As I had a day off today I thought I would try for a walk from Chambers Wall to Shuart. It was beautifully sunny but with an increasing east north easterly wind. Luckily the wind never increased beyond a little breezy although it was fairly cool. A couple of Yellow Wagtail were alongside the road and Skylarks were singing away. A Common Buzzard was circling high above. I was hoping for some Damselflies today and I was pleased when I came across an Azure Damselfly as it boded well. I saw a couple of Holly Blue Butterflies and a Large White Butterfly but they were very active and did not settle where I could see them for a photo.
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| Azure Damselfly |
A male Blackcap was singing away and I stood for a while just listening and enjoying the beauty of its song.
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| male Blackcap |
I was surrounded by bird song as I walked down the track with Blackcap, Wren, Chaffinch, Goldfinch, Whitethroat, Sedge and Reed Warblers all singing away and a Cuckoo repeatedly cuckooing. Blue Tit and Great Tit were active and 5 Swallow's were hawking for insects over the fields. I came across a Squash Bug that looked different to the other ones that I have seen. It had a narrower abdomen and very pointed shoulders and I think, from looking it up, that it is a Box Bug Gonocerus acuteangulatus.
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| Box Bug Gonocerus acuteangulatus |
In a sheltered area from the wind I came across several Damselflies and enjoyed looking though them. Azure appeared to be the most common. I saw a smart male Variable and he allowed some good views. The thoracic stripes were very broken in this male and the thick black wine goblet on S2 and the bar between the eye spots showed very well.
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| male Variable Damselfly |
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| male Variable Damselfly |
I also saw a male and female Red-eyed Damselfly.
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| female Red-eyed Damselfly |
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| male Red-eyed Damselfly |
In the same area there was also another couple of Variable Damselfly, both of these being female blue forms.
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| female blue form Variable Damselfly |
It was lovely walking down the path. It seemed that, in every sheltered area in the sunshine, there were good numbers of damselflies. It is the first time this year that I have seen so many together at the same time. It was great to be able to have a slow wander along, just admiring all that I saw. I had an insect I did not recognise but, from looking it up, I think that it is a Dance Fly - Empis tessellata. I also had a couple of Common Blue Damselflies, neither of which wanted their photo taken and a couple of Blue-tailed Damselflies, one of which was slightly more obliging.
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| Dance Fly - ? Empis tessellata |
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| Blue-tailed Damselfly |
I finished off the walk down to the embankment with another male Variable Damselfly and a male Red-eyed Damselfly.
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| male Variable Damselfly |
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| male Red-eyed Damselfly |
On the embankment I came across a very smart looking beetle which I think is a Common Malachite - Malachius bipustulatus. For the length of the embankment the air was so full of song from Whitethroat, Sedge and Reed Warblers that I decided to just enjoy listening to them rather than worry about counting them, while looking out for insects, as any count was likely to be inaccurate anyway as I kept getting distracted by what I was seeing.
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| Common Malachite - Malachius bipustulatus |
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| Common Malachite - Malachius bipustulatus |
A Sparrowhawk passed overhead causing a Yellow Wagtail to shoot across, alarm calling like mad. I saw a dragonfly whizz past, which looked like a male Hairy but unfortunately it disappeared from sight. However a little further along I saw another dragonfly that appeared to go down a little way ahead. Once I reached the spot I searched for it but without any success when suddenly it flew in and settled in front of me allowing some really lovely views. I was well chuffed to see it.
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| female Hairy Dragonfly |
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| female Hairy Dragonfly |
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| female Hairy Dragonfly |
I was pleased when I saw my first Small Heath of the year and ended up seeing 5 during my visit.
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| Small Heath Butterfly |
I heard several Reed Bunting singing and a Grey Heron gave a flypast. I caught sight of something and saw a beautiful Latticed Heath Moth - Chiasmia clathrata. It looked stunning in the sunshine.
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| Latticed Heath Moth - Chiasmia clathrata |
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| Latticed Heath Moth - Chiasmia clathrata |
The embankment was fairly quiet for damselflies and I only saw a few Azure dotted here and there. Some Holly Blue butterflies were active and one allowed a photo.
