Insects about!

The little path to the station has a bit of Ivy which often has insects on it and this morning the sunshine brought out a Green Shieldbug and a small fly which I've been unable to ID as yet (UPDATE: probable Anthomyiidae). A Jackdaw flew over and a Blackbird was feeding near the tunnel. A Coal Tit was singing in the park.

Blackbird

Mystery fly

Green Shieldbug

Narroways!

Still quiet bird-wise this afternoon on the reserve apart from a male Sparrowhawk doing a spectacular display flight above my head at Boiling Wells, a Coal Tit singing near the brook, a Jay at Simons Grove, a Jackdaw over Boiling Wells and 2 Ravens giving regular fly-overs in various places, a Wren carrying nesting material at climbing centre and several Goldfinches at Boiling Wells.

Best sighting was my first Dark-edged Bee-fly of the year at Simons Grove (very flighty so rubbish photograph) a couple of Bombus terrestris queens nearby. A Nomada fabriciana bee was on a daisy at the church field - my first ever! 

Nomada fabriciana

Common Field Speedwell

Bombus terrestris

Dark-edged Bee Fly

Common Field Speedwell near Boiling Wells brook and plenty of Red Deadnettle on the cutting.

Meanwhile in Montpelier a Eupeodes hoverfly was on a Dandelion along Fairlawn Road and Hybrid Bluebells were growing nicely near Hurlingham Road.

Eupeodes

Bluebell hybrid

Narroways and St Andrews Park!

A rather unproductive slog round Narroways Nature Reserve this morning with a fly-over Jackdaw the only bird of note. Raven sat on nest, Song Thrush singing again at Boiling Wells, 4 different Jays along ash wood and a singing Coal Tit near the brook.

I didn't fare much better at St Andrews Park with just a few Starlings, Blackbirds, Goldfinches and Blue Tits of note. Some Frogspawn in the pond (not sure if it was pre-last week's freeze or 'new') and a couple of Grey Squirrels frolicking in the children's play area. 

Blue Tit

Frogspawn

Grey Squirrel

Jackdaws and Blackcaps!

Didn't have too much time to watch any wildlife this morning but a Jackdaw flew over the station and a male Blackcap appeared briefly in the Buddleia near the footbridge.

Corvids and a wolf!

A Jackdaw flew over St Andrews Road this morning and a Raven over Picton Street shortly after. Amazingly I see fewer Jackdaws than Ravens over Montpelier these days! Also, a Wolf Spider was basking on an Ivy leaf near the station - my first spider of the year.

Wolf Spider

Jackdaw invasion!

A group of 10 Jackdaws flew SE over Richmond Road this morning and another single bird flew over the station. These could be birds moving from northern upland areas to the south for the winter.

Montpelier Park

I was going to spend a good twenty minutes in the park this morning so set up my camera looking forward to getting shots of some insects perhaps, only to be shat on by a Collared Dove! It's waste product went down the front of my t-shirt and on my camera. I beat a retreat to the flat and changed my t-shirt and cleaned my camera. I somehow got the message..... A Coal Tit was singing in the pine near the lower entrance.

Yesterday at the station I was surprised to record only one butterfly - a Brimstone - patrolling the disused platform Also yesterday, a Jackdaw flew over Brigstock Road.

Montpelier Park and Station!

In Montpelier Park this morning there was very little to set the pulses racing - just a Marmalade Hoverfly of note. A hawkweed growing near the Old Vicarage entrance looks like Beaked Hawksbeard to me, although I could be wrong. Lots of Cleavers growing near the back of the park.

Cleavers

Beaked Hawksbeard

A Jackdaw flew over the station and there were a couple of Tree Bumblebees and a Speckled Wood butterfly near the Cromwell Road end of the footbridge.

Narroways again!

Highlights today included a Blackcap singing loudly and persistently near the Ashley Hill entrance, Grey Wagtail on the brook, 1 Long-tailed Tit at Simons Grove and a fly-over Jackdaw.

Yellow Fieldcap

Grey Wagtail

Solitary Bee

A Crab Spider Xysticus cristatus was loitering on a metal post and a solitary bee (probably an Andrena sp.) was on a daisy on the cutting where also several Yellow Fieldcap fungus Bolbitius titubans.

