.  They also spend winter as adults.

A male Brimstone butterfly on a daffodil
Brimstone (male)

The biggest surprise was seeing my first Holly Blue of the year, again on the Spring Bank West verge.  This was on 26th March, the earliest one I’ve ever seen.  These butterflies spend winter as pupae.

Two photos of a Holly Blue butterfly - one with wings open, the other with wings closed, feeding on acelandine
The same Holly Blue (male) showing wings open and closed

I also saw a lone Small Tortoiseshell on a few days.

A small tortoiseshell butterfly resting on a spotted laurel leaf
Small Tortoiseshell on Spotted Laurel

But the species I saw most often in March was the Comma. I saw at least one, sometimes two or three, every sunny day I walked past the verge.

An orange Comma butterfly on dandelion
Comma

Other insects

I saw my first Bee-fly of the year on the Spring Bank West verge.  I watched it feeding on a daffodil before coming to a rest on a dead leaf.  Although the daffodils here are cultivated flowers, planted several years ago by volunteers, they still provide a good source of food for the cemetery wildlife.

A Bee-fly on a dead leaf
Bee-fly. Note the pollen on the lower part of its front legs.

I also saw a Birch shield bug, this time inside the cemetery.  This species is noticeably smaller than the similar-looking Hawthorn shield bug.

Birch Shield bug on a freshly opened leaf
Birch Shield Bug

I saw lots of other flies, hoverflies and bumblebees on the wing along the verge, including these Buff-tailed bumblebees.

Two buff-tailed bumblebees - one on a dandelion, the other in flight
Buff-tailed bumblebees. Note the mites on the side of the head of the one on the dandelion.

There was an abundance of ladybirds everywhere I looked – native ones such as the Seven-spot, plus harlequin ones.  Look out for some of them on this next set of photos!

Plants

There was an explosion of colour in March.  The verge really came into its own with a carpet of bright yellow celandines and dandelions for the early insects to feed upon.  Yellow was still the predominant flower colour, especially true of the Forsythia growing near the cemetery gates.  I saw how it changed from a mass of just yellow flowers at the start of the month to a mixture of flowers and fresh, bright green leaves at the end of the month. Berberis and Mahonia are now starting to flower.

Four photos showing yellow flowers as food for the cemetery wildlife - berberis, daffodil,mahonia and forsythia.
Top – Berberis (left) & Daffodil (right).  Bottom – Mahonia (left) & Forsythia (right).

I was pleased to see the first Cowslips of the year, and also Yellow Archangel.  And so often overlooked is Groundsel, its flowers looking more like buds than fully developed blooms.

Three photos of yellow flowers - Yellow Archangel, Groundsel and Cowslip
Yellow Archangel (top); Groundsel (left) and Cowslip (right).

I was relieved the Wood Anemones had survived the wet winter.  I don’t recall seeing their buds – only the fully opened flowers.  And the Cow Parsley is just starting to flower – another source of nectar for the cemetery wildlife.

Two photos, one showing Wood Anemones and the other showing Cow Parsley
Wood Anemones (left) and Cow Parsley (right).

After all this yellow and white, it was nice to find some other coloured flowers.  The first ones I saw were on some Pulmonaria growing in the Quaker Burial Ground.  This is a cultivated plant rather than a wild one, but it still provides a good source of nectar, especially for bees.  I found Periwinkle in several places throughout the cemetery, just starting to flower.

But the plant I was most surprised to find was Greek Anemone.  It’s not native to the UK but can become naturalised.  This is what must have happened here, as I found it in two random, partially shaded places.

Three photos of blue flowers in the cemetery - Pulmonaria, Greek Anemone and Periwinkle
Top – Pulmonaria (left) & Greek Anemone (right). Bottom – Periwinkle.

I found some Red Dead-nettle growing on the verge, and some Herb Robert inside the cemetery.

Two photos showing pink flowers - Red dead-nettle and Herb Robert.
Red Dead-nettle (left) and Herb Robert (right).

Conclusion

The transition from winter to spring saw a real growth spurt in the cemetery’s flora, helped no doubt by the mix of rain and warm sunshine.  I saw lots of green shoots and buds on many of the trees.  This has provided some fresh greens for the cemetery wildlife to eat.

A Horse chestnut leaf bud against a blue sky
Horse Chestnut

I didn’t find any fungus of note this month.  I heard a fox on a couple of evenings but didn’t manage to see one – they are very elusive as they go about their daily (and nightly) business.  So it’s down to the Squirrels to represent the cemetery’s mammals this month as usual.

A squirrel sitting on a graveside kerb in the cemetery
Squirrel of the month. See you next time!

Link to Chiffchaff information –

Chiffchaff Bird Facts | Phylloscopus Collybita (rspb.org.uk)

Cemetery Wildlife – February 2024

by Helen Bovillin Wildlife2 Comments on Cemetery Wildlife – February 2024

 

It might seem odd to start the report for a winter month with a butterfly, but this is indicative of the variety of weather we had in February.  There were a few days of heavy rain and the ground soon became saturated again.  Then there were some milder, sunny days towards the end of the month and this is when I saw my first butterfly of the year – the above Comma, on the grass verge alongside the cemetery on Spring Bank West.  I saw it on 20 February.  The insect branch of the cemetery wildlife has now started to wake up.

