April Butterfly and Dragonfly Survey

 Today was our first Butterfly and Dragonfly survey of 2025 at Paxton but the cool weather meant sightings of the former were limited to a very few species and individuals though we did record a few Grizzled Skippers, along with Brown Argus, Orange tips etc. Only a handful of Damselflies mostly just emerged. There were a number of very curious (even ugly) bugs around including a Beetle - Platyrhinus resinosus Scarce Fungus Weevil which lives on the black knobbly fungus - Alfred cakes and a larva of a micromoth Coleophora pennella Bugloss case-bearer.

Paxton Wildlife Survey (Gully area)

I have now sorted my photos from the second wildlife survey of 2025 at Paxton on Saturday (I missed the first one of the season as not recovered sufficiently from my op then).  A car lift to and from the Gully area allowed me to concentrate efforts on recording the various insect life etc in the presently flooded Gully and on the edge of Gully Wood from Redlands side (each site gets surveyed every two years). The cold and dull conditions very much affected the wildlife but I did get a fair number of different species - flies, especially midges predominated and are difficult to ID from photos. These are the record sheets plus one rather dapper fly as the 'hero image'

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.

Paxton Stump Revisited

Another hour spent photographing the fungi and slime moulds etc growing on the large Willow stump at Paxton. Many of the Fenugreek Stalkballs have matured and are spreading spores while new fruiting bodies are appearing in other cracks. The yellow Actinia Slime moulds have also matured and burst open. The spiral basket structure is the seed of the Bur Clover Medicago polymorpha which cover the Redlands area of Paxton last year (though not identified as such) but was absent this. The info suggests it can be Annual or Biennial so will see what happens in 2025. The crusty growth I think is Steccherinum ochraceum Ochre spreading tooth but will have to keep an eye on this one. No IDs on the last two yet!

Paxton Miscellany

A mix of images from an enjoyable day at Paxton looking for fungi (Mycena species and Winter Stalkball) in the morning and walk with friends looking at birds etc in the afternoon 

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Fiery Sunset at Paxton Pits after a Rainy Day

After a very wet morning and early afternoon, the clouds cleared to give a fiery sunset over Heronry Lake at Paxton. 

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