I was in the garden this morning and then in the afternoon it was across the road for a walk along Old Quarry Lane and both the butterfly meadow and horse meadow..
Main Highlight was my first Ringlet butterfly this year.
Birds Recorded:
Herring Gull, Wood Pigeon, Collared Dove, 2 House Martin, Dunnock, Blackbird, 2 Common Whitethroat, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Magpie, Carrion Crow, House Sparrow, Chaffinch and Goldfinch
This is probably the closest I have been to the male Common Whitethroat in the horse meadow. He's still singing away. The female I noted was bringing food to the nest which is in one of the brambles.
Reptiles Recorded:
6 Slow-worms
Herring Gull, Wood Pigeon, Collared Dove, 2 House Martin, Dunnock, Blackbird, 2 Common Whitethroat, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Magpie, Carrion Crow, House Sparrow, Chaffinch and Goldfinch
6 Slow-worms
This is quite frustrating. Here are 2 of 6 Slow-worms under a board along the Old Quarry Lane.............
Dragonflies and Damselflies Recorded:
Azure Damselfly
Just the one male Azure Damselfly on the garden pond today.
Butterflies Recorded:
Large White, Speckled Wood, 1 Ringlet, 5 Meadow Brown and 1 Common Blue
Five yes five Meadow Browns in the butterfly meadow. They are slow to emerge this year.
And a very tatty Speckled Wood along Old Quarry Lane where I also found..........
...........my first Ringlet of the year.
Moths Recorded:
Several Garden Grass-veneers (Chrysoteuchia culmella)
This moth is a Garden Grass-veneers (Chrysoteuchia culmella) and along with...........
..............several others were in the butterfly meadow.
Bees Recorded:
Honey Bees (Apis mellifera), Buff-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus terrestris), Common Carder (Bombus pascuorum), Red-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus lapidarius) and a possible Tree Bumblebee (Bombus hypnorum)
This is a male Red-tailed Bumblebee.
And this one is a worker Red-tailed Bumblebee.
Ichneumon Wasps Recorded:
Ichneumon sp.
Hoverflies Recorded:
Marmalade Hoverfly (Episyrphus balteatus), Long Hoverfly (Sphaerophoria scripta), Chequered Hoverfly (Melanostoma scalare) and a Narcissus Bulb Fly (Merodon equestris)
Hoverflies Recorded:
Marmalade Hoverfly (Episyrphus balteatus), Long Hoverfly (Sphaerophoria scripta), Chequered Hoverfly (Melanostoma scalare) and a Narcissus Bulb Fly (Merodon equestris)
A Narcissus Bulb Fly (Merodon equestris) by the butterfly meadow
Long Hoverfly (Sphaerophoria scripta) in the back garden again
Flies, Craneflies, Gnats and Midges Recorded:
Muscid Fly sp.
Bugs and Beetles Recorded:
Swollen-thighed Beetle (Oedemera nobilis) and a Rosemary Beetle (Chrysolina americana)
Just one Rosemary Beetle (Chrysolina americana) in the garden and still on the Lavender.
Crickets and Grasshoppers Recorded:
Great Green Bush Cricket (Tettigonia viridissima) and Dark Bush-cricket nymphs (Pholidoptera griseoaptera)
White-lipped Banded Snail (Cepaea hortensis), Garden Snail (Cornu aspersa) and Black Slug (Arion ater)
Plants Recorded:
Lady's Bedstraw (Galium verum)
Not quite open yet, but the tall yellow plant in the background is Lady's Bedstraw (Galium verum)
Ted
Yes Ted Hmm.........
