I decided I would have a two day break from the garden restoration and took Ted for a walk around my Summer local patch again
Main highlights were two House Martins overhead and a/the Chiffchaff singing from "all" of the Sycamore trees around the meadow. If you didn't know any different you could easily have believed their were at least six bird!!
A couple of sad notes and that was not only finding a dead House Sparrow on the footpath adjacent to the meadow, but also a dead Common Shrew, just a few feet away. As both had just been left there, my assumption would be a cat, which often catch, kill and walk away without consuming their prey. Sadly for a large majority of cats it's just a test of their own hunting skills and not for filling their bellies or for young.
Also noted was just one Marbled White in the meadows, where yesterday there were three. I was expecting to see more today, but with a large unidentified Dragonfly flying about, I guess that was the reason!!
Mammals Recorded:
1 Common Shrew (deceased)
A sad sight a Common Shrew. Presumed killed by a cat.
Herring Gull
Wood Pigeon
Collared Dove
2 House Martin
Dunnock
Robin
Blackbird
1 Chiffchaff
Great Tit
Blue Tit
Wren
Magpie
Carrion Crow
Jackdaw
Starling
House Sparrow
Chaffinch
Goldfinch
Just a few away from the Common Shrew was this dead juvenile House Sparrow. I have my suspicions as noted above.
Dragonflies and Damselflies Recorded:
1 Dragonfly sp.
Butterflies Recorded:
1 Small Skipper
12+ Meadow Brown
1 Marbled White
5 Common Blue
A pristine looking Small Skipper
Just the one Marbled White see today in the meadow.
1 Common Nettle-tap (Anthophila fabriciana)
1 Silver Y (Autographa gamma)
2 Garden Grass-veneer (Chrysoteuchia culmella)
1 #1 - moth sp.
A Common Nettle-tap (Anthophila fabriciana)
And a very difficult to photograph Silver Y (Autographa gamma)
Garden Grass-veneer (Chrysoteuchia culmella)
#1 - moth sp.
Common Carder Bumblebee (Bombus pascuorum)
Honey Bee (Apis mellifera)
A Common Carder Bumblebee (Bombus pascuorum) on Common Knapweed (Centaurea nigra)
And a Honey Bee (Apis mellifera) on Cow Parsley (Anthriscus sylvestris)
Ichneumon Wasp sp.
Here are..........
................three different views.......
.............of my mystery Ichneumon Wasp sp
Mimic Bee Hoverfly (Volucella bombylans)
Dead Head Hoverfly (Myathropa florea)
Superb Ant-hill Hoverfly (Xanthogramma pedissequum)
Superb Ant-hill Hoverfly (Xanthogramma pedissequum)
A Mimic Bee Hoverfly (Volucella bombylans) - variety plumata
A Dead Head Hoverfly (Myathropa florea)
And a Superb Ant-hill Hoverfly (Xanthogramma pedissequum)
1 Dagger Fly (Empis tessellata)
Broad Centurian (Chloromyia formosa)
Greenbottle (Lucilia sp.)
Cluster Fly (Pollenia sp.)
A Broad Centurian (Chloromyia formosa)
A Greenbottle (Lucilia sp.) and bottom right a Swollen-thighed Beetle (Oedemera nobilis)
A Cluster Fly (Pollenia sp.)
30+ Swollen-thighed Beetle (Oedemera nobilis)
40+ Common Red Soldier Beetle (Rhagonycha fulva)
Crickets and Grasshoppers Recorded:
Plants:
Bramble (Rubus fruticosusa)
Common Knapweed (Centaurea nigra)
Dog Rose (Rosa canina)
Eyebright (Euphrasia officinalis)
Provence Rose (Rosa gallica)
Ships Today:
This is the British Oil Products Tanker "Whitchampion" on its way from Fawley to Plymouth. More on this vessel here.
40+ Common Red Soldier Beetle (Rhagonycha fulva)
1 Rose Chafer (Cetonia aurata)
A Common Red Soldier Beetle (Rhagonycha fulva)
And a Rose Chafer (Cetonia aurata)
Meadow Grasshopper (Chorthippus parallelus)
#1 - grasshopper sp.
#2 - grasshopper sp.
A Meadow Grasshopper (Chorthippus parallelus)
#1 - grasshopper sp.
#2 - grasshopper sp.
Plants:
Bramble (Rubus fruticosusa)
Common Knapweed (Centaurea nigra)
Dog Rose (Rosa canina)
Eyebright (Euphrasia officinalis)
Provence Rose (Rosa gallica)
Cow Parsley (Anthriscus sylvestris)
White Clover (Trifolium repens)
White Clover (Trifolium repens)
Ted:
Ted doesn't mind walking in the sun as long as there's plenty of shade and a drink along the way.