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| male Azure Damselfly |
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| Holly Blue Butterfly |
As I passed one of the dykes I could see a male Tufted Duck tucked in fast asleep whilst there were a couple of Lapwing and a Hare in one of the fields. A Cetti's Warbler exploded into song almost next to me but I couldn't manage to see it at all. A male Hairy Dragonfly was much more obliging and flew in and settled in front of me. It only paused briefly before setting off again but long enough to enable me to grab a shot so I was very lucky.
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| male Hairy Dragonfly |
I came across a couple of things that I am not sure what they are at the moment and will update if I get any further forward with them. I saw something that appeared to be almost fluorescent orange on a Wild Rose. It looks more yellow orange in the photo than it did in real life. I thought it must be some kind of gall and the only one that I have been able to find that it might be is Orange Rose Rust but I am really not sure. I also saw a moth that I have not been able to identify either. It was very worn but I have not been able to find anything that looks like it.
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| ? Orange Rose Rust |
I saw a Dance Fly again but this time it was mating while the female was eating what the male had caught for her. The male was supporting his, the females and the preys weight holding onto a branch with just two legs. Apparently the female will not mate with the male unless he brings her something to eat and she has to approve of the gift before she will allow him to mate. I love being able to take macro photos as it enables me to see things that I might not be able to with my naked eye otherwise.
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| Dance Flies mating and prey - Dance Fly - ? Empis tessellata's |
The patch of water in the field is drying out and was quite a lot smaller today. There was a Lapwing and a Yellow Wagtail at the waters edge but otherwise it was quiet. Sanfoin was in flower and what I think was a Large Red-tailed Bumble Bee - Bombus lapidarius seemed to favour it as it moved from flower to flower.
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| Sanfoin |
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| Large Red-tailed Bumble Bee - Bombus lapidarius |
I saw a beetle I have been unable to identify at the moment and a Spotted Cranefly showed just how strikingly marked they are.
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| Spotted Cranefly |
A smart Orange Tip Butterfly also paid a visit to the Sanfoin and another Cuckoo flew past.
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| Orange Tip Butterfly |
At Shuart there were good numbers of Azure Damselfly and I also saw a Blue-tailed and Common Damselfly. I did not see any Red-eyed Damselflies but I did see several Variable Damselflies. Marsh Frogs were singing away. I saw 1 Hairy Dragonfly as it shot past me.
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| Variable Damselfly |
I disturbed 2 Common Lizards, that I had not seen, from the path which scurried across as I approached. I caught sight of a caterpillar and I thought that I had a different type but when I looked closely it appeared to be a particularly bright Drinker Moth Caterpillar. Perhaps the younger they are, the brighter they are. 2 Mute Swan were down one of the dykes.
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| Drinker Moth Caterpillar |
While watching some Azure Damselflies I had a striking beetle crawl into view. I looked it up when I got home and I think that it is a Tortoise Beetle - Cassida vibex.
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| Tortoise Beetle - Cassida vibex |
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| Tortoise Beetle - Cassida vibex |
I finished off the visit watching a Mistle Thrush family. I only saw one adult but there could easily have been another one and I saw 2 youngsters. The youngsters were beautifully marked. They made a lovely end to the visit.
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| young Mistle Thrush |
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| young Mistle Thrush |
Birds seen this visit include: 5 Yellow Wagtail, Skylarks, 3 Common Buzzard, Whitethroats, 4 Blue Tits, 2 Great Tit, 3 Wren, 3 Blackcap, Wood Pigeons, 9 Chaffinch, Reed Warblers, Sedge Warblers, 5 Mute Swan, 6 Goldfinches, 3 Cuckcoo, 2 Stock Dove, 2 Corn Bunting, 13 Swallow, 6 Magpie, Herring Gulls, 3 Cetti's Warbler, Carrion Crows, 5 Reed Bunting, 5 Linnet, Cormorants, 2 Dunnock, Grey Heron, 1 Tufted Duck, 3 Lapwing, 3 Lesser Whitethroat, 5 Mallard, 1 Long-tailed Tit, 1 Pied Wagtail, 4 House Sparrow, 2 Chiffchaff,
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