Montpelier Park!

Little to report this morning apart from a couple of female Chaffinches (the first for quite a while - they seem to be autumn/winter visitors to the patch these days), a couple of Long-tailed Tits, a Blue Tit, 2 Robins, a singing Wren, a Blackbird and a few Magpies.

St Andrews Park!

Not too much to report on a sunny but cold morning - just a Jay flying across the park, a Wren calling, a couple of Blue Tits and a Blackbird. Near the pond 2 or 3 Marmalade Hoverflies were basking.

Spiders!

While at the station this morning waiting for my (delayed) train I thought I'd better check for spiders along the wall. I only had my phone camera so snapped a House Spider and a Garden Spider. The latter behaved very oddly, playing 'dead' when I prodded her then descending quickly on the end of a silk thread.

House Spider

Garden Spider

Sparrowhawk!

A Sparrowhawk flew high but purposefully over Montpelier Station this morning. Nearby a Marmalade Hoverfly was feeding on the Ivy.

Out and About!

This morning I had a look around the park - the early sunshine produced a Syrphus hoverfly and a couple of Harlequin Ladybirds. Nearby at the station approach there were a couple of Ivy Bees, several Eristalis tenax hoverflies, a Green Shieldbug and another Syrphus hoverfly.

Syrphus

Harlequins

Eristalis tenax

Ivy Bee

Green Shieldbug

This evening on the way home there were about 20 Starlings on the church at Portland Square, though flighty.

Starlings

Heron!

A Grey Heron flapped low over the station this morning heading in the direction of the arches. I think it's the first I've seen on the patch this year and always a slightly bizarre sight! Also at the station some Michaelmas Daisies still in flower on the tracks and several Zygiella x-notata spiders along the wall.