Birkacre, Great Knowley and mystery caterpillar

[Leonard Poxon]

Very little out of the ordinary at Yarrow Valley Park today. Birds seen include Mallard, BH Gull, 3 adult & 2 juvenile Mute Swan, Moorhen, Coot, Great Crested Grebe, Magpie, Coal Tit, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Robin, Chaffinch. Heard Nuthach.
At Great Knowley today there were, 2 Swallows (heading north!), 3 Ravens, Kestrel and all the usual small birds.
There was a Red Admiral butterfly in the garden on 07.10.11.

On a plant in my kitchen there is a caterpillar that resembles a twig. It is 43mm in length and has two pairs of proto-legs (including the claspers). I looked through a web site at containing 850 species of european moths and butterflies (http://www.ukleps.org/CommNamesAlphabetical.html), the nearest one to it is the Scalloped Hazel. I would be grateful if anyone who recognises the caterpillar would let me know if that is the correct identification.
View of back (head to RHS)
View of head
View of rear end

[Eddie Langrish]

Leonard I'd agree on your identification, as its in your kitchen, if you allow it to pupate in your pot soil ( if thats were it choses to) then it will emerge out side its normal flight season due to the warmth.
They naturaly feed on a variety of trees Oak, Hazel, Hawthorn, if you wish to offer it all of these it should pick one and then you would be able to transfer it to a tree outside, were it will naturaly pupate, if you wish to rear it through in a glass jar, place 2 inch of soil in the jar and fresh foodplant every day, cover jar with cling film or I use foot tights. keep it at natural temps, out of the suns rays through winter and it should emerge May-June next year.
It over winters as a Pupa, in soil or leaf litter. and by the size of it, it is very close to pupating, books say larva august-September, so a little bit late.

Cheers Eddie

[Leonard Poxon]

Thanks Eddie.