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leafy hawthorns and bare birches
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On Tuesday morning I arrived at the reserve just before 9.30. Another lovely spring day but with a chilly breeze. At first there were no insects about but as the morning went on and the temperature rose I started to see butterflies, ladybirds and more birds too.Here is what I recorded:
Birds:
SC210694 Wren; Woodpigeon flying over; Chiffchaff heard but not seen.
SC209694 Great Tit ( ringed) ; Song Thrush; Magpie; 2 x Mallard flying over; Pheasant heard but not seen; male Blackbird; Chiffchaff; Goldfinch; Dunnock; Wren ( ringed) ; 2 x Ravens flying over croaking; Chaffinch; 2 x Buzzard flew out of reserve across adjacent fields
SC208695 Dunnock; Pheasant heard but not seen; male Blackbird; Robin; Blue Tit
SC209695 Dunnock; Goldfinch; Robin; Blue Tit; 4 x Goldfinch; Chaffinch; Great Tit.
SC209693 Chiffchaff; female Chaffinch; male Blackbird.
Other:
SC209694 3 x Small Tortoiseshell Butterflies ( one appeared to be egg laying on nettles)
SC208694 Peacock Butterfly in Blackthorn blossom
SC209695 3 x Gorse Shieldbug
SC209694 3 x 7spot Ladybirds on Nettles, Hemlock Water Dropwort and Hogweed
SC2096904 unidentified spider
SC208694 Stitchwort in flower
SC208694 ( under willows) red Campion plants & 6 ferns ( 2 species?)
SC208694 38 small black flies on bridge handrails -Anthomyiidae species
SC208694 Scathophaga species fly with large red eyes on handrail
SC209694 unidentified Weevil near noticeboard
SC209695 small green fly in gorse - Eudasyphora cyanella
SC208695 unidentified Bumble Bee species
SC209694 unidentified Bumblebee species
SC209695 Hoverfly - Eristalis pertinax
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Blue Sky, Blue Tit.
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too late! Buzzards heading off towards the Sloc
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I just managed one quick shot from the gorse boundary
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female Chaffinch
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distant Chiffchaff
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| Dunnock |
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I think it has noticed me!
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| Goldfinch |
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Wren - note ring
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Des Res?
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male Chaffinch
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Great Tit
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| Robin |
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Song Thrush
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slightly closer view
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Ian was still working when I left the Reserve on Saturday so I was interested to see what he had done
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dry weather has allowed some progress at last
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not too long now perhaps until the carpentry can begin
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we certainly won't get our feet wet in future!
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there were 38 of these small flies on the bridge handrails
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enlarged view of one of them - Anthomyiidae species
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Green Bottle species in the gorse - Eudasyphora cyanella
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back on the handrail, this fly spotted a tasty meal!
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closer view -Scathophaga species
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unidentified Bumblebee among the Blackthorn blossom
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another on a Dandelion
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yet another resting in the grass
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the first Hoverfly of the season - Eristalis pertinax
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first flower at last on the Marsh Marigolds
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a large patch of Celandines in the reed bed
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cultivated daffodils among the ash trees
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looking very much like spring
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unidentified Weevil
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closer view for I.D.
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one of three Small Tortoiseshell Butterflies
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I think this one was egg-laying on the nettles
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Peacock Butterfly on Blackthorn blossom
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enjoying the nectar
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Gorse Shieldbug enjoying the sunshine
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and another nearby
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one of three 7-spot Ladybirds
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they can often be found on nettles
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the stream is steadily disappearing under the Hemlock Water Dropwort
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timber at the ready for the new boardwalk
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the usual view from the hide ramp
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Campion beginning to colonise the woodland floor
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and Broad Buckler Ferns too for the first year, I believe
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Stitchwort out in the meadow
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not much change here since last week
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Pond looking left
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the middle section
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and looking right
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the new pond is on a different scale altogether!
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Male Crab Spider, probably Xysticus ( thanks to Kate Hawkins for ID)
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looking back as I left the reserve
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With thanks to Steve Crellin , Kate Hawkins and Andree Dubbeldam for help with IDs.
My last visit of the month - what will April bring?
please click on photos to enlarge