At Fairlawn Road a Melanostoma hoverfly was on a dandelion and a Jay was calling.

Melanostoma

Jackdaws!

Two Jackdaws flew over Richmond Road this afternoon.

Montpelier Station

A bit more bird action this morning - 2 Jackdaws flew over, a Grey Wagtail was on the platform near the tunnel and a Jay showed well in the trees. A Chiffchaff called briefly.

On the ivy near the footbridge was a Red Admiral, several Common Wasps and at least 1 Eristalis tenax hoverfly. There were still some Moth Mullein plants in flower.

Jay

Eristalis tenax

Moth Mullein

Red Admiral

Montpelier station

This morning there were up to 3 Blackcaps singing their hearts out at the station and also 3 Starlings were hanging around. Lots of Cleavers in flower near the footbridge.

Cleavers

This afternoon a Jackdaw flew over Picton Lane.

Brimstone

A Brimstone butterfly, my first of the year, was flitting around the disused platform at the station this morning and a Buff-tailed Bumblebee Queen was buzzing around the top of St Andrews Road. Spring has definitely sprung!

Yesterday 2 Jackdaws flew over the station and Long-tailed Tits were heard calling.

Narroways

Today on the reserve: a singing Blackcap near the brook, Jackdaw over Church Field, 2 Magpies nest-building near the cutting, a Goldcrest and 2 Collared Doves near Boiling Wells gate and 2 more Goldcrests along stony path, Chaffinch, Goldfinch and Dunnock along stony path and 2 Black-headed Gulls over Simons Grove. House Sparrows in scrub over railway bridge.

Along Fairlawn Road Great and Blue Tits were in evidence, and my first hoverfly of the year was sat on a dandelion - a Melanostoma sp. (probably M. scalare). Spanish Bluebells were coming into flower at the top of St Andrews Road.

Spanish Bluebell

Melanostoma

Jackdaws

Two Jackdaws flew over the station this morning. Nothing else of note I'm afraid.

Montpelier Station

Birds of note this morning at the station were a Long-tailed Tit, a Coal Tit, a Goldcrest and a fly-over Jackdaw.

Montpelier Park

This morning in the park there was a party of Long-tailed Tits and a Great Tit, 2 Collared Doves, a Woodpigeon, 2 Chaffinches, a Blackbird and 2 Robins plus a flyover Grey Wagtail.

Jackdaws were heard twice overhead today - this morning over Richmond Road and this evening over St Andrews Road.

Some lovely autumn colour in the park this evening.

Earwi-go!

I can't remember the last time I recorded Common Earwig on the patch if at all, but a nice specimen was at St Paul's Cemetery this afternoon. There were also several Honey Bees, a Buff-tailed Bumblebee and a Common Carder Bee. Birds included several House Sparrows, 5 Starlings, a Carrion Crow and lots of Goldfinches.

Common Earwig

A couple of Jackdaws flew over the station this morning, also the Blackcap was heard. The disused platform was full of flowers including Ox-eye Daisy, Hogweed, Red Valerian and Wood Avens. Thick-thighed Flower-beetles were seen once again.

Ox-eye Daisy with Thick-thighed Flower-beetle

Hogweed and Red Valerian

Bloomin' Blackcaps

A male and a female Blackcap in the garden this morning along with a Goldfinch and a couple of Blackbirds.

Male Blackcap

A Jackdaw flew over Station Road and at the station feeders there were a few Chaffinches, a Dunnock and a couple of Robins and Starlings. The dominant birds at the feeders were Feral Pigeons, at least 10 squabbling over food.

Narroways

Today on the reserve between 9.45 and 11.00: 2 Jays (at the brook and cutting), 1 Skylark over cutting, 10 Goldfinch cutting, Goldcrest 2 at Simons Grove, Great and Blue Tits Simons Grove, Jackdaw 1 over Simons Grove, Chaffinch 3 over cutting, Herring Gull 1 over cutting, Long-tailed Tit 3 or 4 at cutting, singing Dunnock and Wren plus Blackbird and Robin along stony path. The only insect was a Yellow Dung Fly stony path.

Yellow Dung Fly

A Pied Wagtail flew over St Andrews Road.