A few hours makes a big difference when looking for butterflies. Yesterday I had an early start without much success, but today I left my walk until late morning and came across a male Clouded Yellow in Wakeham Wood and 2 Small Coppers, 1 at Rufus Castle and the other along Bumpers Lane.
Even the bird watching was good with a Willow Warbler singing at the back of Church Ope Cove, with another in Wakeham Wood, where I also had a Swallow. Sadly not the Red-rumped Swallow seen over the West Cliffs early today.
In Penns Wood there was a male Blackcap singing until a male Sparrowhawk passed overhead carrying a small bird between its talons.
Over Penns Weare were several Meadow Pipit and Pied Wagtails heading north.
Behind Church Ope Car Park there were 11 Magpies, which is good as far as the rhyme goes: "One for sorrow, Two for joy, Three for a girl, Four for a boy, Five for silver, Six for gold and continuing up to Eleven for Health".
And finally there was a male Wheatear in Bumpers Lane Quarry. Not seen one in there before.
Other highlights were both a Dark-edged Bee-fly and a Dotted Bee-fly in the grounds of St Andrews Church, where there were a few Wall Lizards showing.
In the rough ground just north of Wakeham Wood I came across 2 Slow-worms.
In Penns Copse dozens of Celery Flies, a Common Green Shieldbug and several small bees and I mean small, possibly Southern Bronze Furrow Bee (Halictus tumulorum).
The sun also brought out the hoverflies with many syrphus sp., 2 Dead Head Flies and a Common Drone Fly.
Here are a few images from today:
Wakeham Wood on the right. Along the track today a........
.........male Clouded Yellow.
It was very flighty........
.......but I managed a few photos.
The Brown-tail moth caterpillars are being to leave their tents.
So many Magpies in Wakeham Wood just behind Church Ope Cove car park.
Looking down through Penns Wood
And up.
The Wall Lizards were out today.
This one was very sleepy.
This Dead Head Fly is exactly where I came across it yesterday, by the reservoir entrance Here.
An Early Mining Bee.
A came across an Alexanders on Penns Weare which was covered in Harlequin Ladybirds........
........of different spot numbers and......
........colour.
A Common Green Shieldbug is well camouflaged on the Ivy leaves in Penns Copse.
Another Dead Head Fly. This one in Penns Copse.
If I have this right this is an...........
............Ichneumon sarcitorius
A few photos of Celery Flies. This one is the aberrant orange-brown morph.
Another aberrant with a brown thorax and black abdomen.
Those green eyes are amazing.
And the 'normal' black coloured Celery Fly.
Another Early Mining Bee
Bumpers Lane Quarry where today there was this.........
......male Wheatear.
And a side profile.
Horseshoe Vetch, Hippocrepis comosa just coming into flower.
Common Hawkweed, Hieracium vulgatum
Birds Recorded: Sparrowhawk, Kestrel, Herring Gull, Wood Pigeon, 1 Swallow, Meadow Pipit, Pied Wagtail, Dunnock, Robin, 1 Wheatear, Blackbird, 1 Blackcap, 2 Willow Warbler, Long-tailed Tit, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Wren, 11 Magpie, Carrion Crow, House Sparrow, Chaffinch, Linnet and Goldfinch.
Reptiles Recorded: Wall Lizards and 2 Slow-worms
Bees Recorded: Buff-tailed Bumblebees, Early Mining Bees and possible Southern Bronze Furrow Bee (Halictus tumulorum).
Butterflies Recorded: 1 Clouded Yellow and 2 Small Coppers.
Hoverflies Recorded: 2 Dead Head Flies (Myathropa florea), 1 Common Drone Fly and dozens of Syrphus sp.
Also Recorded: Dark-edged Bee-fly (Bombylius major), Dotted Bee-fly (Bombylius discolor), Celery Flies (Euleia heraclei), Common Green Shieldbug (Palomena prasina) and Ichneumon sarcitorius
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On this day..........
2018Today's Sightings Here.