(Andrea spp maybe flavipes, Helophilus pendulus, Colletes cunicularius, Common Quaker, Pale Pinion, Black-tailed Godwit x3, Lapwing and Green Woodpecker)
April 1st seemed to pass by without too many typical 'ruses'. I'm guessing it's becoming harder to keep adding to the vast amount of untruths peddled on the internet although I was caught out by Batumi raptor counters new AI software for ID and counting!! I'm certain everyone is pretty exhausted at the world situation for the last few years.
March has been mixed weather wise although never that hot and recently only just above freezing. Little wonder that inbound migration has been so thin.
Still plenty of enthusiasm for Bempton's albatross, back for its third year and the long staying White-tailed Lapwing, now a little further south in Lincolnshire.
Sussex continued its winning streak with a one day Desert Whestear and a well watched Bonaparte's Gull, possibly still present as I write this. Hampshire has remained pretty much bird-free apart from MF's brief encounter with an Alpine Swift.
Best two birds for me were a nice ring tail Hen Harrier at Pulborough and, strangely better still, this female Green Woodpecker above, the first on local patch for a long time although I've heard them occasionally. The 60mm macro lens doesn't really do it justice!!
A nice catch-up with Jackie at Blashford saw pretty little bird life other than 3-4 kites and a few remaining Goosanders. The Andrena vaga colony seemed to be busy and there were a good number of Spring Colletes near the 'Beewolf clump' and a few moths above in the trap, the best being Oak Beauty (not shown here). The Colletes above was a singleton on the path at Titchfield. Speckled Wood was the best of the butterflies and the usual hovers were out and about although only a single Epistrophe eligans.