Insects

That was one of two Commas I saw that day, together with this Small Tortoiseshell.

An orange and black Small Tortoiseshell butterfly on a dock leaf
Small Tortoiseshell

Both species spend winter in their adult form, hibernating in various places.  The UK has five species of butterfly that hibernate in their adult form, the other three being Brimstone, Peacock and Red Admiral.  I’ve seen all those species in and alongside the cemetery and will report on them as soon as I see them.

As a result of overwintering in this form for several months, the first butterflies that emerge can sometimes look a bit faded or battered.  Both have small sections missing from their wings, and some scratch marks on them.  But overwintering in this form gives them a flying start over other species when it comes to getting on with the serious business of eating and then mating.

Please see the link at the end of my report for more information on butterfly hibernation.

I also saw my first bumblebee of the year, again on the grass verge.  It was too quick for me to get a photo, but it looked like a buff-tailed one.  I saw several ladybirds – native 7-spot ones and some harlequin ones.  I also saw various types of hoverflies including Marmalade hoverflies and this Common drone fly.

A drone fly on a dandelion in the cemetery
Common drone fly

Plants

Daffodils are now starting to flower all around the cemetery.  Although these were planted by volunteers several years ago and are not wildflowers, they’re still worthy of a mention because they provide a good source of nectar for pollinating insects.  They seem to flower earlier each year – this photo was taken on 2 February.

Two daffodils in the cemetery, with a small marmalade hoverfly just showing inside one of the flowers
Daffodils

As you can see, there is a small hoverfly just visible in the one on the left, although both flowers had a hoverfly inside them.

But the wildflower I’m always happiest to see is the Lesser Celandine and after a slow start in January, they are now in flower all over the cemetery and along the grass verge. They look simply glorious and provide an important source of nectar for those early butterflies.

Two photos, each showing two bright yellow lesser celandine flowers
Lesser Celandines in 3D. The leaf with the hole in it is Garlic Mustard

The number of petals varies from flower to flower.  When researching how many they should have, a figure of 8-12 seemed to be the consensus.  But the flower at the top has 13 petals and the one below has 15!

I’ve presented this photo in 3D because it makes it a lot easier for me to count petals and identify which flower belongs to which leaf and so on.  If you’re one of those people that managed to master the art of viewing those “Magic Eye” pictures that were popular in the 1990s then you should be able to see the 3D effect too.

I was also very happy to see buds on one of the small Quince bushes inside the cemetery.

The pale red flowers of the quince with droplets of rainwater on them
Quince

The Forsythia growing at the side of the cemetery gates is now in flower, but this is just the beginning.  It will look even better by mid-March when all the flowers are open but just before the leaves have started to emerge.

The bright yellow flowers of the Forsythia with a small 7-spot ladybird on the branch
Forsythia with 7-spot ladybird

Another shrub where the flowers appear before the leaves is Blackthorn.  I was away on holiday for a week in mid-February, and was amazed to see how many flowers were open when I checked on my return.  There hadn’t been any open at the start of the month.  May used to be the month when I’d notice a big difference after a week away; this seems to be happening earlier now.

The white flowers of the blackthorn tree inside the cemetery
Blackthorn growing alongside the north path

The Common Dog-violets that had just started to flower in January are now in full bloom.

Tiny purple common dog-violets growing on a grave in the cemetery
Common Dog-violets

There are still plenty of snowdrops of various types in flower, but I noticed that most are past their best now.  Many had been nibbled by the cemetery wildlife.

Double snowdrops on a grass verge
Double snowdrops

Birds

The avian branch of the cemetery wildlife is flourishing, and all my walks around the cemetery were accompanied by birdsong.  The birds I saw most often were Blue Tits – they seem to be the commonest species in the cemetery.

Two blue tits in a tree in the cemetery
Blue Tits

I also saw plenty of Great Tits and Long-tailed Tits, but only a couple of Coal Tits.

I caught several glimpses of Bullfinches in the cemetery and at one point saw two females.  Added to the two males I saw in January that makes four different birds in total.

A female Bullfinch perched in a tree in the cemetery
Bullfinch (female)

I saw small flocks of Goldfinches in the cemetery, and plenty of Chaffinches too.

Female Chaffinch perched on a branch
Chaffinch (female)

I was delighted to see a Great Spotted Woodpecker high up in the trees.  I’ve only ever managed to catch the occasional glimpse of one over many years, so this was a rare treat.

A Great Spotted Woodpecker perched up high in a tree
Great Spotted Woodpecker – the red on top of the head is just visible, indicating that this is a male

I saw lots of Wood Pigeons and a few Stock Doves, Blackbirds, Carrion Crows and Magpies. I also saw a Song Thrush, foraging for berries amongst the ivy.

