Went out of the square today looking for Sand Martin on the river. No, I didn't see any. A nice walk however with an 8 mile round trip and 45 species of bird seen, including 7 Common Buzzard, with 5 in the air together over Chester Moor, 5 singing Chiffchaff and 4 Oyster-catcher.
I did however manage to get 4 more for the square with a Queen Tree Bumblebee feeding on the crocuses in the garden before I left, and on the orbital road Wood Burdock and Teasel both beginning to show their new leaves. Leaving the best till last, also here I had a single Orange Underwing moth over the birches. This moth flies in sunny weather over the tops of birch trees in early spring, and like Purple Hairstreak butterflies, usually best seen through binoculars, like this one. Though I see it nearly every year this is my earliest ever record of this day-flying moth.
188. Arctium nemorosum (Wood Burdock)
189. Dipsacus fullonum (Wild Teasel)
190. Bombus hypnorum (Tree Bumblebee)
191. Archiearis parthenias (Orange Underwing)
Didn't do too well in 2017 in keeping the blog up to date did I?, so must try harder.
gr8 to see this blog back - although I tend to feel rather inadequate having read it.
ReplyDeleteThanks for that Steve but I reckon I'm just a Jack of all Trades, Master of none. Unlike yourself who must be classed as a Master Jack (Snipe) and other bird tracker :-)
ReplyDelete