Wrens, robins and moths!

I was up at the crack of dawn this morning (well, 8.30ish) and thought I'd check out Montpelier Park as part of my exercise walk. There was no sign of any Willow Warblers but plenty of Blackbirds and a singing Wren which showed well.

Wren

In the garden a Robin was carrying food so it obviously has young in the nest.

Robin

My first moth-trapping session of the year produced:
Early Grey 6
Double-striped Pug 1
Brindled Pug 1
Hebrew Character 2
Light Brown Apple Moth 1
Bee Moth 1
Common Quaker 1

Hebrew Character

Early Grey

Common Quaker

Brindled Pug

There was also a Chironomid fly (Non-biting Midge) in the trap.

Non-biting Midge

Willow Warbler!

Right on cue there was a Willow Warbler singing in Montpelier Park this morning. It has just arrived from sub-Saharan Africa and will not hang around very long - maybe a few days - before continuing the journey to its nesting site outside the city. Also one or two Blackcaps in song during my exercise walk and a few Goldfinches at Fairlawn Road.

Goldfinch

The little patch of wild garden at the top of St Andrews Road was very productive for hoverflies this morning with 4 species recorded - Epistrophe eligans, a Marmalade Hoverfly Episyrphus balteatus, Meliscaeva auricollis and a Syrphus species. Also a Yellow Dung Fly and the attractive picture-winged fly Euleia heraclei (a mating pair) with quite a few Green Shieldbugs also enjoying the sunshine.

Epistrophe eligans

Euleia heraclei

Marmalade Hoverfly

Syrphus

Meliscaeva auricollis

Yellow Dung Fly

Two bees or not two bees?

There were two close encounters with bees this morning. A queen Buff-tailed Bumblebee which I found in the flat was looking very groggy so I gave her sugared water before letting her go in the garden.

Buff-tailed Bumblebee

Later, during my morning exercise walk, I spotted a mining bee sitting on a wall at the station. I narrowed it down to about 3 species before referring it to the experts on Facebook. It turned out to be a Chocolate Mining Bee Andrena scotica. I think it was trying to sit out the low temperatures and hopefully will respond when it gets warmer. Nearby was a probable White-lipped Snail (I didn't want to disturb it to make a definite identification). A Collared Dove was singing too.

Andrena scotica

White-lipped Snail

Collared Dove

From my flat window I can see a pair of Woodpigeons building a nest in next-door's shrub.

While queuing up to get a prescription at Bath Buildings this morning a single Jackdaw flew over calling. There were a couple of Carrion Crows building a nest just behind the health centre.

Nest-building Carrion Crows

A very flighty Chiffchaff was singing in Montpelier Park.

Montpelier Park and Station!

I'm not sure if anybody replenishes the bird feeders in the garden behind the disused platform but this morning a female Blackcap was near them. Also a Blackbird, a pair of Blue Tits, singing Wren and the usual House Sparrows.

There was a Great Tit in the park. A Wolf Spider was basking in the warm sunshine - my first of the spring.

Montpelier Park!

It was a lovely sunny morning and the wind of recent days had died down so there was a bit more common bird activity today. There were a couple of Woodpigeons, 3 Blue Tits, 2 Dunnocks (including a singing bird), a scolding Wren, a couple of Goldfinches, singing Robin and a Sparrowhawk drifted over.

Hiding Woodpigeon

Hiding Dunnock

Montpelier Park!

A quick wander round the park this morning revealed a single Redwing which posed nicely for the camera before flying off in the direction of Cheltenham Road. Also a pair of Carrion Crows, a few Woodpigeons and a singing Robin.

Redwing

Montpelier Station was quiet apart from a Grey Squirrel and another Robin.

Montpelier Park and Station!

There was a very persistent singing Coal Tit in the park this morning and nearby at the station a male Blackbird was looking for invertebrates under the dead leaves while no less than 5 Blue Tits were feeding in one tree and a Dunnock was singing.

Blackbird

In Station Road, some Comfrey was in flower.

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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!

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

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

Montpelier Station!

At last the birds are becoming more conspicuous as autumn approaches - a party of Great and Blue Tits were feeding in the trees and shrubs along the disused platform, a Robin was singing his autumn song and the House Sparrows were chirping away. A Fox, looking frail and moth-eaten, emerged from the vegetation and limped down the railway track towards the tunnel.

Nearby, there were a couple of juvenile Woodpigeons feeding in the park and a swarm of Horse-chestnut Leaf-mining Moths around the chestnut tree. A Harlequin Ladybird was also in the park.

Peacock!

A Peacock butterfly was nectaring on the Buddleia on the disused platform at the station this morning, also Michaelmas Daisies in flower nearby.

Peacock

Michaelmas Daisies

In Montpelier Park there was a pair of Blackbirds and a Wren was seen briefly hopping along the path - not often I see them out in the open (it was too quick for a photo though).  A Grass Fly species (Chloropidae) was sat on a leaf. I wish I'd got a better shot of it as it looked quite an attractive little fly.

Grass Fly

Charlock!

As it was a bit quiet on the bird front this morning I had a look at the steep embankment in Montpelier Park to see if there were any interesting plants in flower. There wasn't an awful lot other than Green Alkanet, Cleavers and White Deadnettle but a large relative of the cabbage was just coming into flower - I was sure it was Charlock - very common in Montpelier and I normally see it on the railway embankment near the tunnel. The other names for this plant include Field Mustard and Wild Mustard so it is perfectly edible, young leaves can be eaten in a salad and older leaves cooked like cabbage. An expert on Facebook thinks it might be Black Mustard, though. This is the plant which is grown for the familiar culinary mustard seeds and to be sure about the correct ID I would need to check the seeds in a few weeks time.