So cold today, especially with that chilly easterly wind blowing in. Temperature this morning was 6°C and didn't get much above 8°C all day. Sadly the wind put paid to observing hoverflies, butterflies and Celery Flies, though I did find one Euleia heraclei in Penns Copse and a single syrphus sp hoverfly in Penns Wood. Unfortunately the Celery Fly flew off before I got a chance to photograph it.
Bird watching wasn't much better and the best I could do on the migrant front was 4 Willow Warblers. There was 1 at the back of the cove and 3 in Wakeham Wood where there was also a male Blackcap.
Elsewhere there were 2 Long-tailed Tits in Penns Wood and on the beach at the cove it looked very much like a Rock Pipit was collecting food for its mate.
A few weeks ago I came across a bird calling in Bumpers Lane which really had me baffled. Today in the same place there was that same call. It was almost like a Reed Bunting calling. At first it was quite close and then the bird moved away, but fortunately came back and continued the same curious call. A second later there was a more familiar call from my mystery bird. A Great Tit. I guess I shouldn't sound surprised, as this is one of our few British Birds that has a real repertoire of calls and notes. Just got to remember this one for future reference.
I did have a couple of first for the year with a Yellow-legged Mining-bee (Andrena flavipes) in Penns Wood and in Penns Copse a nymph Dark Bush-cricket (Pholidoptera griseoaptera).
And lastly the "tents" of the Brown-tail moth caterpillars are popping up everywhere especially around Penns Wood.
Here are a few images from today:
In Wakeham Wood there were 3 Willow Warblers feeding and singing.
Close to the wood were these "tents" of the Brown-tail Moth caterpillars.
A close up of one of the tents.
And these caterpillars are about to disperse from their tent.
This was the only hoverfly I found today. A very "dark" coloured syrphus sp.
Church Ope Cove where today............
...........there was this Willow Warbler singing and feeding in amongst the Blackthorn.
On the beach this solitary Rock Pipit collecting food.
This is the nymph of the Dark Bush-cricket, Pholidoptera griseoaptera
A Dandelion..........
........and another plant for my flora list Here.
Birds Recorded: 2 Kestrel, Herring Gull, Wood Pigeon, 1 Rock Pipit, Dunnock, Robin, Blackbird, 1 Blackcap, 4 Willow Warbler, Long-tailed Tit, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Wren, Magpie, Carrion Crow, Jackdaw, House Sparrow, Chaffinch, Linnet and Goldfinch.
Reptiles Recorded: None
Butterflies Recorded: None
Bees Recorded: 1 Yellow-legged Mining-bee (Andrena flavipes)
Hoverflies Recorded: 1 Syrphus sp.
Also Recorded: 1 Celery Fly (Euleia heraclei), Brown-tail Moth caterpillars and a nymph of a Dark Bush-cricket (Pholidoptera griseoaptera)
Ships Today
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On this day..........
2018Today's Sightings Here.