Bradgate Birds etc

Final few from the Bradgate trip - mainly birds that I enjoyed for various reasons - the Jackdaws intent on removing ticks etc from very patient Fallow deer, pictorial views of Peacock and Pheasant, water-level views of Swans etc.

Life in an Ancient Wood

I eventually found time to walk up to my local woodland at Hardwick - a bit more strenuous than previous seasons as the field verges have not been cut which is very good for the wildlife but makes heavier going for walking. I was rewarded with sunny lit glades full of butterflies enjoying this year's abundant bramble flowers!! Not a lot of Silver-washed Fritillaries about but getting late in the season. Also Ringlet, Comma, Green-veined White, Peacock, Red Admiral, Meadow Brown, Red Admiral, Small Skipper (also seen Large and Small Whites). Dragonflies flies - Southern Hawker and Common Darter, and Band-Eyed Brown Horsefly.

Bradfield Wood - Fritillaries and White Admirals

Bradfield Woods, Suffolk, has a very abundant population of Silver-washed Fritillaries along with White Admirals and Purple Emperors. We were not lucky enough to find the Emperors but the SWFritillaries were wonderful in the hot bright sunshine whether alone or interacting with other butterflies or insects. I was intrigued by the silhouettes that they cast through the leaves. 

The White admirals have very ornate underwings and simple upper wings. Image 7 shows that the scales that give the white colour are translucent letting the light through in the shadows.

Paxton Pits RPS Field Trip

 On Saturday, we had our second Field trip of 2021 for the RPS Nature Group, a general natural history day at Paxton Pits. We saw a wide variety of birds and insects on a warm very bright sunny day. It was not the best conditions to get photos but certainly made the whole day very enjoyable. The Willow Warblers were singing very prominently from many perches along with Blackcaps. The bees are mining bees Andrena nitida and Andrena nigroaenea with a Blood bee (Sphecodes) that is a parasite of bees laying its egg in their brood chambers

Winter and Spring in the Same Week

Sunday (4th) was a lovely sunny day but, on Monday, we had a heavy snowstorm (the Robin must have felt at home). on our walk in Toft, we found both summer visitors like the Chiffchaff (might have overwintered) and flocks of winter visiting Fieldfares. The blackthorn is fully out with lots of insects. Green Woodpecker, Tree Creeper and many rabbits completed the list.