8 Apr 21

Penns Wood, St Andrew's Church, Church Ope Cove, Penn's Weare, Penn's Copse, Rufus Castle, Mermaid Track, Bumpers Lane, Broadcroft Quarry Lane and Lower Horse Paddock

What an afternoon with some great highlights with my first Pied Flycatcher of the year; a female which I inadvertently spooked when I was watching a Chiffchaff in a hedge. As I tried a different position to see the Chiff, the Pied Flycatcher saw me and was off, as did the Chiffchaff. I'm going to have to hone up on my fieldcraft skills.

Other highlights were several Chiffchaffs and Willow Warblers around Church Ope Cove, 2 Blackcaps with a male singing along the Mermaid Track, where there was also a Willow Warbler singing, whilst overhead two Swallows were feeding above The Cuttings.

Here are a few images from today:

Common Buzzard

Robin

Peacock butterfly

A 7-spot Ladybird

One of the smallest Wall Lizards I have ever come across. Just a few inches long.

On the leaf of this Giant Viper's Bugloss was this..........

...........Scarlet Tiger Moth caterpillar. More on this moth here.

When he thinks I've gone without him, Ted literally flies through the air to catch up.

Birds Recorded: Buzzard, Herring Gull, Wood Pigeon, 2 Swallow, Dunnock, Robin, Blackbird, 2 Blackcap, 5+ Chiffchaff, 3+ Willow Warbler, 1 Pied Flycatcher, Long-tailed Tit, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Wren, Magpie, Carrion Crow, Jackdaw, Starling, House Sparrow, Chaffinch and Goldfinch

Reptiles Recorded: Wall Lizard (Podarcis muralis)

Butterflies Recorded: Large White and a Peacock

Caterpillars Recorded: caterpillar sp.

Bees Recorded: Honey Bees (Apis mellifera), Buff-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus terrestris), Red-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus lapidarius), White-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus lucorum) and a Sphecodes sp

Hoverflies Recorded: Marmalade Hoverfly (Episyrphus balteatus), Common Dronefly (Eristalis tenax) and 2 Syrphus torvus

Bugs and Beetles Recorded: 7-spot Ladybird (Coccinella septempunctata)

Ships Today

This is the Liberian Container Ship "MSC Cristina" on its way from Antwerp to New York. More on this vessel Here.

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On this day
2020
Today's Sightings Here

2019
Today's Sightings Here.

2018
Today' Sightings Here.