I know I've said it before, but never was there a truer saying than "What a difference a day makes". After yesterday's extraordinary Chiffchaff numbers of 45+, today it was back to earth with a bump with just 7 noted.
Other than the huge drop in Chiffchaff numbers, there were was just 1 Blackcap, no Goldcrests and more importantly no Long-tailed Tits. Whether there would have been more warblers and crests, if the latter had been about, I'm not sure. So I guess we will have to wait until the Long-tailed Tits pitch up again.
With wall to wall blue skies and feeling very warm in the Autumn sun, there was definitely an increase in butterfly numbers and other insects too. Certainly the numbers of Harlequin Ladybirds were up again, and at times there swarms flying about, with several landing on my head, on my jacket and back pack. I even had one land on my mouth, which I managed to knock off before it secreted its foul tasting yellow liquid. It is repulsive believe me.
Surprise of the day was a Common Carder Bee, which I nearly missed feeding on the Ivy flowers due to its size. It was tiny as you will see below. What is noticeable now is the low numbers of Ivy Bees. Despite the lovely warm and sunny conditions I only managed to record 4. There are still plenty of Ivy flowers, but they are now being visited in larger numbers of Common Wasps.
Common Droneflies are still about in good numbers, but what has also been noticeable is the absence of some of the larger hoverflies such as Hornet Plumehorn Volucella zonaria and Lesser Hornet Hoverfly Volucella inanis.
Birds Recorded:
1 - Buzzard
1 - Kestrel
Herring Gull
Wood Pigeon
Collared Dove
Dunnock
Robin
Blackbird
1 - Blackcap
7 - Chiffchaff
2 - Great Tit
2 - Blue Tit
Wren
Magpie
Carrion Crow
Jackdaw
Starling
House Sparrow
Chaffinch
Goldfinch
Birds Recorded:
1 - Buzzard
1 - Kestrel
Herring Gull
Wood Pigeon
Collared Dove
Dunnock
Robin
Blackbird
1 - Blackcap
7 - Chiffchaff
2 - Great Tit
2 - Blue Tit
Wren
Magpie
Carrion Crow
Jackdaw
Starling
House Sparrow
Chaffinch
Goldfinch
The female Kestrel is still hunting in the meadows.
A Chiffchaff and.........
...........another.
Feral pigeon
Butterflies Recorded:
3 - Speckled Wood Pararge aegeria
6 - Red Admiral Vanessa atalanta
A Speckled Wood Pararge aegeria
A Red Admiral Vanessa atalanta and a Common Dronefly Eristalis tenax sunbathing on the brambles.
2 - Buff-tailed Bumblebee Bombus terrestris
1 - Common Carder Bee Bombus pascuorum
10 - Honey Bee Apis mellifera
8 - Ivy Bee Colletes hederae
A Buff-tailed Bumblebee Bombus terrestris
And here is this very small Common Carder Bee Bombus pascuorum
Honey Bee Apis mellifera
An Ivy Bee Colletes hederae soaking up the sun before flying off (In slow-motion)
Wasps, Ichneumon Wasps, Parasitic Wasps and Gall Wasps Recorded:
40+ Common Wasp Vespula vulgaris
These are both.............
..............Common Wasps Vespula vulgaris.
20+ Common Dronefly Eristalis tenax
1 - Dead Head Hoverfly Myathropa florea
A Dead Head Hoverfly Myathropa florea
A few unidentified flies
#1 - fly sp.
1 - Dock Bug Coreus marginatus
4 - Common Green Shieldbug Palomena prasina
1 - 7-spot Ladybird Coccinella septempunctata
1 - 7-spot Ladybird Coccinella septempunctata
60+ Harlequin Ladybird Harmonia axyridis - form succinea
0 - Harlequin Ladybird Harmonia axyridis - form spectabilis
Crickets and Grasshoppers Recorded:
1 - Dark Bush-cricket Pholidoptera griseoaptera
Trees and Shrubs:
0 - Harlequin Ladybird Harmonia axyridis - form spectabilis
A Dock Bug Coreus marginatus moving into a sunny spot.
A Common Green Shieldbug Palomena prasina
7-spot Ladybird Coccinella septempunctata
Harlequin Ladybird Harmonia axyridis - form succinea
Harlequin Ladybird Harmonia axyridis - form succinea
A Harlequin Ladybird Harmonia axyridis - form succinea
1 - Dark Bush-cricket Pholidoptera griseoaptera
Just the one Dark Bush-cricket Pholidoptera griseoaptera seen today. I bet the Kestrel has eaten the rest!!
Trees and Shrubs:
Ash Fraxinus excelsior
Hawthorn Crataegus monogyna
Sycamore Acer pseudoplatanus
Sycamore Acer pseudoplatanus
Blackthorn Prunus spinosa
Buddleia Buddleja davidii
Scarlet Firethorn Pyracantha coccinea
Cotoneaster Cotoneaster sp.
Dog Rose Rosa canina
Bramble Rubus fruticosusa
Fungi:
fungi sp.
fungi sp.
fungi sp.
fungi sp.
Other Plants:
Brown Knapweed Centaurea jacea
Hawkweed Oxtongue Picris hieracioides
Honeysuckle Lonicera periclymenum
Ivy Hedera helix
Large Bindweed Calystegia silvatica
Wild Clematis Clematis vitalba
A Large Bindweed Calystegia silvatica in flower
Aircraft today:
This Boeing 747-428(BCF) is flying at............
.............491kts (565mph) at 39,000ft. It is a...............
This Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner Reg G-ZBKG is flying at...........
.........26,057ft at 415kts (478mph). It is on its way from......
..........Mexico to London.