Tuesday, February 20, 2024

Greening Up...

Iris larvae are greening up, already. Most of the 11 larvae I checked in Savernake yesterday were between 20% and 30% green, two were more like 50%. Here's three of them - 




Normally, they're that green in mid to late March, so they are running about four weeks early - for now.

The forest sallows are less advanced, though many roadside sallows around Swindon and the Cotswold Water Park are well in bloom, males and the later-flowering females. One sallow along the A419 at Kingsdown (which is Purple) on the east edge of Swindon is quite well in leaf - any larvae on it might well be feeding.  

One of these years iris will be on the wing in Brexit Britain before the end of May...

Winter predation levels remain within the 'normal' range.

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