Day 1
Maybe not the most wildlife full of days to kick off with so, invisible singing Reed Warblers, Sedge Warbler and Firecrest in a 20 minute stop at WWT, where a Grey Wagtail was teetering along the water's edge. A little later at the Rabbit, over breakfast with family, another singing Firecrest plus Wren, Reed Bunting and several overhead Buzzards.
Stopping at Stansted for lunch produced yet another Firecrest and the day wound up with Sphaerophoria spp and Syritta pipiens in the garden plus a leafcutter bee, a possible Anthophora quadrimaculata, an Osmia spp (possibly leaiana, below) and the odd bumblebee.
Day 2
Started with a moth trap with typically thin pickings, 23 moths of ten species with L-album Wainscot (below) the best and Green Carpet (below) the best camouflaged on some painted board panelling.
A little later at Titchfield it was nice to be invited to go through their trap by DW although AR had already been through it. Nothing special but all different to my catch barring Heart and Dart. Some Straw Dots were kicked up on the reserve and Abalonia geoffrella was sat on a leaf.
The now-flowering Hemlock Water Dropwort was attracting some insects but mostly Honeybees. Interestingly, Tropidia scita was the only hover taking advantage of Yellow Iris alongside the usual five Bumblebee species. Amongst 21 hover spp today Volucella pellucens, Riponennsia splendens and Anasimyia lineata were new for the year with the latter in pretty much the same few square metres as most years!!
Birdwise, good to see the harbour Shelducklings surviving.
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| Crab Spider with lunch |
