More birds

Closer to home, the garden has been taken over by blackbirds with fledglings; it’s proved hard to get photos, as the adults chase the juveniles under cover at any sign of danger, but I did manage to capture this chick waiting for a parent to return with food

In search of butterflies

After the wettest April on record, May hasn’t been a lot better until this weekend, and there don’t seem to be as many butterflies around as usual. In a couple of hours round and about I saw a few small/large whites and a speckled wood or two, but not much else. At Butts Piece there was a single Orange-tip and a Holly Blue
It’s not all bad news, though: fledgling starlings are everywhere (especially good as their numbers are in steep decline nationally) and house sparrows seem to be doing well too Swallows are nesting in farm buildings and this pied wagtail probably has nestlings to feed There are chiffchaffs and it looks like a good year for rabbits.

Little things…

Not a lot of bug life around in this wet weather, but I found a couple of leafhoppers: Eupteryx florida (common on deadnettle) and this, which might be Zyginella pulchra (if it is, why is it on birch instead of its usual maple?) Meanwhile may as well practise on ants

Ready for the bug season

Some bugs are nocturnal, and I’d hate to miss them, so I’ve transferred the old headlamp to the new camera: It seems to work, but after a heavy shower there don’t seem to be a lot of bugs to test it on – luckily this snail didn’t mind being used as a model

More Spring activity

As we move into Spring, ladybirds are already tackling aphids

The common bee-fly, Bombylius major, is looking for solitary bee nests where it lays its eggs

This nursery-web spider is looking for a meal

and Red Kites are around (as usual, but they make great photos)

Pollinators

Between the showers, today’s April sunshine brought some early pollinators out of hiding:

Scarlet tigers

Last week there were quite a few Scarlet Tiger Moth caterpillars at Butts Piece. Today I found one; perhaps last night’s frost killed the earliest of them, or perhaps they went to ground and will emerge when it gets warmer – I’ll keep an eye on them.