30 Apr More hot insect action with a Large Red Damselfly the highlight at Fairlawn Road plus a nice selection of hoverflies - the first Myathropa florea and Episyrphus balteatus (Marmalade Fly) of the year and a probable Syrphus ribesii. Also seen along the verge were a pair of mating Dock-leaf Bugs, a Pisaura mirabilis spider, a Harlequin Ladybird and several annoying flies and bees that I couldn't ID! Butterflies included a Speckled Wood and a couple of Holly Blues. A Blackcap was singing and a Jay showed itself briefly. A brief burst of song that sounded like possible Garden Warbler was intriguing.
29 Apr Despite the rather cloudy conditions there was some insect activity - at St Andrews Park a Large Red-tailed Bumblebee was visiting flowers and at the station 7-Spot and Harlequin Ladybirds were seen, also a possible Leaf-cutter Bee and a Eupeodes luniger hoverfly.
Birds at St Andrews Park included Goldfinch, Greenfinch, House Sparrow (including a female collecting nesting material) and Dunnock. The Chiffchaff was still singing at the station.
27 Apr A quick look around St Pauls Park produced a couple of singing Greenfinches, a Blackbird, a Wren and a Dunnock. Some King Alfred's Cakes Daldinia concentrica fungus was growing on one of the logs.
26 Apr At the station the only birds of note were 4 Starlings, 4 Goldfinches and a singing Blackcap. News that there is a colony of Ashy Mining Bees Andrena cineraria in Montpelier Park - haven't seen them myself, but will look for them if it gets warmer. This attractive species occurs in Castle Park and College Green but this is the first I've heard of them on our patch.
A Jay was seen at Fairlawn Road, while in St Andrews Park a Mistle Thrush was noted carrying food, suggesting successful breeding. The pond produced the first Large Red Damselflies of the year and a Red Mason Bee and Holly Blue butterfly were nearby.
22 Apr My first Double-striped Pug of the year found its way into the kitchen last night. At least 1 Holly Blue still in the garden this afternoon.
21 Apr Great to see a juvenile Blackbird in the garden this evening - it looked healthy too. At the station this morning a Chiffchaff and a Blackcap were singing. Four Starlings flew over Portland Square this evening and a Goldfinch was singing in nearby Argyle Road.
At the station this morning was a Willow Warbler in song and a pair of displaying Robins. Montpelier Park was quiet apart from a Grey Squirrel, a Red Mason Bee, 3 Blackbirds and a couple of Chaffinches. Good to meet and have a chat with Terry this morning on the train.
At Fairlawn Road the Chiffchaff and Blackcap were still around and insects included an Orange Tip, a Holly Blue, a Dock Leaf Bug, a pair of mating Green Shieldbugs and a Syrphus ribesii hoverfly. A nice display of Green Alkanet near the rainbow bridge. Yesterday's bird survey results in full: Lesser Black-backed Gull 11, Woodpigeon 12, Collared Dove 6, Wren 12, Dunnock 4, Robin 9, Blackbird 12, Blackcap 1, Chiffchaff 1, Long-tailed Tit 1, Blue Tit 19 (a record!), Great Tit 8, Magpie 6, Carrion Crow 4, Starling 2, House Sparrow 13, Chaffinch 1, Greenfinch 1, Goldfinch 3, Feral Pigeon 18.
