Invertebrates in the garden this afternoon

Offline i have been juggling lots of things at once cause I have my family and relatives and my social life isn’t very good. And socialising can be challenging when you have Autism. 

cause I have both Autism and a learning disability I have a double whammy and cause of my hyper sensitive hearing im not a noisy or loud person And So when I look for things like Wildlife clubs or visit places Both me and the people around me have to look for somewhere where there’s not lots of people and not noisy or loud I have to take lots of things into consideration when makeing decisions cause of my Autism and also challanges my developmental learning disability brings aswell like being behind my peers in cognitive and mental development and delayed thought process. My thought process and voice is slightly slower than average. and It can take longer than normal  for me to process and understand instructions and what people say and I learn differently to my peers. 

my Autism makes me detail oriented and hyper focused. I can be focused on a specific subject  for hours on end where people will usually get bored. and research for everything there is to know about that specific topic and remember every little detail from memory. my learning disability presents challanges in learning and development.
 but when it comes down to my interests specifically then my Autism turns the tables.  and it makes me tend to be ahead of my pears when it comes to my speacial interests. And people call Me the little professor or a walking encyclopaedia, and it’s a common trait in Autism. 
I might talk a lot about my speacial interests but that also brings with it social challanges like I might not necessarily pick up on or understand certain communication cues. 

I would have to make the person in charge of the club aware that I have Autism and a learning disability so that I have the right support and not everyone is the right person. it can be hard to find the right person that will keep it in mind. Me and Mum find it hard to find places cause of my autism cause some people just don’t understand.  and I been looking for a club for long time now iv been struggling with finding a wildlife or bird thing I can go to 

In 2010 I lost all my friends I made at schooll and college except one cause they wernt good friends anymore and I lost all there addresses and contacts after I left and moved house.    so I don’t have there numbers or address  and they made no effort to contact me since then even to this day. but since lockdowns over im hopeing to make some new ones I can hang out with. 

offline I only got one friend.  I almost lost him during lockdown cause we were mainly confined to texting cause of lockdown rules And we barely saw each other Exspeacially since I was in social isolation alot.  Even though I was just following the rules he didn’t understand so our friendship got damaged so he Almost stopped being friend. He also has Autism like me. I have been trying to repair the damage since we are best friends 

Cause of that and cause I do Wildlife watching pretty much everyday and birdwatching everyday im trying  to find a bird club or something. I dont have any birdwatching friends offline  Its not the only reason I’m looking for a Birdwatching club the other reason is  I can explore more cause will have more time and I will be less limited to where I can go and have more chances to stumble across new Wildlife habitats and more new sightings And I don’t have to worry about rushing to get back for the others to go where they need to go.

 but even then it’s like I’m going round in circles cause theres arangeing  it around the people I live with and I can’t do one that’s early in the morning or late in the evening and then there’s what day cause it needs to be when there’s not much going on. I have some important things going on aswell unfortunately cause there’s so many things going on I am going to forget stuff and that’s why I havnt done well with the breeding bird survey.

im not ignoring your posts even if it does seem that way. I bounced your post back up yesterday cause it was on  page 2  and a lot of people missed your post before I bumped it up for you cause it got pushed down but now they have seen it. Sorry I sent something this week that reminded you about your leg I didn’t know any of the other things aside from the Wildlife aspect had to do with money and health struggle and I didn’t know what was going on with the nurse and your leg until I saw your post later that day

i was going to send another post of the next visit to Saintbridge balanceing pond but It didn’t want to send them it only let me send other things. My post got pushed down very quickly. So you would of missed it. Have you managed to see the Balanceing pond forum I did?

Sadly we live in a very materialistic world today, which isn't good. Unless it's full on action, the excitement has to be over indulged, and if it doesn't, then most people get bored and switch off.

I personally think it's good that you take the time to observe and learn and even more important, you enjoy what you do. As I've said before, don't worry if you've missed any posts, the forum does from time to time get busy and you have to stop at some point, or you could spend  a long time playing catchup. Plus the software from time to time seems to have glitches. I recall once seeing a post from someone last year, with Part 4 of 4 in the title, and yet I'd never seen the previous three parts!

