Well the rain held off long enough for me and Ted to get a quick walk in. We didn't go to far just in case the weatherman was right with the forecast of heavy rain moving in by early afternoon.
It was great that it wasn't raining, but my word that southerly wind was strong with gusts up to 40mph. Unsurprisingly there weren't to many birds seen or heard, but I did come across 2 Blackcaps by the Meadows and an impressive display of speed and agility by two Peregrine Falcons.
The Ivy that is flowering in a few places along my walk, are absolutely covered with hoverflies and bees, with the majority of hoverflies being the Common Dronefly.
Birds Recorded:
2 Peregrine Falcon
Herring Gull
Wood Pigeon
Collared Dove
Dunnock
2 Blackcap
Magpie
Carrion Crow
Jackdaw
House Sparrow
Goldfinch
Greenfinch
Reptiles Recorded:
Slow-worm
Butterflies Recorded:
5 Speckled Wood
2 Red Admiral
Slow-worm
Butterflies Recorded:
5 Speckled Wood
2 Red Admiral
Just two butterfly species seen today, 5 Speckled Woods and this Red Admiral and one other.
Bees Recorded:
Honey Bees (Apis mellifera)
Buff-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus terrestris)
Red-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus lapidarius)
or
Early Bumblebee (Bombus pratorum)
Common Carder (Bombus pascuorum)
Ivy Bee (Colletes hederae)
Ivy Bee (Colletes hederae)
Honey Bee
I can't make my mind up as to whether this is a male Red-tailed Bumblebee or........
............either a worker/male Early Bumblebee (Bombus pratorum)
My feeling is that I haven't seen a Red-tailed Bumblebee in weeks, so perhaps its an Early Bumblebee (Bombus pratorum).
Common Carder Bumblebee
Ivy Bee
And another
And one more
wasps sp.
Hoverflies Recorded:
Marmalade Hoverfly (Episyrphus balteatus)
Common Dronefly (Eristalis tenax)
Plain-faced Dronefly (Eristalis arbustorum)
Dead Head Hoverfly (Myathropa florea)
Hoverfly sp-1
Marmalade Hoverfly (Episyrphus balteatus)
Common Dronefly (Eristalis tenax)
Plain-faced Dronefly (Eristalis arbustorum)
Dead Head Hoverfly (Myathropa florea)
Hoverfly sp-1
Hoverfly sp-2
Hoverfly sp-3
Hoverfly sp-4
Hoverfly sp-5
Hoverfly sp-6
Marmalade Hoverfly (Episyrphus balteatus)
Marmalade Hoverfly (Episyrphus balteatus)
A male Plain-faced Dronefly (Eristalis arbustorum)
A female Plain-faced Dronefly (Eristalis arbustorum)
Dead Head Hoverfly (Myathropa florea)
Hoverfly sp-1
Hoverfly sp-2
Hoverfly sp-3
Hoverfly sp-4
Hoverfly sp-5
Hoverfly sp-6
Common Green Bottle Fly (Lucilia sericata)
Fly sp - 1
Fly sp - 2
Common Green Bottle Fly (Lucilia sericata)
Fly sp - 1
Flies sp - 1
Aphids Recorded:
Aphididae sp.
Aphids. As to which species, I have no idea. Here are a few to choose from.
This Ivy on the edge of the Meadow was absolutely alive with hoverflies and bees. Plus 2 Red Admirals.
Ted:
A much happier Ted today. No sitting around watching me fishing, but on the move.
This is the Italian LPG Tanker "Syn Zube" on its way from Antwerp to Ceuta (Spain) More on this vessel Here.