Paxton's Bees etc

Yesterday was the warmest of the year so far with temperatures around 17 degrees at Paxton Pits and the bees and other insects were on the move. Here a selection - not sure all the IDs on the final sheet are correct - still checking!!

Toft's Bees and Other Wildlife Wake Up

 The warm conditions yesterday brought a lot of species out of their winter dormancy and onto the foliage. Favourites definitely the small Weevil, Box Bug, Bee Fly, and the unusual-looking parasitic fly, Gonia picea. I recently received the new Flies book by Stephen Falk and others so looked it up. The Dark broadface visits flowers including Daisy, is parasitic on moths including Square-spot Rustic which we definitely have in the garden and is one of the first Tachinid to appear in spring. Bees more difficult to ID!

Barnwell Park Birds

Some of the birds that we photographed on Sunday at Barnwell Park. The Goldcrest was very confiding and occasionally hopped into a sunny patch for a portrait or two. The Mandarin male and female were obviously paired up and spent some time up a tree presumably nest site hunting. Heron nest and Egret at a distance and good to photograph a Carrion crow. 

Barnwell Country Park

 A very enjoyable trip to Barnwell Country Park with the RPS Nature group and Paxton Volunteer group. We were shown round by Matthew, an RPSNature member but also a volunteer at Barnwell. This Northamptonshire Country Park is small but had a good variety of subjects to photograph, both birds (later post) and meadow/trees/wetland habitats to explore more 'closely'. My highlight was photographing my first pseudoscorpion found in the leaf litter under a log. The second photo is on Mike's handkerchief - the detail in the weave shows just how small this is. Under or near the same log there were various beetles, wood lice and Enchytraeus (White worms includes about 40 species of annelid worms) and a Ground Hopper. (ID sheet at end)

Toft Spiders and Insects etc

Cold wind but plenty of sunshine to warm the Toft daffodil petals and encourage the insects and spiders to show themselves. ID sheet at end - Andrena trimmerai not confirmed but seems nearest. The birch catkin bug and the very small green gall wasp were respite from the very large number of Anthomyiidae flies while the meadow is full of these very vibrant fungi on the sheep droppings.