Winter bloomers!

At Bath Buildings there were a couple of plants still in flower, Herb Robert and Ivy-leaved Toadflax. There was quite a bit of Rusty-backed Fern on the wall too - we seem to have lots of this attractive fern in Monty. 

Herb Robert

Ivy-leaved Toadflax

Rusty-backed Fern

 

A Grey Squirrel was commandeering my neighbour's feeders this morning.

Spiders!

I have 2 Missing-sector Orbweb Spiders Zygiella x-notata in my flat, one in the bathroom and this one in the kitchen. The latter is expanding her web with lines of silk radiating from the window onto various items on my kitchen worktop.

Montpelier Park!

Lots of common bird activity in the park this morning, with a party of Blue and Great Tits feeding in the trees, a Jay, half a dozen Chaffinches including a nice male bird, a Blackbird, 2 singing Wrens plus the resident Woodpigeons and Magpies. A couple of Grey Squirrels were searching for food and there was lots of White Deadnettle in flower. 

Jay

Grey Squirrel

Blue Tit

Chaffinch

White Deadnettle

Woodpigeon

Montpelier Park and Station!

There was very little to see in the park other than a Jay, a Blue Tit, some Magpies and a Blackbird. Montpelier Station wasn't much better with just a female Blackbird and some House Sparrows of note.

Blackbird

 

House Sparrow

I had a surprise last night - there was a Flea Beetle on my pillow! It was most likely to be a Cabbage Stem Flea Beetle which are still around at this time of year. I think I must have accidentally brought it in from outside!

False Widow!

I was puzzled by a spider in the kitchen this evening - it didn't seem to have any pale pattern on its abdomen so I wondered if it was something new, but the experts on Facebook have confirmed it as a False Widow (Steatoda grossa or Cupboard Spider). I've encountered a closely related specues in the kitchen before quite recently. This one is lacking a leg but otherwise seems OK.

Montpelier Station!

A  pair of Ravens flew high over the station this morning, calling.  Not much else of note apart from a calling Wren, a Blue Tit and Great Tit and a House Spider on the wall towards the tunnel.

St Andrews Park!

A very gloomy and overcast afternoon produced few birds of note although 2 Goldcrests were very obliging and gave prolonged views. Also about a dozen Goldfinches, several Woodpigeons and Magpies and a Great Tit were noted.

Goldcrest

Great Tit

 

Cellar Spider!

A Cellar Spider (sometimes also called a Daddy Longlegs) appeared in my kitchen this evening. These odd-looking animals actually kill big house spiders so that may be why I don't seem to have any of the latter in my flat at the moment!

Montpelier Park Again!

A stroll around the park this morning produced a couple of Robins, 2 or 3 Blue Tits, 3 Blackbirds, some Goldfinches, 3 Carrion Crows and a singing Wren. There were at least 2 Grey Squirrels busily feeding.

Montpelier Park!

A nice bit of bird action in the park this morning, with a Robin, a singing Wren, a Dunnock, a few Magpies and Woodpigeons and a party of Great, Blue and Long-tailed Tits feeding in the trees. Several Harlequin Ladybirds were basking in the early sunshine.

Harlequin Ladybird



Long-tailed Tit

Montpelier Park!

It was rather quiet in the park this morning but I was pleased to see a couple of female Chaffinches feeding in the trees. Chaffinches are now mainly winter visitors to the patch, their spring songs have sadly fallen silent in recent years. A brief bit of song from a Coal Tit, a couple of Magpies and a singing Robin were  the only other birds of note. At the station there was a brief glimpse of a Blue Tit, some calling Goldfinches and a flyover Chaffinch were notable.

Chaffinch

St Andrews Park!

A beautiful sunny morning but surprisingly few birds today - a Jay, a fly-over Jackdaw, a few Robins and Blackbirds, a flyover Pied Wagtail, a couple of Carrion Crows, a few Goldfinches and a Long-tailed Tit.

Carrion Crow and lunch

Insects attracted to some Ivy flowers included Syrphus and Eristalis tenax hoverflies, several Common Wasps, a Green Shieldbug and a Twin-spot Centurion soldierfly.

Syrphus

Green Shieldbug

Eristalis tenax

Twin-spot Centurion

In Montpelier another Twin-spot Centurion and a couple of Harlequin Ladybirds were on the Ivy at the station footbridge.

Harlequin Ladybird

Montpelier Station!

There was a bit of sunshine this morning and the Ivy bush near the footbridge was alive with Common Wasps and at least one Syrphus hoverfly. I was surprised to find a Hawthorn Shieldbug along the wall with a tiny (juvenile?) Woodlouse nearby.

Syrphus hoverfly

Hawthorn Shieldbug

On the way home from work this afternoon a tiny bug landed on me in Picton Street - I think it might be a Deraeocoris sp.

Chiffchaffs and Clothes Moths!

At last there was a bit more bird action at the station this morning. A Chiffchaff was calling (no doubt working its way south for the winter), a party of Blue and Great Tits were feeding in the trees and a Jay flew across the railway tracks. Less welcome was a Common Clothes Moth in the flat this evening - I'd better check for an infestation!

Montpelier Park!

Not much in the way of birds this morning but there were a few insects including a Cluster Fly, a Syrphus hoverfly, a Harlequin Ladybird and a Green Shieldbug.

Green Shieldbug

Harlequin Ladybird



Cluster Fly

Syrphus

Nearby at the station there were still one or two Ivy Bees, an Eristalis pertinax hoverfly and lots of Common Wasps on the ivy. A Raven flew over, calling.

Ivy Bee

Eristalis pertinax

Lace-web Spider!

This morning at the station I noticed a very small but chunky spider running along the wall. I took a photo but I was mystified as to what it was. I posted it on one of the Facebook spider groups and it has been identified as a Lace-web Spider Amaurobius similis. I've never spotted one before but I have seen their webs which are very common in walls around Montpelier especially in the park and station areas. Also, a Jay flew into the trees on the disused platform.

Montpelier Park!

There were no less than 8 Woodpigeons on the children's play area this morning and 4 Magpies were in a tree together. A Coal Tit was singing from the pine tree.

The ivy near the station was again alive with bees and hoverflies (including at least one Hornet Hoverfly) plus lots of Common Wasps, Eristalis hoverflies and Ivy Bees. A Great Spotted Woodpecker was calling sadly remained hidden.

Hornet Hoverfly

Distant butterflies!

This morning at the station there were at least 3 Speckled Wood butterflies and a Large White butterfly, but of course they were the other side of the tracks and photographing them was a challenge!

Speckled Wood

Large White

Montpelier Station!

 It was good to see 10 Ivy Bees on the ivy near the station this morning - my first of the year and proof that they have truly colonised Montpelier! Also lots of Common Wasps, a Hornet Hoverfly, a Syrphus hoverfly, a couple of Myathropa florea hoverflies and 2 Eristalis tenax hoverflies. A Red Admiral was nectaring on the Buddleia at the disused platform. The gang of House Sparrows was very much in evidence!

Red Admiral

Common Wasp



Female House Sparrow

Ivy Bee



Myathropa florea

Syrphus

My moth trap was surprisingly productive last night despite the lateness of the season:
Garden Carpet 1
Large Yellow Underwing 10
Box Moth 3
Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing 2
Setaceous Hebrew Character 1
Lesser Yellow Underwing 2
Square-spot Rustic 1

Box Moth

Also a couple of Birch Shieldbugs and a Caddis.

Caddisfly