As promised it was a change of walk today, with the main aim to find an orchid or two. And it was success from the off with a Pyramidal Orchid by Broadcroft Quarry Pools, followed by dozens more on the butterfly reserve, where I also came across a solitary Bee Orchid.
There were a few warblers singing with two Common Whitethroats, a single Lesser Whitethroat and a Chiffchaff on the reserve.
There were a few more bugs and beetles about and in same the patch of gorse on the reserve where I found a Gorse Shieldbug April last year, I found another one today in exactly the same spot.
Mammals Recorded:
1 Bunny
Just the one Bunny seen in the Lower Horse Paddock
Birds Recorded:
1 Buzzard
Herring Gull
Wood Pigeon
Collared Dove
Dunnock
Robin
Blackbird
1 Song Thrush
2 Common Whitethroat
1 Lesser Whitethroat
1 Chiffchaff
Great Tit
Blue Tit
Wren
Magpie
Carrion Crow
Jackdaw
Starling
House Sparrow
Chaffinch
Linnet
Goldfinch
Two of the party of 6 Linnets by the pools.
Hawker sp.
Hawker sp. seen flying down Broadcroft Quarry Lane
Butterflies Recorded:
2 Large Skipper
3 Large White
10+ Speckled Wood
20+ Meadow Brown
1 Red Admiral
1 Small Blue
3 Common Blue
A Large Skipper
And another Large Skipper
Meadow Brown
A Small Blue
And the same Small Blue showing its underwings.
Light Brown Apple Moth (Epiphyas postvittana)
Common Nettle-tap (Anthophila fabriciana)
Light Brown Apple Moth (Epiphyas postvittana)
Common Nettle-tap (Anthophila fabriciana)
Honey Bee (Apis mellifera)
Buff-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus terrestris)
Red-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus lapidarius)
Common Carder (Bombus pascuorum)
Honey Bee (Apis mellifera)
Honey Bee (Apis mellifera)
Buff-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus terrestris)
Common Carder (Bombus pascuorum)
Ichneumon sps
Several Ichneumon wasps species seen but non photographed.
Hoverflies Recorded:
Marmalade Hoverfly (Episyrphus balteatus)
Flies, Craneflies, Gnats and Midges Recorded:
#1 - Broad Centurian (Chloromyia formosa)
#2 - fly sp.
Hoverflies Recorded:
Marmalade Hoverfly (Episyrphus balteatus)
Flies, Craneflies, Gnats and Midges Recorded:
#1 - Broad Centurian (Chloromyia formosa)
#2 - fly sp.
#1 - Broad Centurian (Chloromyia formosa)
#2 - fly sp.
Bugs and Beetles Recorded:
7-spot Ladybird (Coccinella septempunctata)
Dock Bug (Coreus marginatus)
Swollen-thighed Beetle (Oedemera nobilis)
Lacewings and Scorpionflies Recorded:
lacewing sp.
Slugs and Snails Recorded:
White-lipped Banded Snail (Cepaea hortensis)
Garden Snail (Cornu aspersa)
Spiders Recorded:
Ants Recorded:
Small Black Ant (Lasius niger)
Plants:
Bee Orchid (Ophrys apifera)
Pyramidal Orchid (Anacamptis pyramidalis)
Common Centaury (Centaurium erythraea)
Self-heal (Prunella vulgaris)
Yellow-wort (Blackstonia perfoliata)
Scarlet Pimpernel (Anagallis arvensis)
Ivy Broomrape (Orobanche hederae)
Eyebright (Euphrasia officinalis)
St John's Wort (Hypericum perforatum)
This is Viper's Bugloss (Echium vulgare)
Ted:
Ships Today:
7-spot Ladybird (Coccinella septempunctata)
Dock Bug (Coreus marginatus)
Swollen-thighed Beetle (Oedemera nobilis)
Gorse Shieldbug (Piezodorus lituratus)
7-spot Ladybird (Coccinella septempunctata)
Dock Bug (Coreus marginatus)
Swollen-thighed Beetle (Oedemera nobilis)
Gorse Shieldbug (Piezodorus lituratus)
lacewing sp.
lacewing sp.
Slugs and Snails Recorded:
White-lipped Banded Snail (Cepaea hortensis)
Garden Snail (Cornu aspersa)
White-lipped Banded Snail (Cepaea hortensis)
Nurseryweb Spider (Pisaura mirabilis)
Caterpillars Recorded:
A female Nurseryweb Spider
The Lackey
This is the caterpillar of The Lackey moth.
And here is another one.
Small Black Ant (Lasius niger)
Plants:
Bee Orchid (Ophrys apifera)
Pyramidal Orchid (Anacamptis pyramidalis)
Common Centaury (Centaurium erythraea)
Self-heal (Prunella vulgaris)
Yellow-wort (Blackstonia perfoliata)
Scarlet Pimpernel (Anagallis arvensis)
Ivy Broomrape (Orobanche hederae)
Eyebright (Euphrasia officinalis)
St John's Wort (Hypericum perforatum)
Viper's Bugloss (Echium vulgare)
Sycamore (Acer pseudoplatanus)
Sycamore (Acer pseudoplatanus)
Elder (Sambucus nigra)
Plus
#1 - flower sp.
Bee Orchid (Ophrys apifera)
And a close-up of the flower. It's not difficult to see how this orchid got its name.
Pyramidal Orchid (Anacamptis pyramidalis)
Common Centaury (Centaurium erythraea)
Self-heal (Prunella vulgaris)
Yellow-wort (Blackstonia perfoliata)
And a close up of the Yellow-wort flowers.
Scarlet Pimpernel (Anagallis arvensis)
Ivy Broomrape (Orobanche hederae)
Eyebright (Euphrasia officinalis)
St John's Wort (Hypericum perforatum)
And a close up of one of the flowers. It is also known as Perforate St John's-wort or Common St John's Wort
#1 - flower sp.
#1 - flower sp.
If there's a chance to sit in the shade, Ted will take it.
This particular walk is pretty shady and.......
.........there is always water on "tap"
This is the Portuguese Container Ship "BG Ruby" on its way from Rotterdam to Cork. More on this vessel Here.