The back view of a Song Thrush perched amongst some ivy
Song Thrush

So far this year I’ve seen a total of 18 different species of bird in the cemetery, and I have high hopes that this will have risen to well over 20 by the end of the year.

Fungi

Just a quick mention of the most mysterious branch of the cemetery wildlife.  At the start of the year, and before the nesting season begins, the volunteers clear ivy and other plants from the headstones and a small area around them.  They found several fallen branches with jelly fungus on them including this fine specimen, yet to be eaten by the cemetery wildlife.  I must add that these branches were either left in situ or carefully moved to a safe place nearby.

A jelly fungus on a rotting branch inside the cemetery
Jelly Fungus

This is the general type I saw most often in February – I didn’t notice any of the upright ones such as Inkcaps.

Conclusion

February was a month of mixed weather but nothing too extreme, and this allowed the cemetery wildlife to flourish.  With lots of bright yellow flowers everywhere and the occasional burst of warm sunshine to awaken early butterflies, it felt more like spring than winter.

A grey squirrel in a tree, with blue sky in the background
Squirrel of the month. See you next time!

How to spot hibernating butterflies | National Trust

Cemetery Wildlife – January 2024

by Helen Bovillin Wildlife1 Comment on Cemetery Wildlife – January 2024

 

The year started off with a beautifully sunny day and temperatures of just a few degrees.  Then there was a day of heavy rain.  Then we had some dry, cool days, allowing the footpaths around the cemetery to slowly begin to dry out.  In the middle of the month Hull had about a week of very cold, frosty days with sub-zero temperatures.   This was followed by two named storms in quick succession.  I’m happy to report the high winds didn’t cause any major damage to any of the trees in the cemetery.  But generally, it has been quite a dry January.  The cemetery wildlife has been as active as ever with good numbers of birds around.

Birds

Small Birds

The featured photo this month shows two Robins that I saw on one of my many walks around the cemetery.  They’re very territorial birds but these two seemed to be tolerant of each other.  This suggests they’re probably a couple, paired up and looking for a suitable nesting site.

I was delighted to get a few brief glimpses of a Goldcrest, searching for tiny insects in the Ivy.  The cemetery provides excellent habitat for them, but they’re very difficult to see.

A Goldcrest amongst the Ivy
Goldcrest (male)

They’re very similar to the much rarer Firecrest – please see the link at the end of the report for more information.

I saw the 3 Bullfinches I mentioned last month on numerous occasions.  I still find it a delight to see that distinctive shade of salmon pink up in the trees.

Two male bullfinches high up in the trees in the cemetery
Bullfinches (both male)

I’ve also seen lots of Chaffinches in the cemetery, and Goldfinches too, often in small, highly vocal flocks. 

A back view of a Goldfinch perched on a branch in the cemetery
Goldfinch

I saw a Dunnock, and plenty of Great Tits and Blue Tits this month.  Blue Tits seem to be the most numerous of the cemetery’s bird species.  And high up in the trees I sometimes caught brief glimpses of a fast-moving flock of Long-tailed Tits.  One day some of them came lower down and one landed in a tree quite close to where I was standing.

A Long-tailed tit perched on a branch in the sunshine
Long-tailed Tit

The avian branch of the cemetery wildlife seems to be thriving at the moment and I’m sure the close proximity to houses on the northern boundary has helped them.  Several of their gardens, I’m sure, will have bird feeders and sources of water in them.  Shelter too.  The RSPB’s “Big Garden Birdwatch” took place during the last weekend of the month and this might well have motivated people to put out food and water to attract them.

Larger Birds

I saw Blackbirds, Carrion Crows and Magpies as usual this month, and caught a brief glimpse of a thrush.  It was too quick for me to tell which species it was – Song or Mistle – though.  I saw two Stock Doves this month.

Stock Dove in a tree in the cemetery
Stock Dove – one of a pair seen regularly in the area near the Cholera Monument

However, they’re not an abundant species – the main species of larger bird is the Wood Pigeon and I saw several of these all over the cemetery.  They’re bigger than Stock Doves and have a white patch at each side of the neck and different coloured eyes.

A wood pigeon on a gravestone in the cemetery
Wood Pigeon

I often see them on the ground and perching on the headstones.  But if you hear a loud flapping noise high up in the trees, look up and you’ll probably see one, reaching for the berries of the most abundant plant in the cemetery.

Plants

Plants – fruit

That most abundant plant is Ivy and its berries are now ripe and ready for the cemetery wildlife to eat!  This plant is very beneficial to wildlife, providing food and shelter.  Where it acts as ground cover it helps keep the area free of frost, making foraging easier.

Ripe ivy berries
Ivy berries

I noticed some of the Pyracantha bushes still had berries on them, and the Holly and Berberis too.  In addition I found a Rowan (also known as Mountain Ash) with some berries on it.