Blackcap - at least two seen and heard Chaffinch - rather thin on the ground, with just one heard singing briefly Goldfinch - one or two Greenfinch - one or two Blackbird - several seen and heard Robin - many singing birds Jay - at least one Carrion Crow - a few seen and heard Lesser Black-backed Gull - one or two cruising overhead Magpie - one or two Woodpigeon - lots seen and heard Collared Dove - two or three Chiffchaff - one near the pond was probably passing through but picked up a feather and flew off with it so nesting cannot be ruled out! Dunnock - at least three seen and heard Blue Tit - several Great Tit - several Long-tailed Tit - three or four seen Wren - two or three singing House Sparrow - at least one male near the pond Speckled Wood and Holly Blue butterflies were also noted. This afternoon the sun brought out lots of insects around the patch - 2 or 3 Holly Blues in the garden and another at Hurlingham Road. Along Fairlawn Road there were at least 3 Pisaura mirabilis spiders sitting on leaves waiting for prey to land. Also there was an interesting looking Plant Bug which could be one of a number of species I can't ID. Chiffchaff and Blackcap were both singing at Fairlawn Road. The Tuberous Comfrey (found by Chris a few years ago) is looking healthy along Station Road.
16 Apr Butterflies at the station this morning included a Peacock (the first of the year as far as my own sightings are concerned), an Orange Tip and a Holly Blue. A Blackcap was singing nearby. At Fairlawn Road a Chiffchaff was singing. In the garden was another Holly Blue and a Chiffchaff was audible from my window.
Halfway up Ninetree Hill was a singing Willow Warbler. 15 Apr Still rather quiet. At the station a Blackcap and distant singing Chiffchaff along with a Goldfinch, a single Long-tailed Tit and a couple of Starlings. I was delighted to see a male House Sparrow just a few inches from my window this morning gathering nesting material. 14 Apr A Coal Tit and a Goldfinch were singing in Montpelier Park this morning and a Chiffchaff was heard near Belvoir Road this afternoon. 12 Apr Not much happening in the last couple of days, although a Jay visited the garden briefly yesterday morning and there was a lovely Greenfinch display flight over Station Road/allotment gardens this morning.
At Fairfield Road there were another couple of Holly Blues. At the station yet another 2 Holly Blues and an Orange Tip. In the garden at least 1....yes, you've guessed it...Holly Blue!
9 Apr The first Orange-tip butterfly of the year was at the station this morning along with 2 Holly Blue and a Green-veined White. Also at the station was a Chiffchaff and a singing Blackcap and a gang of House Sparrows were busily collecting nesting material.
Along Fairlawn Road there was a colony of Yellow Archangel (garden variety ssp. argentatum) which turns up every now and again on the patch but I've never seen it at this location before. Nearby there was a Red Mason Bee Osmia rufa basking on a leaf - my first for the patch - while a Harlequin Ladybird was also seen. Birds in the Fairlawn Road area included a Chiffchaff and a Jay. Cow Parsley was in flower near the Hurlingham Road end of the footbridge.
8 Apr A couple of Chiffchaffs on the patch this morning - one in Montpelier Park and another at the station where a Blackcap was also singing. A Willow Warbler was still singing in the park too. Drone-flies (Eristalis sp) were hovering at head-height in the park in the sunshine.
7 Apr Jim took these fab pics of a Willow Warbler on Narroways this afternoon - beautiful stuff.
Nothing much at St Pauls Park this morning other than a Jay and a couple of Greenfinches. A fabulous display of Forget-me-nots in the churchyard - these are presumably the garden form of the Wood Forget-me-not but I could be wrong. There are now 2 Holly Blue butterflies in the garden. Out of the immediate area, a Buzzard was being mobbed by gulls over Temple Quay this afternoon.
A Siskin flew quite low over Portland Square this morning and there's a report of 15 Waxwings near the Co-op in North Road, St Andrews yesterday and today - which means I must have walked past them yesterday.....very annoying!
There were 2 or 3 singing Blackcaps around the patch and the Willow Warbler could be heard in Montpelier Park. Nice to see Herb Robert in flower along Station Road.
2 Apr A Chiffchaff was again at Fairlawn Road along with a Jay this morning. Another 2 Jays were halfway up Station Road.
1 Apr There was still at last 1 Willow Warbler singing in the park this morning and a Blackcap was singing near the station. This evening a Carrion Crow was attending to a nest in Ashley Road. |
Saturday, November 24, 2018
April 2011
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