Back On My Local Patch

It's been awhile, but this afternoon I had a good walk around my local patch. Highlights were many, which was not surprising, as my last walk here was on 12 Feb 26.

The main highlights were 2 Chiffchaffs, in the Sycamores along Old Quarry Lane here, and a male Common Whitethroat singing from the Blackberry bushes in the larger of the two meadows here.

Other highlights were a male Common Blue butterfly, a single Speckled Wood and a pair of Orange-tips. Sadly no photos of the latter.

I came across a couple of moth species with several Cocksfoot Moth Glyphipterix simpliciella along Old Quarry Lane and a Common Slender Gracillaria syringella, which is a first for the year.

Birds Recorded:

Herring Gull

Wood Pigeon

Collared Dove

Dunnock

Robin

Blackbird

1 Common Whitethroat

2 Chiffchaff

Great Tit

Blue Tit

Wren

Magpie

Carrion Crow

Jackdaw

Starling

House Sparrow

Chaffinch

Linnet

Goldfinch

Escapees, Ferals, Possibles Etc.

Feral pigeon

Butterflies Recorded:

2 Orange-tip Anthocharis cardamines

1 Speckled Wood Pararge aegeria

1 Common Blue Polyommatus icarus

My first Common Blue Polyommatus icarus of the year. This is a male, which I came across in the smaller of the two meadows in Wakeham here.

Moths Recorded:

Key
   *First for year
**New for P&W moth list

*Common Slender Gracillaria syringella

  Cocksfoot Moth Glyphipterix simpliciella

My first Common Slender Gracillaria syringella of the year. I also............

................videoed it constantly moved those antennae about. Well, until it realised I was filming it!!!

And a moth I have already encountered this year, was this Cocksfoot Moth Glyphipterix simpliciella, and there were several about along Old Quarry Lane.

Bees Recorded:

Early Bumblebee Bombus pratorum

Buff-tailed Bumblebee Bombus terrestris

Chocolate Mining Bee Andrena scotica

An Early Bumblebee Bombus pratorum

A Chocolate Mining Bee Andrena scotica

Wasps, Ichneumon Wasps, Parasitic Wasps and Gall Wasps Recorded:

Ichneumon Wasp sp.

Ichneumon Wasp sp

Hoverflies Recorded:

A few hoverflies to identify

Flies, Craneflies, Gnats and Midges Recorded:

Many unidentified flies

Bugs and Beetles Recorded:

Swollen-thighed Beetle Oedemera nobilis

Spiders Recorded:

Black-palp Wolf Spider Pardosa nigriceps

One of my hopes today was to find a Wasp Spider Argiope bruennichi in the meadows. Last year I came across two, but today there were none. Maybe it's a bit early for them. Instead I came across this female Black-palp Wolf Spider Pardosa nigriceps carrying a sac of eggs.

Plants:

Herb Robert Geranium robertianum

Ivy Broomrape Orobanche hederae

In one of the more sheltered spots along my walk I came across this mass of Herb Robert Geranium robertianum...........

This wild flower also goes by a whole host of other names such as Red Robin, Death come quickly, Storksbill, Fox Geranium, Stinking Bob, Squinter-pip, Crow's Foot, or Roberts Geranium Phew!!

Ivy Broomrape Orobanche hederae

Ted:

Its been awhile since we've done this walk Ted. And it's certainly overgrown.

NOTE

More photos from today will appear here tomorrow.