Paxton March Survey - Meadow Trail

Yesterday was our first wildlife survey of the year at Paxton Pits. This is traditionally our 'Signs of Spring' session though we do try to record whatever plants, insects, birds etc that we see. Here is my selection on a very unspring-like day, starting with a most endearing Nettle Weevil which I thought was just a bit of detritus on a nettle leaf. Amazing number of insects etc found considering the air temperature only averaged 5 degrees though there were periods of sunshine that warmed the leaf surfaces. Tentative ID sheets at the end as usual.

Coot Territorial Disputes

The golden afternoon directional light gave some great colours to the water and spray yesterday afternoon at Paxton Pits as the Coots repeatedly argued about the position of their territory boundaries while the Bluetits fed on the Willow catkins above my head (where did the 2 hours go?!!)

What's Around on Meadow Trail

Not been able to identify all the species on a walk round Meadow trail at Paxton Pits in beautiful sunshine though chilly this morning. First attempts on the species sheet at end.

Bees etc Trumpington Meadows

Although cooler than previous couple of days, yesterday's sunshine did encourage quite a few mining bees to be on the wing and feeding on the dandelions at Trumpington Meadows. A lot of photos I haven't been able to identify but the Lasioglossum laevigatum along with Andrena flavipes and Andrena haemorrhoa were confirmed. Lots of Bee Flies and Eristalis pertinax hoverflies around.

CNHS Granchester Meadows

 The Cambridge Natural History Society surveyed the plants etc in Grantchester Meadows in 2006 and 2016 so this year is time to repeat the survey. We met on Sunday afternoon at the Cambridge end. The first two meadows are known as the Lamppost Meadows as each has a lamp-post at its centre from 1920-1940 when the meadows used to be flooded with water pumped from the Cam and used for skating. There is an attendant’s hut at the corner of the first field, where the fee of six pence for an evening’s skating was collected. It is managed in a traditional manner - once the meadow has dried out there may be a summer hay cut and it is grazed until the end of the year.  No fertilizer or herbicide has been used. The public path alongside these meadows emerges into open meadows stretching to Grantchester, owned by King’s College. The CNHS group were identifying and recording all the plants species including grasses and sedges while I concentrated on the invertebrates, lichens, galls etc. Here a few plus possible IDs sheet. I was intrigued by the spore cups of he nettle Rust, Puccinia urticata,