One of the rowan trees in the cemetery, with red berries on it
Rowan or Mountain Ash

Plants – flowering

The council finally cut the grass verge along Spring Bank West during the first part of the month. This took place just in time to avoid damaging any of the newly emerging plants. It looks like it was given a high cut, leaving some of the lower greenery intact.

Frosty leaves on the grass verge
Three seasons in one – autumn decay, spring growth and winter frost

Soon after the cut, I couldn’t find any flowers along the verge so I ventured inside the cemetery to see what I could find. There was nothing lower down, and it was too early for Blackthorn, but I found some catkins on one of the cemetery’s hazel trees.

Catkins - the flowers of the hazel tree
Hazel

Then towards the end of the month clusters of snowdrops started to emerge and flower all over the cemetery.  I found at least two different types this month.  Note how both have been nibbled by the cemetery wildlife.

A group of snowdrops with single petals
Snowdrops – single petals (above)
A group of snowdrops with double petals
Snowdrops – double petals

I walked past the grass verge most days, but it wasn’t until the last weekend of the month that I found some flowers growing again, a couple of weeks after it had been cut.

A dandelion growing low amongst the grass
Dandelion, with a very short stem

I was also delighted to see my first fully-opened Lesser Celandines of the year, and my first Marmalade Hoverfly of the year on one of the flowers!

A Marmalade Hoverfly on the yellow flower of a Lesser celandine
Lesser Celandine with Marmalade Hoverfly (female)

Then back inside the cemetery, I found a common dog-violet in flower.  I don’t recall seeing one flowering so early in previous years.

The small purple flower of the common dog-violet growing near a gravestone in the cemetery
Common dog-violet

Conclusion

January has been quite a varied month, weather-wise.  Even after a day of persistent rain at the end of the month, the footpaths are still easier to walk on than they were last month. The Council provided us with some chippings from some branches they removed from one of the trees overhanging the footpath and road on Spring Bank West.  We used these to repair a small area of the southern footpath.

I found a few types of fungi in the cemetery but nothing I hadn’t seen in previous months.  Early in the month I was delighted to catch a brief glimpse of a fox one morning.  But I’ll end this report, as usual, with the main representative of the mammalian branch of the cemetery wildlife.

Three squirrels sitting on some of the flat headstones in the cemetery
On the headstones near the northern path to Western cemetery. See you next time! 

The difference between Goldcrest and Firecrest –

British Garden Birds – Goldcrest (garden-birds.co.uk)

 

 

Cemetery Wildlife – December 2023

by Helen Bovillin Wildlife1 Comment on Cemetery Wildlife – December 2023

The month started off very cold and frosty, and there was even a light dusting of snow one day.  The cemetery always looks lovely when covered in snow, but it wasn’t deep enough for the spectacular look that used to be a regular sight every winter.  Nevertheless I managed a quick visit before the snow thawed, and found some fox footprints at the eastern end. Proper cemetery wildlife rather than just that of a dog, although the two can look similar!

Fox footprints in the cemetery snow
Fox footprints

It was also a very wet month, with some heavy rainfall leaving wet puddles everywhere.  After one night of particularly heavy rain a hole opened up in the ground near one of the graves, exposing some of its foundations.  The month ended with some mild but very windy weather, bringing down plenty of small branches and also a couple of larger ones.

Birds

It’s a lot easier to spot the avian branch of the cemetery wildlife at this time of the year, with many of the trees being bereft of their leaves.  I was delighted to see bullfinches on a number of occasions and counted a total of three – two males and one female.  I watched one of the males flying down low, grabbing something in his beak and then flying back up to a higher branch.  It turned out he was eating wood avens seeds, a small plant that grows all over the cemetery and has tiny yellow flowers in the spring.  After a few hours of working in the cemetery or just walking around with my camera, I always end up with some of these seeds attached to my clothes.  But they are obviously appreciated by these stunning birds!

Two photos, one showing a male bullfinch and the other showing a female bullfinch, in the cemetery trees
Bullfinches – male (left) and female (right)

There are three different species in the cemetery that have large areas of feathers in shades of pink/red – bullfinch, chaffinch and robin.  But as you can see there are subtle differences to those shades.

A male chaffinch on a branch in the cemetery
Chaffinch (male, above) 
A robin on a headstone in the Quaker Burial Ground
Robin in the Quaker Burial Ground 

Goldfinches also have red feathers, albeit just a small area around the face, and which is absent in juvenile birds.

A goldfinch on a branch in the cemetery
Goldfinch

I see these most days now, and counted a small flock of six at one point.  The collective name for goldfinches is a charm, and they certainly are charming little birds.

I also saw a slightly larger flock of long-tailed tits, high up in the trees.

A long-tailed tit perched high up in a tree in the cemetery
Long-tailed tit

Nest box survey

The volunteers did this during the middle of the month – a little later than usual due to the wet weather.  It’s a job best done when it isn’t raining. This is the fourth year we’ve been doing these surveys.

