Today it was an early morning walk around the butterfly reserve and paddocks, where there were quite a few highlights with 4 Swifts and 2 Swallows feeding over the paddocks. Plus 5 male Common Whitethroats, a Blackcap and 2 Chiffchaff all singing from the reserve.
A new butterfly for this year was a Small Heath.
Birds Recorded:
Herring Gull
Wood Pigeon
Collared Dove
4 Swift
2 Swallow
Dunnock
Robin
Blackbird
5 Common Whitethroat
1 Blackcap
2 Chiffchaff
Great Tit
Blue Tit
Wren
Magpie
Carrion Crow
Jackdaw
Starling
House Sparrow
Chaffinch
Linnet
Goldfinch
Below are a few of my efforts in photographing Swifts in flight.
Butterflies Recorded:
2 Dingy Skipper
6 Large White
4 Small White
2 Wall Brown
4 Speckled Wood
1 Small Heath
8 Small Blue
20+ Common Blue
Bees Recorded:
Honey Bees (Apis mellifera)
Wasps and Gall Wasps Recorded:
Common Wasp (Vespula vulgaris)
Ichneumon Wasps Recorded:
Ichneumon sp
Hoverflies Recorded:
5 Narcissus Bulb Fly (Merodon equestris)
Flies, Craneflies, Gnats and Midges Recorded:
Blue Blowfly (Calliphora vicina)
Bugs and Beetles Recorded:
Dock Bug (Coreus marginatus)
Nettle Weevil (Phyllobius pomaceus)
Swollen-thighed Beetle (Oedemera nobilis)
Crickets and Grasshoppers Recorded:
Dark Bush-cricket (Pholidoptera griseoaptera)
Spiders Recorded:
1 Cucumber Green Orb Spider (Araniella cucurbitina sensu stricto)
Plants:
Ted:
Ships Today:
This is the Norwegian Bulk Carrier "Belforest" on its way from Swinoujscie (Poland) to an unknown destination. More on this vessel Here.
Chiffchaff number one and.........
..........number two.
2 Dingy Skipper
6 Large White
4 Small White
2 Wall Brown
4 Speckled Wood
1 Small Heath
8 Small Blue
20+ Common Blue
A Dingy Skipper
Speckled Wood
My first Small Heath of the year
A Small Blue with wings open and........
...........closed.
And a Common Blue
Honey Bees (Apis mellifera)
Garden Bumblebee (Bombus hortorum)
Buff-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus terrestris)
Red-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus lapidarius)
Buff-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus terrestris)
Red-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus lapidarius)
A Honey Bee coming.......
...........into land.
My first Garden Bumblebee (Bombus hortorum) of the year.
And another Garden Bumblebee (Bombus hortorum) coming.........
.............into land on this Sainfoin.
Common Wasp (Vespula vulgaris)
Ichneumon Wasps Recorded:
Ichneumon sp
Ichneumon Wasp sp.
5 Narcissus Bulb Fly (Merodon equestris)
Narcissus Bulb Fly (Merodon equestris)
Blue Blowfly (Calliphora vicina)
#1 - fly sp.
#2 - fly sp.
#3 - fly sp.
#1 - fly sp.
#2 - fly sp. (front) and #3 - fly sp. (rear)
Dock Bug (Coreus marginatus)
Nettle Weevil (Phyllobius pomaceus)
Swollen-thighed Beetle (Oedemera nobilis)
Pot Beetle (Cryptocephalus aureolus)
Dock Bug
Nettle Weevil
Swollen-thighed Beetle (Oedemera nobilis)
These are Pot Beetles (Cryptocephalus aureolus) in a Common Hawkweed. The only other Pot Beetle it can be confused with is Cryptocephalus hypochaeridis. More on C. aureolus Here.
Dark Bush-cricket (Pholidoptera griseoaptera)
A Dark Bush-cricket
1 Cucumber Green Orb Spider (Araniella cucurbitina sensu stricto)
A male Cucumber Green Orb Spider
* Bloody Crane's-bill (Geranium sanguineum)
Common Daisy (Bellis perennis)
Common Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale)
* Common Gladiolus (Gladiolus communis)
Common Daisy (Bellis perennis)
Common Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale)
* Common Gladiolus (Gladiolus communis)
* Common Hawkweed (Hieracium vulgatum)
Common Knapweed (Centaurea nigra)
Common Poppy (Papaver rhoeas)
Common Ragwort (Jacobaea vulgaris)
Cut-leaved Cranesbill (Geranium dissectum)
Eyebright (Euphrasia officinalis)
Common Poppy (Papaver rhoeas)
Common Ragwort (Jacobaea vulgaris)
Cut-leaved Cranesbill (Geranium dissectum)
Eyebright (Euphrasia officinalis)
* French Crane's-bill (Geranium endressii)
Ground Ivy (Glechoma hederacea)
Ground Ivy (Glechoma hederacea)
* Hairy Garlic (Allium subhirsutum)
* Ivy Broomrape (Orobanche hederae)
Meadow Buttercup (Ranunculus arvensis)
* Pale Flax (Linum bienne)
* Ivy Broomrape (Orobanche hederae)
Meadow Buttercup (Ranunculus arvensis)
* Pale Flax (Linum bienne)
* Rosy Garlic (Allium roseum)
* Sainfoin (Onobrychis viciifolia)
* umbellifer sp
Wall Cotoneaster (Cotoneaster horizontalis)
Winter Heliotrope (Petasites fragrans)
Yellow-rattle (Rhinanthus minor)
Wall Cotoneaster (Cotoneaster horizontalis)
Winter Heliotrope (Petasites fragrans)
Yellow-rattle (Rhinanthus minor)
French Crane's-bill (Geranium endressii) and.............
...........a close-up of one of the flowers
Common Gladiolus (Gladiolus communis)
Sainfoin (Onobrychis viciifolia).
umbellifer sp.
Common Hawkweed (Hieracium vulgatum)
What a lovely flower. After a bit of research it turns it is......
And another garlic. This time.......
.........Hairy Garlic (Allium subhirsutum). This was growing close to the Rosy Garlic. More on this plant here.
Bloody Crane's-bill (Geranium sanguineum)
Pale Flax (Linum bienne)
Ivy Broomrape (Orobanche hederae)
Well that's Ted on his way.
