SC (7th) and local 7th/8th

 

(Cantharis rustica x2, Swollen-thighed Beetle, Athalia spp, Macrophya spp possibly annulata, Rhopalus subrufus, Helina impuncta, Neoascia spp, Tachina fera/magnicornis, Andrena fulva, Wolf Spider spp Pardosa,  Honeybee swarm).

After some voting 'faff' - I'd forgotten I was still registered for postal voting - some weed pulling at home had the background soundtrack of invisible Swifts overhead and singing Goldcrest and Blackcap from nearby gardens.

At SC very busy with school party and a funeral plus other guests. Little on offer today with just singing Firecrest and a Small Copper which wouldn't settle for a photo. Hopefully, the heavily cut vegetation will recover soon and be full of insects in the next few months.

At home the usual local walk on both days saw a dozen or more Holly Blues but not much supporting cast.

Presumably the local Whitethroat had moved down the hedge line and was singing close to the pond. Pleasingly, today saw the first singing Reed Warbler of the spring on site, albeit well hunkered down. The Cantharis above and a Blue-tailed Damselfly were new-for-year.

A new month..

A local singing Willow Warbler was nice to hear but I'm sure it won't stay long and, as yet, no Reed Warblers on the pond. One calling Swallow and a couple of calling Med Gulls overhead and the swans have seven cygnets.

EDIT The swans lost all seven within two days; presumably rats/foxes

Plenty of Nephrotoma appendiculata including this mating pair and a couple of sawflies below, Arge cyanocrocea and a Macrophya spp (ribis?).

Previous day saw little at SHP where the Lasioglossums by the footpath are now replaced with these cleptoparasitic Sphecodes spp.

SHP again

 

(Lassioglossum spp, Dock Bug, Diphyus quadripunctorius, Xanthogramma citrofasciatum)

A song-flighting Whitethroat and a pair of Stonechats adjacent to the carpark were unexpected.

Back home a couple of Sphecodes blood bees were on the Ceanothus.

HillChi and local

First coffee outside in the sun this year with M and plenty of birdsong from the usual suspects (Robin, Wren, Dunnock, Chaffinch, Chiffchaff, Blackcap and Skylark). Four crow species, Buzzard, Swallow, Herring and Med Gull, Linnet and Goldfinch were flyovers.

Whilst waiting at the inevitable roadwork traffic lights a Goldcrest was heard from adjacent gardens.

Back at base it was nice to hear Whitethroat along 'butterfly alley' for the first time this year and a single Cettis.

Whilst warm, the breeze from the south-east was still making it hard to find inverts.

So below, my first Osmia bicornis and Nettle-tap Moth of the year with this tumbling flower Beetle Anaspis spp 'photobombing' the moth. I didn't notice it until downloading the pictures.

Post shopping and local only

The strong and cold north-easterly meant that the early morning temperature was in single figures.

The wind ensured little or no insect life in a twenty minutes walk and, unsurprisingly, no butterflies. 

Although yesterday saw my first Large Red Damselflies of the year it was nice to see a local individual as they are few and far between most years and never seem to be around the ponds and are typically, like this individual, perched up on the sunny side of Squirrel Wood's scrub.

Bees were Buff-tailed, Honey, Common Carder, Hairy-footed, Yellow-legged and Grey-patched Mining (below) and a couple of Nomadas which were worn and hunkered down,  so just tri-coloured species.

Even the normally combative Myathropa florea, were happy to shelter on sunny leaves.

This male Xanthandrus comtus was best-of-the-bunch and recorded on FB.

A few craneflies included this Nephrotoma (appendiculata?)

Titchfield - some new for years

Started with a coffee in the cafe in one of the window seats. The first time it's been quiet enough here to warrant taking a seat. And very nice too! A long chat with with the cafe manager.

First new species was Large Red Damselfly with several individuals.

And later, Reed Warblers but all heard onlys.

A couple of Marsh Harriers, Red Kites and Buzzards were scrutinised after reports of Black Kite just further west at Hook - but no joy.

Two Swifts flew over east bound but TH had a dozen or so earlier and a dozen or so hirundines were either Swallows or too far to identify, so House Martin is still not on my year list yet.

On the way back two Baccha elongata were typically impossible to photograph and were within a few yards of where I usually see them.

No terns offshore.

The Lesser Whitethroat was still very vocal and sat up quite nicely unlike last visit and a Fox walked down the path towards me before deciding to skedaddle.

Sitting in the middle hide eight noisy Greenshanks dropped in to the far end of north Scrape.

And finally, today was the first day for lots of St Mark's Fly (Bibio marci) despite a chilly breeze.

Another SHP visit

A couple of Sandwich Terns over the road en route.

Nothing too different today. 

Below Noon Fly, Fannia spp presumably lustrator, some Bugle (Adjuga), Nomada on Cuckooflower, Nursery Web Spider, Beefly and Melanostoma scalare (probably), Anthomyiid possibly Hylemya vagans

Plenty of pesky, worn Andrenas and Nomadas.