We should have a total of 57 boxes in the cemetery but we were only able to locate and check 50 of them.  26 of them showed signs of having been used at some point during the year.  This gave us an occupancy rate of 52%.  I’ve counted the two owl boxes at the western end of the cemetery as having been used due to them containing nest material, although there was no evidence to suggest they’d been used by owls.  They had most probably been used by either wood pigeons or stock doves.  And as we were checking one of the boxes, a squirrel shot out of it, followed by another one and then at least two more!  None were babies but were probably juveniles born in the summer. I’m sure our activities hadn’t adversely affected them – just look at my last photo!

A collection of leaves and twigs removed from one of the owl nest boxes
The contents of one of the owl boxes

This occupancy rate is lower than the 61% of last year’s survey.  I noticed in last year’s survey that several of the original boxes had been used every year but this year 5 of those boxes had not been used for the first time.  The majority of our boxes have been in place since 2019 and are now around 5 years old, so it could be that they’re starting to deteriorate and are less attractive to the birds.  However, the main species that use the boxes are blue tits and great tits, yet I haven’t noticed a decline in their numbers.

Plants

I don’t have much to report this month as very few of our plants are in flower.  The musk mallow, one of the wildflowers we planted in November 2022, and which started flowering in June this year, is still flowering.  I had feared it might have been killed by last month’s frost but it survived.  It’s a welcome addition to the Spring Bank West grass verge and it will be interesting to see how much longer it continues to produce flowers.

The pink flowers of the Musk Mallow
Musk mallow

I saw a few dandelions flowering in the grass verge alongside Spring Bank West.  At the end of the month I noticed that the lesser celandines had started to grow.  I even found a few buds on some of them, and an almost-open flower.

An almost-open lesser celandine flower
Lesser celandine

There is a large Forsythia growing at the side of the main entrance, and I found buds on that too.

A small yellow forsythia flower and buds near the cemetery gates
Forsythia flower. The green shoots are also flower buds – the leaves appear after the plant has flowered

One of the snowdrops the volunteers planted in the Quaker Burial Ground a couple of years ago is now in flower. But last year they had started flowering well before Christmas.

A lone snowdrop in the Quaker burial ground section of the cemetery, with the houses on Spring Bank West in the background
Snowdrop (photo taken 30 December)

Elsewhere in and around the cemetery there are still plenty of berries for the cemetery wildlife to eat. The lead photo shows a male blackbird eating some of the berries on a variegated holly tree. That tree is in the central part of the cemetery.  I took this next photo on a frosty morning at the start of the month.

The red berries of the pyracantha with a light covering of frost
Pyracantha berries

Fungi and Lichen

I found a few types of fungi including some jelly ones, and this large bracket earlier in the month. I checked it a couple of weeks later and it hadn’t been affected by the snow.

A large bracket fungus growing on a tree in the cemetery, with a light dusting of snow
Bracket Fungus

I also found a nice example of turkey tail fungus on a tree near the centre of the cemetery. Parts of it showed evidence of having been nibbled by the cemetery wildlife.

Turkey tail fungus growing on a tree branch in the cemetery
Turkey tail

December’s high winds left the ground littered with fallen branches.  This gave me the opportunity to examine, close-up, the lichen covering many of those small and medium-sized branches.  I don’t think I’ve mentioned lichen before, which is the result of a partnership between fungus and algae.  The most common one in the cemetery is this – the common orange or yellow scale lichen. Please see the link at the end of this report for more information on this fascinating organism.

Yellow lichen on a fallen branch in the cemetery
Common orange or yellow scale lichen

Conclusion

Winter has now arrived, but there are many signs of autumn still present.  On one of the milder days I noticed the sunlight catching a cluster of small insects in flight, probably flies of some sort.  At the end of the month some of the late winter flowers had already started to appear, and the month ended on a mild rainy note. The ground is still very wet and the footpaths muddy, making the conditions less than ideal for humans.  However, the cemetery wildlife has not been affected, and there is plenty of food and water to sustain it as we head into January.

Two squirrels at the entrance to one of the cemetery's owl nest boxes
Two squirrels for you this month, at the entrance to the owl nest box I mentioned earlier.  See you in 2024!

Some more information on lichen –

What is Lichen? 7 Lichens Found on Trees – Woodland Trust

Cemetery Gates Refurbishment

by Helen Bovillin News2 Comments on Cemetery Gates Refurbishment

Friday 1 December 2023 saw the official opening of the newly refurbished cemetery gates.  The weather was kind to us and the sun shone as Dame Diana Johnson, MP for Hull North, kindly performed the ceremony for us at our invitation.

The Friends of Hull General Cemetery (FOHGC) identified refurbishment of the gates as a project that would enhance the appearance of the entrance to the cemetery.  Quotes for the work involved were obtained and we applied for a local ward budget grant from Hull City Council.  Our application was successful and we appointed local firm Lightowler to carry out the cleaning and repainting of the gates.  This began in October and was completed surprisingly quickly considering it had to be done between rain showers, and well in time for the official opening.

It was good to be able to get the work done by a well-established local firm – the same one that carried out the previous refurbishment of the gates over 40 years ago.  Our grateful thanks to Lightowler for all their hard work and to Hull City Council for providing the funding for this important project.

