Wakeham
An even better day today with wall to wall blue skies and a definite rise in the temperature. No walk today as I had a busy day in the garden. With the past week or so of endless rain, it was day of weeding, but only a token gesture as I attempt to keep certain areas unkept for the wildlife.
Main Highlight today was a Blackcap singing from a few gardens down. It was singing for a good hour or more and then there was silence.
An even better day today with wall to wall blue skies and a definite rise in the temperature. No walk today as I had a busy day in the garden. With the past week or so of endless rain, it was day of weeding, but only a token gesture as I attempt to keep certain areas unkept for the wildlife.
Main Highlight today was a Blackcap singing from a few gardens down. It was singing for a good hour or more and then there was silence.
Also of note were 2 Slow-worms under the corrugated sheet, 2 Frogs in the pond and a Common Toad making its way along the Portland stone wall behind the pond.
Still very few butterflies about and apart from a couple of Large Whites, I did see my first Holly Blue of the year.
There wasn't a single Honey Bee in the garden, and the only bees recorded were 1 White-tailed Bumblebee and a few Bronze Furrow Bees.
Just the 1 Marmalade Hoverfly seen plus a Common Dronefly and a hoverfly sp.
Here are a few images and videos from today:
Here are a few images and videos from today:
The Frog on the right has just ousted the Frog leaving at the top of the frame
Well its obvious who's the boss here as a slightly larger Frog takes prime spot in the pond.
And as I was watching the Frogs a Common Toad appeared from behind the pond.
I'm not sure which of the Eupeodes hoverflies this is. It doesn't help that the legs look black and then........
..........yellow in this shot of it.
A Root-maggot fly (Anthomyia procellaris). Flies aren't everybody's cup of tea, but this one is a bit different with its black and white dots.
A Celery Fly, which I just managed to photograph before it flew off
It's been awhile since Ted has had a Buzz. Benji on the other hand likes to save his energy.
Birds Recorded: Herring Gull, Wood Pigeon, Dunnock, Blackbird, 1 Blackcap, Long-tailed Tit, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Magpie, Carrion Crow, Jackdaw, House Sparrow, Chaffinch and Goldfinch
Reptiles Recorded: 2 Slow-worms
Amphibians Recorded: 2 Common Frogs and a Common Toad.
Butterflies Recorded: 2 Large White and a Holly Blue
Bees Recorded: 6+ Bronze Furrow Bee (Halictus tumulorum) and a White-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus lucorum)
Hoverflies Recorded: 1 Marmalade Hoverfly (Episyrphus balteatus), 1 Common Dronefly (Eristalis tenax) and a Eupeodes sp.
Flies, Craneflies, Gnats and Midges Recorded: Celery fly (Euleia heraclei), Root-maggot fly (Anthomyia procellaris) and a fly sp.
Spiders Recorded: Copper Sun-jumper (Heliophanus cupreus)