Bee-utiful Montpelier!

 There were lots of bees and hoverflies to enjoy this morning - it was a pollinator paradise! In Fairlawn Road I was delighted to spot my first Hairy-footed Flower Bee and Common Carder Bee of the year. Nearby at the top of St Andrews Road there were two mining bee - Gwynne's Mining Bee and Grey-patched Mining Bee. There were two different hoverflies - Syrphus and Eristalis pertinax. A Harlequin Ladybird was hiding under a leaf. It was good to see Herb Robert and Ivy-leaved Toadflax in flower.

Herb Robert

Hairy-footed Flower Bee

Grey-patched Mining Bee

Gwynne's Mining Bee

Common Carder Bee

Ivy-leaved Toadflax

At the station there was a singing Willow Warbler and Chiffchaff - these will have only just arrived from Africa. Also a singing Blackcap and a Long-tailed Tit.

Chiffchaff

St Andrews Park!

A wander round the park this morning revealed 10+ Redwings, half a dozen Long-tailed Tits, several Blackbirds and a Pied Wagtail. Crocuses were also in bloom!

Crocuses

Redwing

Narroways!

This morning on the reserve there were lots of Blue Tits and singing Great Tits plus a party of 6 or 7 Long -tailed Tits in the ash wood. A Jay at Lynmouth Rd Allotments and a Grey Wagtail at Boiling Wells. Lots of Blackbirds, singing Dunnocks and Robins.

Lords and Ladies leaves were out in many places, also lots of Lesser Celandine along the brook at Boiling Wells. A Feather-moss on Ash saplings was very striking. Primroses looked a bit battered after the recent frosts I suspect.

Lesser Celandine

Feather-moss

Lords and Ladies

Primroses

In Fairlawn Road there were singing Great Tits and Goldfinches.

St Andrews Park!

It was all very quiet in the park this morning apart from a party of 8 or 9 Long-tailed Tits, a Blue Tit, several Magpies, a couple of Black-headed Gulls, 2 Starlings and several Goldfinches. The first Snowdrops were in flower in their usual place.

Snowdrops

Black-headed Gull

 One of my Missing-sector Orb-weavers was running around the kitchen this evening.

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

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

Narroways!

A lovely morning on the reserve, with lots of baby Long-tailed Tits everywhere! Also a couple of Ravens, a fly-over Jackdaw, a pair of Jays, calling Bullfinches and singing Blackcaps and Chiffchaffs.

Jay

Young Long-tailed Tit

Insect highlights included a Cream-spot Ladybird (my first!), Harlequin Ladybirds, mating Green Shieldbugs, a Speckled Wood, and some Oedemera sp. beetles. Hoverflies included Syrphus sp., Dasysyrphus tricinctus, Myathropa florea, Marmalade Hoverfly and Helophilus pendulus. Also an attractive Ichneumon, a sleepy Common Carder Bee and a Yellow Dung Fly .

Cream-spot Ladybird

Dasysyrphus tricinctus

Marmalade Hoverfly

Helophilus pendulus

Oedemera beetles

Myathropa florea

Syrphus hoverfly

Yellow Dung Fly

Green Shieldbugs

Common Carder Bee

Back in Montpelier there was a Nomad Bee along Fairlawn Road.

Nomad Bee

In St Andrews Park the highlights were a family of Magpies and 3 Large Red Damselflies - my first of the year. Also a couple of Holly Blue butterflies near the pond. Hundreds of Toadpoles were in the pond.

Large Red Damselfly

Young Magpies

Toadpoles

Montpelier Park!

I went back to the park this morning hoping to get a photo of the Willow Warblers - there was still at least one singing but it kept out of sight. Entertainment was provided by some Long-tailed Tits, Great and Blue Tits plus a Robin gathering food - a sure sign it has a nest somewhere.

Robin with food

 At the station the Blackcap was still singing, sat on more or less the same branch as a few days ago!

Blackcap

Montpelier Station!

There was a flurry of activity at the station this morning - a very showy Blackcap was singing from a low branch on the disused platform and didn't budge even when the train from Temple Meads went past! It would be a genuine spring migrant from the Med I think rather than an overwintering bird ready to fly north to Germany to breed. The pair of Jays seem now to be a fixture - they were flying around and calling so a nest can't be far away. A couple of Long-tailed Tits were feeding in the branches. There was a supporting cast of Blackbirds and a singing Dunnock. A pair of Ravens (possibly the St Werburghs birds on an awayday?) were sat on the TV mast. 

Blackcap

Jay

Long-tailed Tit

Raven

Earlier, a Carrion Crow carrying a stick in its bill to build its nest flew over Richmond Road towards the direction of the park.

Narroways!

A morning of sunshine and showers - mainly without the sunshine - made birdwatching a bit of a challenge this morning, but I did see the following:

Grey Wagtail - 1 at the brook and 2 at Boiling Wells
Goldcrest - 1 at Boiling Wells
Raven - several fly-overs
Jay - 1 at ash wood
Blue, Great and Long-tailed Tits at ash wood

A good display of Primroses too!

Great Tit

Spot the Goldcrest!

Grey Wagtail

Long-tailed Tit

a glimpse of sunshine

Primroses