Gallery

 

Bill Longbone giving a brief history of the cemetery gates, watched by Dame Diana Johnson MP
Volunteer and FOHGC charity trustee, Bill Longbone, giving a talk on the history of the gates, watched by Dame Diana Johnson MP

 

Getting ready to open the gates
Getting ready to open the gates

 

Opening the gates
Opening the gates – it took a team effort as those gates are heavy!

 

 

Dame Diana Johnson talking to some of the cemetery volunteers
Dame Diana Johnson MP talking to volunteers and FOHGC charity trustees Bill Longbone (left) and Karen Towner (right)

 

And finally, here’s what Lightowler said about the occasion –

https://www.lightowler.com/news/proudly-helping-to-bring-hull-general-cemetery-back-to-its-best

Cemetery Wildlife – November 2023

by Helen Bovillin Wildlife4 Comments on Cemetery Wildlife – November 2023

November was very wet and windy, with so much rain that the footpaths throughout the cemetery have remained muddy all month.  A lot of the time it was quite mild, but the month ended with two cold, sub-zero frosty days.  One of those might have included a light dusting of snow overnight, but the next morning it just looked like a very heavy frost. On the final day of the month there were some light falls of hail and snow.  The ground didn’t freeze though, so the cemetery wildlife had no trouble finding food and water.

Birds

There were decent numbers of the regular small birds around.  It seems to have been a good year for them, especially the chaffinches, great tits and blue tits.

A great tit looking for insects on the bark of a tree branch
Great tit looking for insects behind the bark. Note the jelly fungi towards the bottom of the branch.

I also started seeing a pair of coal tits almost every day.  It’s great to see them back in the cemetery.  They’re just slightly smaller than blue tits.

Two photos, one showing a blue tit and the other showing a coal tit
Blue tit (left) and coal tit

I’ve also seen Goldfinches regularly too.  This is a bird than can occur in large flocks, but the most I’ve seen together in the cemetery has been four or five.

A goldfinch perched on a branch in the cemetery
Goldfinch. The males and females are difficult to tell apart – the difference lies in the amount of red above the eye. As the red extends a way back, this is probably a male. 

I’ve also seen quite a few wrens in the cemetery.  These tiny birds move so quickly, and usually disappear into the ivy on the trees, that they can be quite a challenge to photograph.  And sometimes I only hear them, as they have quite a loud and distinctive call.

A wren on a log
Wren in the Quaker Burial Ground

An even louder bird is the carrion crow.  But they’re usually very easy to spot!

A carrion crow high up in the branches
Carrion Crow

Whilst I don’t have anything rare or unusual to report, I did catch a very brief glimpse of a pair of bullfinches.  I also caught a quick glimpse of a goldcrest.

Plants

There were very few plants in flower this month. The most distinctive of those in flower was the musk mallow, growing on the grass verge alongside Spring Bank West.  New flowers were still opening late in the month, although the frost might now have finished them off.

Two photos showing the pink flowers of the musk mallow - one before the frost and the other after it
Musk mallow before and after a heavy frost

A few dandelions were in flower but they might fare a bit better in the frost.

A frost-covered partially opened dandelion
Dandelion after a heavy frost

Trees

It has been quite windy this month and a number of branches, some of them quite large, have fallen from the trees.  But no significant trees were damaged.  Most of the deciduous trees are starting to look very bare now.  However, the leaves that have managed to cling on despite those high winds have now turned to lovely autumnal shades of yellow and orange.

The autumn colours of a beech sapling in the cemetery
Beech sapling (above)
The bright autumn colours of an ash tree in the cemetery
Ash

Fungi

I didn’t find much in the way of mushrooms and other fungi this month which was a bit surprising when I look back on what I saw in the November of previous years.  I didn’t see any of the velvet shank I normally see growing on a particular fallen log. But I saw some candlesnuff and some coral spot, both growing on rotting wood.

Candlesnuff fungus growing on a rotting log
Candlesnuff fungus (above)
Coral spot fungus on a fallen branch in the cemetery
Coral spot

Insects

The smallest branch of the cemetery wildlife has been very quiet this month.  I’ve seen a few flies, hoverflies and ladybirds, but no butterflies.

Conclusion

The last full month of autumn has been a very wet one.  As we head into winter there is still plenty of autumnal colour left, but plenty of greenery too.  We are hoping the Council will give the grass verge alongside Spring Bank West one last cut for the season. This is because lots of new thistles have already started to grow there and these could stifle the growth of the spring flowers that are essential sources of nectar for early insects such as butterflies, some of which can appear as early as February.

A squirrel in a tree, looking directly at the camera
Your squirrel of the month. See you next time!

 

Cemetery Wildlife – October 2023

by Helen Bovillin Wildlife2 Comments on Cemetery Wildlife – October 2023

October was a typically autumnal month, with some misty mornings leading to sunny days.  It was quite mild at times, but it was rain that dominated the month with some quite heavy and prolonged showers, especially towards the end of the month.  As a result of this higher than average rainfall, all the footpaths in the cemetery are very muddy.  At least the cemetery wildlife wasn’t short of drinking water! 

