Garden Spiders etc

Definitely to be too hot in Cambridgeshire to be outdoors photographing insects so these are the remainder from yesterday's garden hunt. The Flower Spider (Misuna) was deep inside a white rose with its prey while the Labyrinth spider has built an impressive den in the Acanthus. Blue-tailed, female immature Common Blue and male Azure Blue all competing for space around the pond. Favourite species the Figwort Sawfly. IDs on sheets at end of images.

 

Toft Garden Trees 1

After sessions at Paxton Pits identifying trees, I decided a catalogue of what is in my Toft (Cambridgeshire) garden would be a good plan. Hopefully this first batch are correct - note to self - label twigs as I remove from tree/bush as some are very difficult to distinguish.  We start with an oak kindly given to me as a birthday present about 20 years ago, now a fair-sized tree that needs the leader shoot cut back every year or two - host to a huge number of insects - thanks Tricia Kreyer

Lichens in Toft

Slowly building up a library of the lichens growing in our village. Here a few from our garden and Toft Wood - experimenting with backgrounds etc. Still to add genus/species names!!

My Garden Birds

The birds were very busy feeding in the garden this morning with flocks of Goldfinches and Greenfinches visiting the garden feeders and pairs of Long-tailed Tits, Blue Tits, Great Tits, and Blackbirds all looking as if they are pairing and starting to set up territories. All three of the Dove family - Rock Doves, Wood Pigeon and Collared Dove, pair of Dunnocks, Robin, Chaffinch, Song Thrush and Wren (too fast to photograph!).. Also visiting in recent weeks Tree Creeper,  Starling, House Sparrow, Jackdaw, Redwing, Fieldfare, Jay, Magpie and Pied Wagtail 

I came across my garden list for Jan - Feb  in 1968-71. It had all these except Collared Dove and Stock Dove and also included Bullfinch, Marsh Tit, Turtle Dove, Corn Bunting, Yellow Hammer (still in Hedgerows), Tree Sparrow - all declined or absence with a change in the arable farming techniques.

Icy Conditions and January Webs Count at Paxton Pits

The first two images are taken during our January Wetland Birds count at the back of Rudd  Lake and a view of Hayling Lake with frosted Water Soldier - these were the only two view points with any numbers of birds and then Gulls, Coots and Swans with no Ducks or Geese. The other images were taken on a later walk round looking at the iced vegetation and puddles. Final couple from the start of my car journey at 8am as the sun was rising on a hoar-frosted landscape along the Hardwick Road.