Heath Pond

A couple of hours shopping in Chi; no sight/sound of Peregrines.

At Heath Pond still a couple of hundred mixed Sand and House Martin but only one Swift; just one Grebe and Heron and a few Reed Warblers. When it warmed up still Small Coppers, Common Blues, Essex and Small Skippers, Red Admirals, Marbled White etc plus a male Volucella inanis, V.pellucens and a few common species. No sign of any Bee Wolf activity but male Crabro cribarius, a digger wasp,  was new for me. Plenty of Noon Flies (Mesembrina meridionalis) were the first I've seen for quite a while - particularly noticeable and presumably just out - not a species which is hard to miss. And a few black Arge species of sawfly.

Median Wasp

Crabro cribarius

Eriothrix rufomaculata

Gymnosoma rotundatum

Myathropa florea

Volucella inanis

Quick park loop

Too hot and sweaty for much effort today with slightly lower numbers of insects in the heat of midday compared to last Friday. Generally less of everything although several male Brimstones which looked very new, loads of Eristalis in one area  which weren't there last week (those examined being pertinax) and a single Meliscaeva cinctella within a few feet (!!) of last year's individual (photo below).

Birdwise just too hot for anything; one singing Blackcap and a distant singing Yellowhammer and a Buzzard by junction 2.

First breeding Marsh Harriers

Not that it needed confirming having watched the two new fresh juveniles a few weeks back, but good to hear that Barry has been watching them all season and it was just the two - one on show today - a first for the reserve. And still five noisy Kestrels in front of Meadow Hide plus a couple of juvenile Cettis just outside the windows. Pretty much insectless barring a few hawkers, one Emperor male, one Banded Demoiselle male, several Black-tailed Skimmers and pretty much nil diptera. Marbled White was the pick of butterflies. An invisible but audible Water Vole was munching away outside the hide.

On the west side just two Avocets, 35 Black-tailed Godwits and a couple of juvenile Med Gulls. Three Common Sandpipers and a small but noticeable westerly movement of Swallows were the only indication of migration.

Oh deer

A very 'polished' looking Roe Deer was happliy munching away on roadside vegetation between junctions 2 and 3 on the way home. Lets hope it's smart enough to avoid trying to cross the road!!

Around the pond a surprise in the form of a Tufted Duck female with one small chick whose survival chances are pretty much nil; presumably the rest of the brood were swallowed up almost immediately, and a couple of Cormorants (one feeding, one drying out). One alarm-calling Swallow high overhead and a couple of Swifts. Still three or four female V.zonaria nectaring on Hemp Agrimony alongside several Myathropa florea, fresh Red Admiral, Comma, Speckled Woods and Holly Blue.

Pre-breakfast circuit

Too cool and totally overcast for any insects although a glimpse in the same area as 10 days ago of probably two Beewolf. No hovers other than Marmalade Fly and a single Chrysogaster solstitialis and only a few skippers and Common Blue to augment Meadow Brown and Gatekeeper.

The constant sound of House Martins is such a simple pleasure for a townie and two hundred or so Sand Martins with 50 or more Swifts low over the water were very watchable. A couple of Med Gulls, and adult and a 2cy, drifted over southwards, a single Grey Heron and later a moulty Buzzard over The Causeway.

Hoverflies, nil and many

A mixed bag today with little birdwise at Blashford other than a single distant Hobby, one Black'wit and plenty of Tern activity. Reserve was very quiet with only a couple of cars. Just this single Beewolf in the usual spot and ONLY ONE hover, the Volucella zonaria above plus the mating Small Coppers and day-flying (Lesser?) Treble-bar moth.

Getting back early I popped into the park for a cuppa followed by the usual circuit. A flash of blue wings over the pond was surely a Swallow but turned into a day-hunting bat showing at point blank range and with bright sunshine turning the wing membranes blue against the brown body. No idea of spp but it felt maybe a little too large for a Pip - was actively either taking insects from the pond surface or drinking, not sure which - either way a real delight.

Thousands of hovers, mostly common stuff, augmented by Leucozona laternaria and glaucia, Scaeva pyrastri and Myathropa florea.

Three Phasia hemiptera also on umbellifer plus new tachinid Hemyda vittata (above).

Lots of butterflies including Silver-washed Fritillaries, Chalkhill Blues and Marbled Whites; all the skippers seemed to be Small.

On the bird front just a tatty overflying Red Kite.

Thinner than hoped for

Not as much in the trap as hoped  for with Nut Tree Tussock, Rosy Footman and Black Arches NfY plus the usual stuff and a couple of dopey wasps.
A Bullfinch was calling nearby and, at last, I caught sight of a Coal Tit after 21 months of hearing them in the distance, unsurprisingly flying in and out of the only conifer nearby.

Later, family of four Kestrels and single juvenile Marsh Harrier, four Cettis but precious little else.