I soon found them to catch up and read in order.

So please don't worry, I don't judge.

Ok. Thanks. I don’t have any photos today which is unusual for me but I couldn’t go out cause I had a upset tummy. I didn’t know I had a upset tummy and I didn’t really eat anything yesterday or in the morning to get One.   I rested most of the day so I only went in the garden once. I was only out for a few minutes then which is also unusual. I don’t know how or what caused it. None of the people in the house do either. 

A couple of days ago I was looking in my books and found I got some books from 2004 up to 2021 showing the distributions of the Red Kite so I looked at and compared the maps cause I  found it interesting how it’s distribution changed over time.  the map back in 2004 is very different from the range map from 2021. I decided to make a post on it in case people would find it interesting.
but after I done it I wasn’t sure if it was ok to make a post with photos of pages from my books by RSPB, Collins guide or others so deleated it to be on the safe side. I should really of asked if it’s ok to send them before sending it.

I don’t know if you know weather it is ok to do it or not but if it is ok to send them then I can make the thread again.


I had a really strange day with the forum the day after I did the Balancing pond forum. I spent a long time trying to send photos of my 2nd trip there.  when I uploaded the photos the page was empty and none of them actually loaded at all so there would be nothing to send. I took breaks and then tryed again later only to find it still wouldn’t let me. Then In the evening it only let me send the damselfly. I was able to send my other photos except the ones from my trip. It let me copy and paste my Saintbridge Balanceing pond link of my first visit but it wouldn’t let me copy and paste the link to my drawing for some strange reason. and I was unable to make a forum and send some audio formats either yesterday. But Copy and paste seems to work now though. The drawing got pushed down. it took me an hour or 2 to draw it cause I took my time on it. so I wondered if you would like to see it?

community.rspb.org.uk/.../butterfly-drawing

Those are lovely drawings Zo.

I'm not sure I saw them when they were initially posted.

With the breeding bird survey im submiting data from the times I have seen some birds before The holidays. I didn’t realise the survey was still going on and that it goes on until the end of August and I havnt seen much birds anyway. The square is conveniently located at the water wells area which is the Orchard in Kigsway. Yesterday I saw lots of Butterflies and moths I havnt seen much this month until yesterday but it was sunny yesterday.

Today I was looking at my RSPB book on Sparrows, I showed someone and I said oh have you seen this this a dunnock and she said I havnt seen that Sparrow before I decided to surprise her and said they can be mistaken for Sparrows but they arnt sparrows then she said oh I wouldn’t be able to tell the difference they all look the same to me. So I gave an id point it’s not the only id point though I said one Id point is there beaks are different. Sparrows have finch like beaks and Dunnocks dont but she said Oh I wouldn’t notice that. It might not be easy to notice if you were far away but close up you would. But she said oh they all look the same to me it doesn’t matter I wouldn’t notice anyway. I said the fact is the bird is  a dunnock even though you say it’s a sparrow. I said if you use some of the id points I give you and practice you will eventually Learn but she said she’s been thinking there all sparrows up to the age she is now which she considers very old. .so it’s too late now you got no chance

the thing about that way of thinking is that your never too old to learn 

She usually has that kind of attitude about lots of different types of Wildlife though  even ones as simple as the Woodpigeon. I tell her a Woodpigeon has a white patch. the feral pigeons don’t and that even though a sparrow is called a sparrow or a pigeon is called a pigeon theres differant species there just grouped into certain family’s cause they have similar characteristics. But but they have differances that separate them into a different species that’s why some species  probably look the same. But some are quiet easy once you get the hang of them and there usually ones to start with before you go into other things. like a Woodpigeon is a pigeon cause it has traits from the pigeon family but it’s a different species to a turtle dove plus some have differant conservation status and Plus some don’t arnt even resident here and some Wildlife are in decline even migratory ones.   the turtle dove is easy to distinguish from the Woodpigeon you can tell it isn’t  the same species of pigeon for lots of reasons.

