Fox News!

Once again I was foiled by the Fox at the station this morning - it is a skittish animal and disappears at the slightest movement or approach. One day I will capture a nice portrait....


Fox

Nearby a juvenile Blackbird was calling for food and the parent was heard nearby.

Blackbird

On the wall was a Harlequin Ladybird larva and the web of a Laceweb Spider Amaurobius.

Harlequin

Moths!

Woeful results with the trap again last night -
Silver Y 1
Mint Moth 1
Marbled Beauty 2
Light Brown Apple Moth 1
Brimstone Moth 1
Double-striped Pug 1

Harlequin Ladybird 2

Brimstone

Harlequin

Light Brown Apple Moth

Marbled Beauty

Mint Moth

Double-striped Pug

Silver Y

Wren!

There was a Wren sunning itself at Montpelier Station this morning. Sunning is a recognised behaviour in birds and there are many theories as to why they do it. Is it thermo-regulation? Is it absorption of solar energy? Is it ectoparasite control? The Wren is exposing its preen gland at the base of its tail which supports the theory that it might be converting compounds in its preen oil into Vitamin D. Anyway, I have only witnessed this behaviour in larger birds like Blackbirds and crows.

Spitting Spider!

My first ever Spitting Spider was wandering around the bathroom this morning! Always wanted to see one. They 'spit' glue and poison at their prey - luckily I wasn't in the firing line!

A 'Blue' butterfly was flying along the railway track at the station this morning but it didn't settle so I couldn't ID it as either Holly or Common Blue.

Swifts, Sparrowhawks, Foxes and er.....Carrots!

A Sparrowhawk was drifting high over the station this morning along with one or two Swifts. The little Fox who favours the tunnel area was present again this morning but surprisingly camera-shy. Enchanter's Nightshade flowers are appearing under the trees. As my train stopped at Narroways I admired a large patch of Wild Carrot - another plant we don't get much of at Montpelier.

 

Enchanter's Nightshade

Wild Carrot

Butterflies have been thin on the ground at the station in recent days - a Small White was there today and a Large White yesterday.

Large White

Blackbird!

I saw this very poorly-looking juvenile Blackbird today near the station. It didn't move when people passed within half a metre of it and it won't survive long I'm sure. Insect and earthworm food is very hard to come by in such hot, dry conditions.

At the station there was the empty pupal case of a ladybird - probably a Harlequin.

Moths!

Another rather disappointing haul this morning:
Mint Moth 1
Dark Arches 1
Silver Y 2
Rustic/Uncertain 2
Coronet 1
and a couple of micros - one of the Ermines and a Bee Moth which feeds on the comb in wasp and bee nests.

Also a Harlequin Ladybird in the trap.

Harlequin

Silver Y



Bee Moth

Coronet

Dark Arches

Mint Moth

Ermine sp.

St Andrews Park!

A tour around the meadow area and pond produced lots of Azure Damselflies, a Ringlet and several Small White butterflies, a Cluster Fly, a Leaf-cutter Bee, lots of Honey Bees and a Tree Bumblebee. A couple of Coal Tits were singing nearby.

Cluster Fly

Ringlet

Small White

Azure Damselfly

Leaf-cutter Bee

Moths!

The trap produced the following:
Swallow-tail 1
Garden Carpet 1
Bright-line Brown-eye 1
Purple Thorn 1 - new species!
Silver Y 1
Coronet 1
Riband Wave 1
Double-striped Pug 1

Cooronet

Garden Carpet

Silver Y

Deraeocoris flavilinea

Bright-line Brown-eye

Swallow-tail

Purple Thorn

Double-striped Pug

Riband Wave

There was also a bug in the trap - turns out it is a plant bug called Deraeocoris flavilinia which only arrived in the UK in 1996 but is now common.

Later I saw a huge queen Tree Bumblebee in the flat.

Tree Bumblebee

Hornet Hoverfly!

My first Hornet Hoverfly Volucella zonaria of the year was sat on the wall near the tunnel this morning. On the opposite platform were a few Small White butterflies, a Large White and a probable Meadow Brown. A Blackcap was calling from the trees. As my train stopped at Narroways I was able to admire the Rosebay Willowherb along the track.

Volucella zonaria

Small White

Rosebay Willowherb

This afternoon in Portland Square a rather worn Ringlet butterfly was sat on a step. It must have come from St Pauls Park I think.

Ringlet