Robin!

 In the last couple of weeks a pair of Robins have been busily nesting in the garden. I think I know the general location of the nest. Also a pair of Woodpigeons are nesting nearby.

Moffs!

Last night I set up the moth trap and caught the following:
Riband Wave 1
Light Brown Apple Moth 1
Double-striped Pug 1
Shuttle-shaped Dart 3
Heart and Dart 22
Lime Hawkmoth 1
Ptycholoma lecheana 1
Treble Lines 1
Marbled Minor agg. 2
Peppered Moth 1
Eudonia mercurella (NEW) 1
Brown House Moth 1
Vine's Rustic 1

Peppered Moth

Riband Wave

Lime Hawkmoth

Eudonia mercurella

Double-striped Pug

Garden birds seen today included Woodpigeon, Robin, House Sparrow and Blue Tit.

Woodpigeon

Garden Birds!

My neighbour's birdfeeder played host to quite a few visitors today, including Blue Tits, Goldfinches and Robins. Other birds seen and heard outside my window today included Blackbird, Dunnock, Magpie, Feral Pigeon and Woodpigeon.

Lockdown Lepidoptera!

I am beginning to add more butterflies to my 2020 list - today I saw my first Speckled Wood in Station Road and there was a Holly Blue flying around a neighbour's garden but too flighty and distant to photograph. I was able to get a distant photo of an Orange-tip from my window though!

Distant Orange-tip

Speckled Wood

Today I spent much time looking out of the window - Great Tits, Robins and Woodpigeons were the main highlights.

Woodpigeon

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.

Garden birds!

Because of the current lockdown I contented myself with a stroll round the neighbourhood today, but I first checked the view from my window where there were a couple of Great Tits, a Woodpigeon collecting nesting material and a Dunnock.

Woodpigeon

Dunock

In Richmond Road there was a little patch of Wood Forget-me-not growing out of the pavement - probably a garden escape. At Fairlawn Road there were several Eristalis pertinax hoverflies, a Honey Bee and my first Dark-edged Bee-fly of the spring, although it didn't stick around for the camera. Lots of Goldfinches were heard calling among the trees.

Honey Bee

Wood Forget-me-not

Eristalis pertinax

The station was disappointing - there were no butterflies on the disused platform - but a Coal Tit showed well.

Montpelier Station!

I was pleased to hear a Blackcap sub-singing at the station this morning. Subsong is a posh word for 'tuning up' and birds often practice their songs early in the season before spring starts in earnest. This Blackcap will have been overwintering in the UK and will migrate to Germany in about a month's time to nest there. Also at the station were a couple of Robins, several Blackbirds and Woodpigeons and a Great Tit.  

Blackbird

Great Tit

Robin

Woodpigeon

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!

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

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

 

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!

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

Montpelier Park!

It was extremely quiet in the park this morning apart from a calling Wren and a couple of Woodpigeons. A Marmalade Hoverfly was basking on a leaf an a Harlequin Ladybird was exploring a railing.

Nearby, there were 2 Painted Ladies on the Buddleia at the station and there was a calling Great Tit.

A pretty slug and amorous Woodpigeons!

There was a rather attractive Leopard Slug on the recycling box this morning and in the garden a pair of Woodpigeons were displaying.

Ravens!

There was a racket coming from the TV mast this morning - a couple of Herring Gulls and no less than 6 Magpies were mobbing a pair of Ravens! Presumably these are the St Werburghs birds. The station was quiet other than a Woodpigeon and the usual House Sparrows. It was good to see some Perforate St John's Wort near the railway line.

Magpies

Ravens

Perforate St John's Wort

Woodpigeon

I put the moth trap out last night and had an amazing 25+ Heart and Dart along with my first ever Heart and Club, a Pale Mottled Willow, a couple of Large Yellow Underwings and a smart Bright-line Brown-eye. A small but attractive micro-moth looks to be Eudonia lacustrata which likes moss on trees and walls - lots of moss on my roof!

Bright-line Brown-eye

Heart and Dart

Eudonia lacustrata

Heart and Club

Large Yellow Underwing

Pale Mottled Willow

This evening there was a small Centipede in the bath! It might be a Lithobius species.