Spent the last week visiting friends Kevin and Donna Cox at their place on the edge of Dartmoor in Devon - part holiday and part helping out planting a yew hedge in their newly built walled garden - part of much larger wildlife garden (or rather, grounds).
Yesterday and this morning, we explored one of the old copper mines on the Brook Estate looking for cave-dwelling animals. Copper was mined here from 1845 to 1885 and the main shaft at this particular mine, Pixton’s Shaft, drops vertically to an incredible 305 m! We looked at a short (c15 m) horizontal adit in the woods here.
Found quite a few Herald moths (counted 23 yesterday) as well as lots (c40 yesterday) of European Cave Spiders
Meta menardi, including one guarding an egg cocoon suspended from the mine ceiling.
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| Two of the 23 Herald Scoliopteryx libatrix moths found hibernating in the mine, 6 December |
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| Herald Scoliopteryx libatrix, 7 December |
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| Spot the Heralds, 6 December |
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| European Cave Spider Meta menardi, 6 December |
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| Egg cocoon of European Cave Spider Meta menardi, 7 December |
The only other noteworthy sighting from the week is a superb adult Goshawk low over the garden at Brook Manor being mobbed by 2 Common Raven on 3rd December.
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