There was a bit of an easterly breeze today, but if you found shelter it was pretty warm in the sunshine.
A few migrants today with 4 Chiffchaffs dotted about and 2 Swallows heading north over the Lower Horse Paddocks.
Not too many butterflies about with just singles of Peacock and Large White, plus a pair of Orange-tips. I also came across a Carnation Tortrix and a Straw-barred Pearl moth just a few feet from each other on Penn's Weare.
Lots of bees today and at long last a female Hairy-footed Flower Bee along with 4 males in Penns Wood and a couple of nomads flying around the church grounds.
Also on the wing were many hoverflies of different species. The obvious ones were Common Dronefly, Tapered Dronefly, Marmalade Hoverfly and Dead Head Hoverfly
There were several Celery Flies about and I came across my first Dotted Bee-fly this year at the back of the cove along the track.
Here are a few images and videos from today:
Its amazing just how close you can get to these Wall Lizards.
I was even more surprised that I managed to the lens just inches away from this Peacock.
A little bit harder to get close to was this Straw-barred Pearl moth
As for this Carnation Tortrix I was pleased with the shot
This is either a worker or male Buff--tailed Bumblebee. Both are very similar in size and colouration.
A Common Carder Bee
An Early Mining Bee, Andrena haemorrhoa
A beautiful looking mining bee.
This is the Mining Bee, Andrena scotica
This Ichneumon wasp was in Penns Copse, close-by was a completely black individual.
This is the hoverfly Epistrophe eligans
A quite unmistakable hoverfly with that gold sheen
Just coming into land
And here is one hovering.
A Tapered Dronefly which can be told apart by........
..........the pale front legs.
Here is a Common Dronefly with dark coloured legs.
My first Dotted Bee-fly of the year.
It even managed to keep still long enough for a short video.
A great little mover
A Bloody-nosed Beetle
And my first Bluebells of Spring.
Good old Ted, I just love they way he runs and flicks his right leg out. He's a character.
After all that hopping its time for a rest in the shade.
Birds Recorded: Buzzard, Kestrel, Herring Gull, Great Black-backed Gull, Wood Pigeon, Collared Dove, 2 Swallow, Meadow Pipit, Pied Wagtail, Dunnock, Robin, Blackbird, Song Thrush, 4 Chiffchaff, Long-tailed Tit, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Wren, Magpie, Carrion Crow, Jackdaw, House Sparrow, Chaffinch, Linnet and Goldfinch
Reptiles Recorded: Wall Lizard (Podarcis muralis)
Butterflies Recorded: Peacock, Large White and a pair of Orange-tips.
Moths Recorded: 1 Carnation Tortrix (Cacoecimorpha pronubana) and a Straw-barred Pearl (Pyrausta despicata)
Bees Recorded: Honey Bees (Apis mellifera), Buff-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus terrestris), Common Carder (Bombus pascuorum), Red-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus lapidarius), Hairy-footed Flower Bee (Anthophora plumipes), Mining Bee (Andrena scotica), Early Mining Bee (Andrena haemorrhoa) and a Nomad sp.
Ichneumon Wasps Recorded: 3 Ichneumon sp.
Hoverflies Recorded: Marmalade Hoverfly (Episyrphus balteatus), Dead Head Hoverfly (Myathropa florea), Common Dronefly (Eristalis tenax), Tapered Dronefly (Eristalis pertinax) and Epistrophe eligans
Flies, Craneflies, Gnats and Midges Recorded: Dotted Bee-fly (Bombylius discolor) and Celery fly (Euleia heraclei)
Bugs and Beetles Recorded: 3 7-spot Ladybird (Coccinella septempunctata), 2 Common Green Shieldbug (Palomena prasina) and 3 Bloody-nosed Beetle (Timarcha tenebricosa)
Note
Last year I have participated in the BTO Tawny Owl Calling Survey - The Results are Here.
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On this day..........
2019Today's Sightings Here.
2018
Today's Sightings Here.