What started off as another sunny day, ended again in cloud cover. I just missed seeing a couple of Large Tortoiseshells at the cove by about 10 minutes, but at least its good to know that they are still about. My good friend Andy had a very tatty one yesterday, which at first glance you would have passed off for a large Comma. It was well worn.
So today's highlights was pretty good actually with 3 Chiffchaffs, a Firecrest and a Goldcrest in Penns Wood, with one of the Chiffs singing. At the back of the cove was another Firecrest and a single Chiffchaff.
Despite not seeing any of the Large Tortoiseshells I did at least have a couple of Peacocks. And had I got there earlier I would have had a couple of Brimstone's as well, according to the lepidopterists who were already on the beach when I arrived.
Also about were a good dozen or so Wall Lizards in the church grounds, along with Common Droneflies which are now outnumbering the Tapered Droneflies, a few Syrphus hoverflies, a Migrant Hoverfly and an Exephanes ischioxanthus Ichneumon Wasp.
Also found was a 7-Spot Ladybird, maybe one of the two I saw mating a few days ago. And my first wasp of the year a Queen Common Wasp (Vespula vulgaris)
Here are a few images and a couple of videos from today:
This Robin was certainly belting it out in Penns Wood
Church Ope Cove where these ................
............lepidopterists were looking for the Large Tortoiseshells. They had more success than me today........
...........though I did get a Peacock.
An Andrena sp.
And another Andrena sp.
And one more Andrena sp.
A Buff-tailed Bumblebee
My first wasp of the year a Queen Common Wasp
And she was busy feeding on this Alexanders.
And an Exephanes ischioxanthus Ichneumon Wasp
Another view.
7-Spot Ladybird
Wall Lizards
Wall Lizard
Wall Lizard
Birds Recorded: Herring Gull, Great Black-backed Gull, Wood Pigeon, Collared Dove, Dunnock, Robin, Blackbird, 4 Chiffchaff, 1 Goldcrest, 2 Firecrest, Long-tailed Tit, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Wren, Magpie, Carrion Crow, 1 Raven, House Sparrow, Chaffinch and Goldfinch
Reptiles Recorded: 12+ Wall Lizard (Podarcis muralis)
Butterflies Recorded: 2 Peacock
Bees Recorded: Honey Bees (Apis mellifera), Early Bumblebee (Bombus pratorum) and Buff-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus terrestris)
Wasps Recorded: A Queen Common Wasp (Vespula vulgaris)
Ichneumon Wasps Recorded: Exephanes ischioxanthus
Hoverflies Recorded: Common Drone Fly (Eristalis tenax), Tapered Drone Fly (Eristalis pertinax), 1 Migrant Hoverfly (Meliscaeva auricollis) and a Syrphus sp.
Flies, Gnats and Midges Recorded: Kelp Fly (Coelopa frigida) and Muscid Fly (Phaonia subventa)
Bugs and Beetles Recorded: 7-Spot Ladybird (Coccinella septempunctata)
Slugs and Snails Recorded: Garden Snail (Cornu aspersa) and Kentish Snail (Monacha cantiana)
Ships Today
This is the Freya May
As they brought in their nets there were one or two which look like Pollack.