Plants 

Small Flowering

Many of the cemetery’s plants have now died back, including the Hogweed shown above. It’s good that some of the seed heads remain upright even after all the seeds have been eaten because they make a great focal point for us photographers!  However, I also found one still in flower.

The white flowers of Hogweed inside the cemetery
Hogweed

Elsewhere in the cemetery I found lots of Ivy still in flower and attracting plenty of small bees and hoverflies.

Ivy flower in the cemetery
Ivy

The main place for flowering plants is the grass verge along Spring Bank West.  As I mentioned in last month’s report, the Council cut part of it during the hot weather early in September.  Then we had lots of rain and the verge looks green and lush as a result.  Unfortunately this has allowed lots of thistles to start regrowing, but the verge is due for one final cut of the season, hopefully soon.

Despite this I found several plants still flowering, including Tansy, Feverfew and Smooth Sow-thistle.

Bright yellow Tansy flowers on the grass verge alongside the cemetery
Tansy (above)
The daisy-like flowers of Feverfew
Feverfew (above)
Freshly opened Smooth Sow-thistle flowers
Smooth Sow-thistle

That small patch of Ragwort I mentioned last month is still in flower.  I’ve also found White Campion, Wild Basil, Toadflax, Dandelions and Musk Mallow still flowering.

An opening bud of a pink Musk Mallow flower
Musk Mallow

Trees and larger shrubs

The heavy rainfall on the trees has saturated the bark, making it appear very dark.

An old Horse Chestnut tree in the cemetery, with bark darkened by heavy rainfall
Horse Chestnut

It isn’t just the flowers that add colour to the cemetery – the leaves on the trees look equally colourful, especially on the Forsythia growing near the cemetery gates.  It gives us masses of bright yellow flowers in the Spring, and then this in the Autumn.

The bright autumnal colours of Forsythia leaves
Forsythia

The Dogwood growing inside the cemetery is very colourful too.

The autumnal colours of Dogwood, with raindrops
Dogwood

The leaves on some of the trees have started to turn autumnal, but it looks like their main colour will come through in November.

The berries on the trees also add splashes of colour all over the site, and provide food for the cemetery wildlife, especially the birds.

The bright red berries of Pyracantha near one of the cemetery monuments
Pyracantha

Birds

The usual small birds were around in good numbers, including Blue Tits, Coal Tits, Chaffinches, Blackbirds, Robins, Wrens, Great Tits and Goldfinches.

A Great Tit in the cemetery
Great Tit (above)
Goldfinch perched on a branch
Goldfinch

Walking through the cemetery one day, I heard a cooing sound that differed from the Wood Pigeon and Stock Dove ones I usually hear.  When I looked up I saw a pair of Collared Doves perched on the roof of a nearby house.  Unfortunately they were not in the cemetery itself so don’t count towards this year’s list of bird species seen in the cemetery.  I’m hoping to see them again, but inside the cemetery.

Insects

I saw plenty of small bees and hoverflies this month.  One sunny day I was walking along the grass verge and noticed that practically all of the Dandelions and other similar yellow flowers had a small insect on them.  This includes Ladybirds, both Harlequin and native.

A Marmalade Hoverfly on a Dandelion
Marmalade Hoverfly (above)
Ladybird on a bright yellow flower
Harlequin Ladybird

I didn’t see any butterflies in October, and neither did any of the other volunteers.  This is unusual, because I’ve seen at least one Speckled Wood in the previous two Octobers.

Fungi

Just a couple to record this time – a Jelly Ear and one that looks very like the Dryad’s Saddle ones I’ve seen on a few occasions in the past.

Jelly Ear Fungus growing on a rotting fallen branch
Jelly Ear (above)
A partially eaten large brown fungus - Dryad's Saddle
Dryad’s Saddle

Conclusion

October was a very wet month.  The muddy conditions have made walking in certain parts of the cemetery quite a challenge, especially where people have ridden bikes along the paths, exacerbating the problems.  With rain forecast for the start of November, the paths aren’t going to be drying out anytime soon.  Despite all this, the cemetery wildlife seems to be thriving.

But I’d like to end this report with an appeal to all the animal lovers out there – once Halloween is over, please don’t leave your leftover pumpkins in the cemetery.  They’re not good for wildlife to eat, especially hedgehogs.  Whilst some animals may have a quick nibble of the pumpkin, the majority of it will remain, turning into a rotting mess that the litter picking volunteers then have to remove. The link below gives more information about what to do with your unwanted pumpkins.

Thank you on behalf of the cemetery wildlife, and I’ll be back next month!

