Narroways

Lots happening on our local nature reserve today, including a singing Willow Warbler - my first of the year - 4 Chiffchaffs, 5 singing Blackcaps, a total of 9 Jays including a party of 5 together and another carrying nesting material and a calling Bullfinch.

Butterflies included an Orange-tip, 4 Speckled Woods, a Small White and a Comma. Other invertebrates were good too, with a Bee Fly Bombylius major, a 7-spot Ladybird and a Yellow Legged Mining Bee Andrena flavipes.

Speckled Wood

Comma

There were some Common Dog Violet flowers in bloom - the first I've seen on Narroways.

Back in Montpelier, there were two more Andrena species seen - an Ashy Mining Bee (Andrena cineraria) at Fairlawn Road and  Andrena clarkella - my first ever - at the community garden at the top of St Andrews Road. A Brimstone butterfly was seen briefly near Hurlingham Road and 2 Orange-tips were at the station.

Ashy Mining Bee Andrena cineraria

Andrena clarkella