The Privet Hawk-moth Caterpillar

Last weekend we decided it was time to visit the wonderful grounds of Leeds Castle. A ticket allows entry all year round and, whilst expensive, provides access to the maze, castle, aviary, adventure playground and beautiful acres and acres of outdoor space.

We took a packed lunch and settled down by one of the many lakes to begin our feast. We were positioned underneath a willow tree and i had a quick scope around the area to see if anything interesting was in sight. After a short time my eyes settled on a bright green glow, which even against the lush grass provided a striking contrast - the bright, late summer daylight reflecting off every ripple and curve.

No, i hadn't found an extremely expensive emerald, lost thousands of years ago by one of the royal inhabitants of Leeds Castle. The owner was none other than a Privet Hawk-moth caterpillar. At the beginning of summer the boys and I had set a target to locate and photograph more of the giant Hawk-moth caterpillars, which richly pepper the English countryside. Our appetite had been well and truly wet by the enormous Elephant Hawk-moth caterpillar we discovered at our local nature reserve last year (see earlier post).

The Privet Hawk-moth is the largest moth in these fair isles, but interestingly our Elephant Hawk-moth caterpillar was significantly larger than the latest caterpillar we found. It was late season too, so i assume it was very close to building a cocoon - ready for a state of dormancy as the colder months bite.

Don't get me wrong, this was still a beast and the first time i have set eyes on one. How many more wonders of nature will i find on our family adventures. Endless opportunities and the great outdoors await.

The Storr's Monitor

I have written previously about our Australian spotted pythons and we have now added a Storr's monitor to the menagerie. The Monitor lizards are a fascinating group of lizards, the genus includes the largest lizard on earth - the Komodo dragon. They vary in size tremendously with the smallest varanid weighing no more than 20g (Varanus brevicauda) and the largest 200 kilos. They are considered by many scientists to be the closest living lizards to snakes and birds.

As a child i owned a variety of monitors but back then only wild caught animals were available and they did not last long on account of the heavy parasite load and transit stress. These days it is possible to acquire a number of fascinating species - gone are the days when Nile monitors, Bosc monitors and Water monitors were all stores had to offer. Now it is possible to own a number of interesting flavours from countries such as New Guinea, the Solomon Islands and  Australia - the latter traditionally does not export any of their native wildlife.

Australia has two thirds of the worlds monitor species and, for some reason, a welter of dwarf species. Evolution saw fit to drastically reduce the size of many varanids in Oz, in order to fit different ecosystems, and the sub genus Odatria has sprung into existence (covering the dwarf species for taxonomic purposes).

I was in the local reptile store browsing through the different species and was surprised to see a beautiful Storr's monitor on display. Surprised because they are very uncommon and also because they are not normally visually impressive - most Storr's monitors are largely brown with unexciting patterns. This little fellow was covered in cream/yellow speckles from head to foot, with the colours even reaching a mustard/gold on the lower back and legs. A thick, spiny tail is typical of the species.

He had lost a few toes, which is no surprise considering how combative this diminutive monitor can be - they are well known for intraspecific aggression and colonies can be difficult to establish.

The boys always love visiting the reptile room in this local store and we all liked him very much. Most people did not realise the scarcity of this species and seeing as they are much smaller than most other monitors, he largely slipped off the radar. Originally part of a pair but something happened to the female and he arrived on his own.

Rex, as the boys christened him, now takes pride of place in their room. They love helping to feed him baby mice and locusts. Leo is too young to hold him and even a small monitor species can inflict a nasty bite, so Todd is the only one granted that privilege. Leo sill enjoys stroking him and tickling his chin though.

Australian reptiles are my favourite and it is wonderful to have a beautiful pair of Spotted Pythons and a Storr's Monitor. The aim now is to locate a female, who can match Rex's beauty (though males are normally brighter) and hopefully produce high class Varanus storri hatchlings.

The Pond

We have worked hard to get the most out of limited space in our garden. The borders were mature when we arrived and the forsythia always bursts into a yellow haze - signally the arrival of spring proper.

Last year we utilised space on the brick wall to grow vegetables - producing a bumper crop of tomatoes, courgettes and cucumbers. A hanging basket provided little tomatoes in abundance and the over-hanging cherry plum tree rained down ripe, amber spheres well into October.

I had contemplated a water feature of some description for a couple of years and, having researched a few options, decided a mini-pond was the way to go. We opted for a rustic half-barrel, i dug it into a wider area of the border - sealing and painting the interior to ensure it was water tight and would not allow whiskey residue into the water.

A visit to the garden center provided three decent aquatic plants - reeds, lillies and a water orchid (water plants are seriously expensive it transpires!). Bricks and a flower pot were used to raise the plants and the boys then helped by adding the water.

I am off to a family friend, who has a welter of spawn and frogs, to take a small sample and establish our foundation stock. It will be wonderful for the boys to see metamorphosis in action, Todd understands the principles so well and can witness the process first hand. As a child we had a small pond in our back garden - it was teeming with life and i was amazed by the diversity hovering within the limited aquatic confines. You could pull out Crested newts, Smooth newts and of course lots of frogs.

This is a step back into my childhood and another step forward for my children. A pond doesn't have to be big - life will always find a way.

The Horniman Museum Nature Trek

It is wonderful to feel spring in the air once again. The forsythia has burst into a fiery, yellow haze along the right side of our garden - preceded of course by snowdrops and daffodils, which always lift the spirit no matter how cold the ambient temperature.

The Earth, tilted on its axis, travels around the Sun and it is now our northern hemisphere's turn to receive the lion's share of photons. As temperatures rise and the incredibly sensitive plant species respond to the subtle environmental changes, it is obvious the animals are also responding. A quick walk around the block reveals, to those paying attention, many more bird species tweeting in the trees and bushes. Flipping over a log or stone yields more insects and bugs than even a month ago - Nature is awakening from her winter slumber.

The Horniman Museum held an outdoor walk during half term and we raced to join the action. There were very limited places and it is good we arrived early. From the rough bark of cherry trees to the wonder of pond dipping, our guide led the children on a magical journey through nature. Logs were flipped, bushes explored and giant puffball fungi whacked! - the latter ejecting billions of spores in a visually stunning display that excited most of the children.

The finale was a bit of classic pond dipping and our little team (Todd's best friend Alex and family friends Lucy and Lauren) produced the best haul. Others crowded around our tub of delights, which included a Water boatman, Dragonfly nymphs and Smooth newts - all identified by my son with no prompting whatsoever. That's my boy!

We will visit a variety of ponds several times this spring and summer. I am sure we will witness many fascinating creatures and lose ourselves in the wonder of nature. Every time i take my children on a trip like this, i am back in time - still experiencing the same excitement and wondering what creatures will rise from the deep to greet us.