30 Jun Sounds like there's another brood of young Blackbirds out and about in a neighbour's garden - this may be the third of the year! A Small Dusty Wave moth was in the flat this morning. I didn't take a photo as it was too boring.
This evening, a Jay flew across Station Road and sat on a fence near Colston's School for several seconds - it would have made a fantastic photo but I didn't have my camera!
29 Jun In Montpelier Park there was a singing Chaffinch, calling Coal Tit, a Blackbird and a Carrion Crow plus a Harlequin Ladybird. Nearby at the station was a Marmalade Hoverfly Episyrphus balteatus and a Holly Blue and a Small White butterfly. Birds included a Starling, a juvenile Blackbird, a fly-over Goldfinch, Blue and Great Tits and best of all about 12 House Sparrows in and around the allotment gardens.
28 Jun I got up this morning and went into the kitchen only to find a juvenile Woodpigeon on the worktop! He or she didn't hang around and went back out through the open window! At the station there were no less than 4 Jays (presumably a family group and a singing Coal Tit.
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| Ground Beetle |
27 Jun Last night's moth catch ended up with another couple of Scarlet Tigers, 2 Flame, a couple of Light Arches, a very faded Heart and Dart, a Double-striped Pug, a 'Minor' species and an 'Emerald' species which sadly drowned in the kitchen sink and I couldn't ID it! Apart from lots of Harlequin Ladybirds, there was a Ground Beetle (probably a Pterostichus species) too.
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| Ringlet |
26 Jun The first Ringlet butterfly of the year was noted this afternoon at Fairlawn Road. Nearby singing Chiffchaff and Blackcap and a noisy Jay. In St Andrews Road a front lawn was absolutely full of Lady's Bedstraw. The station produced the first Cinnabar moth I've seen for about 3 years, but sadly it didn't settle for a photo.
It's been an interesting evening in the garden area with the family of 4 Magpies causing trouble for a pair of Blackbirds and both species noisily mobbing my cat who had decided to go up on the roof! There was a spectacular flight of about 70 gulls overhead as the sun set and a Jackdaw was heard among them. I think this happened last year as well - not sure why so many gulls should suddenly fly together like that. There has been more evidence of Swifts today with the warmer weather - about 8 over Ashley Hill and several outisde the flat this evening.
A magnificent Lime Hawkmoth was attracted to my trap this evening as was a Scarlet Tiger.
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| Lime Hawkmoth |
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| Lady's Bedstraw |
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| Scarlet Tiger |
23 Jun More Swifts over Richmond Road and Station Road this morning and a Jay flew over the station itself. Also at the latter location was a calling Coal Tit and parties of Blue and Long-tailed Tits.
22 Jun A couple of Swifts high above the station this morning were the first I've seen for a couple of days - I really am a little worried about the low numbers this summer. Also a Dunnock singing from the top of a bush at the station.
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| Moth Mullein |
20 Jun A family group of Long-tailed Tits plus young Blue Tits were noted at the station this morning and a Blackcap was calling. A Large Skipper was basking on a leaf near the tunnel and a Red-tailed Bumblebee was nectaring on Bramble flowers. Hedge Woundwort and Moth Mullein were notable.
In recent days, a family of Magpies have been seen in the garden area, with lots of begging for food by the youngsters.
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| Large Skipper |
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| Hedge Woundwort |
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| Marbled White |
16 Jun An extended tour of duty today produced some nice wildlife - at Narroways there were excellent numbers of Marbled White butterflies with at least 15 being present. Also 4 Meadow Browns, 1 Speckled Wood, a Red Admiral and a Comma. Two day-flying moths in the shape of a Latticed Heath and a Yellow Shell were the supporting cast along with a Dock Bug, a couple of Sphaerophoria hoverflies, a Myathropa florea hoverfly, a couple each of Harlequin and 7-spot Ladybirds and some interesting Ichneumon wasps. Birds included a singing Common Whitethroat, a calling party of Long-tailed Tits, 2 Blackcaps, 2 Chiffchaffs, 2 Greenfinches and 6 House Sparrows. The usual plants with a good showing for Common Bird's Foot Trefoil, Black Horehound and Common Restharrow.
All quiet at Fairlawn Road apart from a singing Blackcap and Chiffchaff. A Coal Tit was calling at the station.
In St Andrews Park 4 Goldfinches flew over the pond and there was an Azure Damselfly and another Sphaerophoria hoverfly in the pond vegetation.
Some good plants at the Better Food Company car park including Black Medick, Field Scabious and Lady's Bedstraw.
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| Black Horehound |
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| Sphaerophoria hoverfly |
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| Azure Damselfly |
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| Comma |
15 June Apologies for the break in transmission due to a server being down. Having said that there's nothing much to report today although I did see lots of House Sparrows in the allotment garden area (taking advantage of the rather overgrown bits) and there was a singing Dunnock in the garden.
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| Soldier Fly |
14 Jun A new invertebrate for the patch in the shape of a Soldier Fly (possibly a Chloromya formosa) sat on a leaf at Fairlawn Road. Never seen one of these before. Nearby some Harlequin Ladybirds and a Jay and singing Blackcap.
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| Mystery hoverfly |
13 Jun An impressive count of 17 Long-tailed Tits were at the station - easily counted as they flew almost one by one across the railway line! Also a Blackcap calling and singing briefly and a distant Swift. Insects at the station included a 7-Spot Ladybird and a small hoverfly which even an expert at BRERC was unable to identify - it could be a number of species but we do know it is a female.
A Coal Tit was calling at Montpelier Park this morning.
9 Jun A juvenile Blackbird, a singing Wren, a Herring Gull, a Robin and 2 singing Greenfinches were in St Pauls Park this morning.
5 Jun A Goldcrest was singing at the station this afternoon and a family party of Blue Tits were busily feeding. A pair of Woodpigeons were doing some mutual preening which looked rather cute. Sadly I didn't have my camera with me so you will have to imagine it.
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| Creeping Cinquefoil |
4 Jun There was a Chiffchaff, a Long-tailed Tit and a very cheeky Jay along the railway path/Fairlawn Road today - the latter feeding on the pavement at one stage. Along the verge there were 1 or 2 Harlequin Ladybirds, a Dock Bug and an Episyrphus balteatus hoverfly.
There was some Creeping Cinquefoil in a garden near the top of Richmond Road.
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| Poppies |
3 Jun One of the most impressive sights I've ever seen in urban Bristol this morning - a fabulous show of Poppies in Bishop Street, St Pauls in a bit of waste ground waiting to be built on. Stunning. In the nearby park was a singing Goldcrest and Greenfinch.
Last night I caught 3 Heart and Dart and one Flame moth plus the micro-moths Udea prunalis (I think) and Phlyctaenia coronata plus lots of Harlequin Ladybirds.
2 Jun Hurrah we're back! There was lots of Blue Tit action in Montpelier Park this morning with a family of at least 4 youngsters flitting about in the trees and begging for food from parents. Also a pair of Blackbirds and a Collared Dove in the park. There were 3 Harlequin Ladybirds near the station and also at least one Moth Mullein plant in flower on the disused platform.
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