A hoverfly might look like a wasp or bee. But it’s anatomy isn’t the same as a wasp or bee it’s very different and is a different species, it’s a fly. and one of the ways to tell them apart is that hover flys hover. But she said she would call it a bee anyway and she said isn’t important to her that a moth isn’t just a moth or that a butterfly isn’t just a butterfly. she might see a peacock butterfly and another species of butterfly but just go oh that’s a butterfly. Basically if she sees a butterfly there all the same. Theres no such thing as a different species. The thing is I think we forget there are people like that around that will just see a bird and go oh it’s a bird or oh it’s a moth but not really see that it’s more than just a moth or butterfly.


No I don’t think you did. Im not as good at Copying and traceing as I am doing things from memory. people still think my copying and traceing is still good though. I prefer drawing from memory cause it’s easyer and you don’t need anything with you like any pictures or anything in front of you to draw which comes helpful in lots of different situations. If you saw a insect or Goldfinch or witnessed some action but it didn’t stick around long enough for a photo or to copy or trace you would need to write down what you saw but if you wanted to show people what (you) saw you would need to draw what you seen from memory. Theres other situations where being able to draw from memory can come in handy regardless of weather there related to Wildlife or not though aswell. Cause I pick up on little details most people miss my drawings are usually very detailed one way or another no matter what I’m drawing. It can be helpful of identification but another thing is In drawings you can also really capture certain wonders that surround you in different ways like you can capture the the particular emotion or exspressions of wild animals even ones that don’t come across as very exspressive or ones that don’t have facial expressions in order to capture the emotional state of the wild animal or make it feell as if your there just by looking at the drawing. or situations you wish someone was there to see too which is Exspeacially handy if you didn’t have a camara.

I often say "the day I stop learning is the day I start feeding the daisies", and if I've got anything to do with it, that isn't going to happen for a very long time....

It's amazing many of the so called insignificant things you pick up even on the quietest of days.

The poor old dunnock, not only gets mistaken for sparrows, but I've heard folk call them wrens as well!

Thanks for the compliment on my drawing by the way. Yes. I have a Dunnock in Hucclecote and my family mistakened the Dunnock for a Sparrow. They thought they had Sparrows in the Garden which I found quiet curious cause iv never seen one in the garden there I did some birdwatching what birds they get on there feeders for a couple of months and I saw one that could look like a Sparrow to someone who might not even know there’s such a thing as a Dunnock and my family dont know Much about Birds and dont Wildlife watch so the likelihood of them mistakening one for a Sparrow was high.

I noticed it wasn’t actually a Sparrow Not only that it called and Sparrows don’t do the type of call that it did. it was actually a Dunnock I told them it was a Dunnock and they said what is a Dunnock? And they were surprised when I told them and showed them what they look like. In July The day before I went on holiday they forgot it wasn’t a Dunnock so I had to remind them. I took a picture of it with my binoculars and showed them even though they know it’s a Dunnock Mum said I see it as a Sparrow anyway so I said yes but it’s a still a Dunnock though. Dad said Mum wants to see it as Dunnock but I said yes Dad but the fact is it’s a Dunnock even though she doesn’t want to think it is. And I exsplained to him you can’t just go round saying it’s a Sparrow when you know it isn’t and you know it’s a Dunnock.

I think Its one thing saying something is a Sparrow when you don’t know it’s isn’t one and wouldn’t know, but another thing entirely when you know it isn’t and deny the facts even though it’s right in front you. The two people I told said they can’t be bothered to look out and see the difference and said cause of that they just want to see it as a Sparrow but you don’t have to look out for it and look out for the differences to accept it’s a Dunnock when someone has showed you and correctly identified it for you. I can’t believe how easy some people mistaken dunnocks for Sparrows.

Yes I dont think iv ever heard that before but yes in reality you never really stop learning. Life is like a teacher it teaches you things. And no matter how old you are you will never know everything but that’s the fun part there lots of fascinating things we still don’t know. Also life is full of surprises. There’s lots of things people don’t really take much notice of that in reality May have a lot to teach you. For example someone may know alot about earthworms but actually there’s still room for surprises you never know what life what life might have in store for you. There’s so much more to everything than you think.

