Time: from 5:15 a.m.
Weather: dry, sunny, light wind, 7°C to 13°C
After yesterday’s late evening visit, I had another early morning visit. It felt like I had never been away 😀.
As on my visit on 7th June 2020, the morning started with watching the Red Foxes and I have again written a separate dedicated blog post here.
Whilst I was watching the Red
Foxes, I again saw a singing male Greenfinch and a singing male Goldcrest,
both in their same respective trees. I also saw a Chaffinch
and 2 Great Spotted Woodpeckers in the same area.
With
regard to other birds, I added a new site record this morning, namely 6
fly-over Greylag Geese, bringing my site list total to 47 species.
In addition, I again saw a single Swift
this morning, this time in much closer proximity to St. Nicholas Church.
I saw
1 singing male Blackcap and 1 singing male Chiffchaff and heard 3
and 2 respectively of each species without seeing them.
I
saw 3 Great Spotted Woodpeckers in total, including the 2 at the Red Fox
location, plus I heard and saw a Green Woodpecker.
As the temperature began to warm up, I managed to record 3 butterfly species: Meadow Brown (2), Large Skipper (3) and Holly Blue (1). This was my first site record of Meadow Brown bringing my site list total to 17 species and my first record of Large Skipper at the site for the year.
Apart from adult butterflies on the wing, I found 2 masses of jet black caterpillars of Peacock. On emerging from their eggs, Peacock caterpillars build a communal web near the top of the nettle plant from which they emerge to bask and feed and they are usually highly conspicuous. As the larvae grow, they move to new plants and build new webs. Finally, after 4 weeks, they disperse from their foodplant and seek a sheltered site to pupate.
Finally, I saw a single Grey Squirrel.
As the temperature began to warm up, I managed to record 3 butterfly species: Meadow Brown (2), Large Skipper (3) and Holly Blue (1). This was my first site record of Meadow Brown bringing my site list total to 17 species and my first record of Large Skipper at the site for the year.
Apart from adult butterflies on the wing, I found 2 masses of jet black caterpillars of Peacock. On emerging from their eggs, Peacock caterpillars build a communal web near the top of the nettle plant from which they emerge to bask and feed and they are usually highly conspicuous. As the larvae grow, they move to new plants and build new webs. Finally, after 4 weeks, they disperse from their foodplant and seek a sheltered site to pupate.
Finally, I saw a single Grey Squirrel.
Species recorded during this visit were as follows (heard only
records in italics):
Swift
Blackcap
Chiffchaff
Blue Tit
Great Tit
Long-tailed Tit
Robin
Wren
Dunnock
Blackbird
Song Thrush
Greenfinch
Chaffinch
Goldcrest
House Sparrow
Great Spotted Woodpecker
Green Woodpecker
Magpie
Carrion Crow
Woodpigeon
Collared Dove
Herring Gull
Greylag Goose
Red
Fox
Grey Squirrel
Meadow Brown
Large Skipper
Large Skipper
Holly Blue
Here are some photos from my visit:
Photo: Large Skipper
Photo: Meadow Brown
Photo: Peacock caterpillars
Photo: Greylag Geese
Photo: Woodpigeon
Photo: Woodpigeon
Photo: Woodpigeon
Photo: juvenile Blue Tit
Photo: Common Poppies
Photo: Common Poppy
Photo: Common Poppy and Bumblebee species
Here are some photos from my visit:
Photo: Holly Blue
Photo: Holly Blue
Photo: Holly Blue
Photo: Large Skipper
Photo: Large Skipper
Photo: Meadow Brown
Photo: Peacock caterpillars
Photo: Greylag Geese
Photo: Collared Dove
Photo: male Greenfinch
Photo: Ox-eye Daisies
Site totals
to date:
Birds = 47
Mammals = 4
Butterflies
= 17
Dragonflies
and damselflies = 5
Reptiles =
1
Amphibians
= 0
💚🦆
🦉 🌼 🌳💚
Stay safe, stay well, stay strong, stay connected with nature
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