A Grey Squirrel perched high on a wet tree branch

https://www.forestryengland.uk/news/dumping-pumpkins-the-woods-bad-wildlife-says-forestry-england-expert

 

Cemetery Wildlife – September 2023

by Helen Bovillin Wildlife

September started off unusually hot.  Temperatures reached the high 20s, possibly even 30, in the first week, qualifying as a heatwave.  An unexpected end to the summer here! The trees still had all their leaves though, giving plenty of shade to cool down the cemetery wildlife.  As a result, the ground remained damp throughout this period.  Autumn officially started in the last half of the month, and it started with quite a few rainy days.  Some of the rainfall was quite heavy and the paths are rather muddy again.  High winds brought down a few medium-sized branches but no major damage was caused.

Birds

I started this report with one of the two Coal Tits I’ve been seeing regularly this month. These little birds are very slightly smaller than Blue Tits but their colouring is quite different.

 

Blue Tit on Elderberries, with one in its beak
Blue Tit and Elderberries

 

There is plenty of food for the birds now because of the berries on many of the trees and shrubs.  The Elderberry bushes with their fruitful abundance are particularly popular as you can see from the photo above.  I saw other species that are light enough to perch on their thin stems too, such as Chaffinches and Blackcaps.

A female Blackcap and a male Chaffinch perched in an Elderberry tree
Blackcap (female, left) and Chaffinch (male, right)

Blackbirds like the Elderberries too!

A Blackbird perched in an Elderberry tree
Blackbird – the brown head indicates this is a young male, still to get his full Winter plumage

Other birds I’ve seen this month are Goldfinches, Wrens, Great Tits, Robins, Wood Pigeons, Crows, Magpies and Dunnocks. I haven’t had any more sightings of the Bullfinches I saw a couple of months ago.  A visitor to the cemetery told me he’d heard a Tawny Owl calling in the area near the Owl boxes.  Our end of year survey of the bird boxes should reveal whether or not they’ve nested in the cemetery this year.

Plants

The Pyracantha bushes are now laden with berries, adding some welcome colour and providing food for the cemetery wildlife.

Red Pyracantha berries on the verge alongside the cemetery
Pyracantha

A one metre strip of grass along the verge on Spring Bank West was cut by the Council earlier in the month during the hot weather.  The rain that arrived mid-month helped the regrowth, and there are now a few Dandelions flowering.  The Musk Mallow has survived the cut, and a small clump of Ragwort is still in flower.

The yellow flowers of the Ragwort, on the grass verge alongside the cemetery
Ragwort

The Ivy is now in flower, but generally there were not many flowers to be seen in September.  I did see a few flowers on one of the bramble bushes, and on this Ribwort Plantain.

The white flowers of the Ribwort Plantain on the grass verge alongside the cemetery
Ribwort Plantain

It’s easy to miss these flowers, which look quite different to other more traditionally shaped ones.  I also found some Cyclamen growing in the cemetery near the Cholera Monument.

Pink flowers of Cyclamen, growing in the cemetery
Cyclamen

The main things to be found on the plants at the moment are berries as already mentioned, and seeds such as on this Dock.

The dried brown seeds of the Dock plant
Dock seeds

Insects and other small creatures

I’ll start with Butterflies, as they’re still around in September but in much smaller numbers.  I’ve seen Small White, Large White, Red Admiral and Speckled Wood.  I can always rely on the latter for a photo, and they often fly on overcast days as well as sunny ones.

A Speckled Wood butterfly on a Hogweed seed head
Speckled Wood on a Hogweed seed head

I’ve also caught brief glimpses of the occasional Dragonfly around the cemetery, but none have landed anywhere so identification wasn’t possible.  It’s surprising to see them here, especially as there is no pond or other source of water in the cemetery.  The abundance of vegetation and damp areas most probably explains their presence.

There are still plenty of hoverflies and bees around, making the most of the flowers on the Ivy.  Large queen bees are feeding up on the nectar to sustain themselves during their winter hibernation.

A Queen Buff-Tailed Bumblebee nectaring on Ivy flowers
Queen Buff-Tailed Bumblebee nectaring on Ivy flowers

Snails are not insects of course – they’re molluscs – but I thought this White-lipped one was worthy of inclusion because of its attractive shell.  It seems to be one of our regular species and stands out nicely on dried plant stems.

A White-lipped Snail crawling up a dried plant stem
White-lipped Snail

Conclusion

It’s been a quiet month, with nothing unusual to report as far as the cemetery wildlife is concerned.  I occasionally hear a fox calling later in the evenings, and they do live in the cemetery.  They seem very wary and secretive though.  However, a regular volunteer had a good view of a fox early one evening.

When you spend a lot of the time in the cemetery, either volunteering or just enjoying a leisurely stroll, you get to see certain individual animals that stand out from the rest. Here’s one such animal – I call this squirrel Nick because of those distinctive tears or nicks in both ears. Whether these were present at birth or if they’re the result of a disagreement with another squirrel I don’t know.  But here he (or she) is!

A Grey Squirrel climbing up a tree in the cemetery
That’s all folks. See you next month!

Cemetery Wildlife – August 2023

by Helen Bovillin Wildlife1 Comment on 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!