With the Breeding bird Survey I asked Gordon Kirk if I can do the same square next year. I sent an update on it on the question about Surveying. I think that my new experience with the Breeding bird Survey will help anyone else if they don’t know much about or have the same questions I did 

https://community.rspb.org.uk/wildlife/f/ask-an-expert/279351/question-about-surveying/1408737#1408737

There is something that I might should of mentioned when I first started. I came out as Transgender during lockdown so I identify as he. The only reason I thought I should mention it is cause I’m some cases when I talk about what someone has said to me or anything like that I won’t want to put she if it’s in reference to me and will probably want to put he.

Thats interesting I didn’t know Dunnocks were mistakened for wrens aswell.

Sorry I wrote such a long message on here and on your Charlecote park thing yesterday my phone makes the box look small and squashes all the writing into one box and I didn’t realise how much I wrote until reading through them today. I think I went into so much details that I made it looks as if I was complaining or just rambling on. But I wasn’t. Sorry
I did try to put it in a way that doesn’t sound like that but I don’t think I did a good job. 

Yesterday wasn’t a nice day Exspeacially Wildlife wise It was dry, cold and rainy and Neither me or the people I live with could go out any where.  I go out separately to the people I live with and there was only one person to look after us and they were too busy. and the garden was very bird and insect absent yesterday. there was little to no activaty and then it rained. I also had a clumsy day where I was going into stuff all the time and was finding it hard to think properly I was constantly forgetting where I put stuff and even forgetting what I was doing. I mainly did drawing cause it takes less thinking and my head needed a break. I mainly commented in the evening.

It’s possible you might of missed the drawing I did I decided to draw a picture of the same cabbage butterfly from holiday but I wanted to do it from memory as usual i coloured it in aswell it took about an hour or two to do this one aswell.

community.rspb.org.uk/.../butterfly-drawing-2



Im going to the beach this weekend and I’m hopeing to go crabbing so hopefully I will have lots to tell you and lots of photos to share with you

I think from time to time, we're all guilty of waffling on, I know I am.

Yes I did see the cabbage white butterfly drawings a day or two back.

I hope you have. had, a good time at the beach this weekend and look forward to your report back.

Michael B said:

Michael B said:

I know. Thanks for being understanding.

Just so you know though  When I said I tryed to make it sound like I wasn’t rambling that was genuine. Im the kind of person that’s not afraid to admit things even things most people might not  like to admit. So I would admit it if I was. 

What it was was  I acidently wrote more than I usually do without being aware of it cause I had to also exsplain the Transgender thing. if I didnt put that It wouldn’t of been longer than usual.
I have run into the small box problom on my phone in general aswell lots of times not just here. it shows the writeing as not much writeing. Then it appears differantly on the page after  you send it.  the box stretches so it looks as if you written a long column when in reality you didn’t write as much as that . Here’s an example of the small box thing

. 

With what you said about the drawing. Thanks for letting me know. cause it’s from memory it looks similar to the traced and copyed one but it’s different.  its the same Butterfly (but ) just without any photos or anything to go by.I did add the sea and waves  in the background that wasn’t in the photo.   even though I didnt originally plan to. I tansformed the background into something else cause I could see the fold in the background looked  exactly the same as a wave I remember I saw at the beach  in July, ironically I saw a cabbage white butterfly at that same beach but on the sand at the rock pools. 

Yes. Thanks. I did enjoy it. A lot of my family like Auntys and Uncles don’t live near Gloucestershire so I sometimes go all over the place in south west England to see them. My half sisster is near new forest but is near the coast, one of my  aunty and uncles prefered a rural lifestyle  and are   near wooky hole near the Mendip hills and look after horses, sheep, chickens, and other farm animals and  livestock  I help them when I stay for the night. I also have Aunty and uncles on the south coast in east England, a greek cypriet family near London and also another uncle and aunty near London. The rest are in a different country so we rarely  see them. I  think My family really gets around.

I mainly packed things for the beach including closthes for going rock pooling and going in the sea and  got my crabbing gear ready. The trip took an unexpected turn cause I made a mistake but it was a funny one. but I did see a Red Kite that kept visiting where I went regularly giveing me lots of photo and video opportunities which was very exiting