Narroways

Today on Narroways 10.30 - 12.30: a Clouded Yellow (cutting) - didn't settle for a photo.
Chiffchaff showing well and singing (cutting) Long-tailed Tits, Blue Tits, Great Tits and 1 Goldcrest (Simon's Grove), Jays at Boiling Wells and stony path. Goldfinches and Greenfinches Boiling Wells, Jackdaw over the cutting.

Garden Spider

Twin-spot Centurion

Helophilus pendulus

Nursery-web Spider

Speckled Wood

Syrphus hoverfly

Speckled Wood (cutting, stony path, Boiling Wells). Twin-spot Centurion soldier fly (female), cutting, Helophilus pendulus hoverfly (cutting) Syrphus hoverfly (st...ony path). Nursery-web Spider (cutting) Garden Spider (stony path).

In Fairlawn Road there was a Green Shieldbug, 2 Speckled Wood doing their territorial flight, while birds included a large group of Long-tailed, Blue and Great Tits and a Chiffchaff. A Coal Tit was singing near Old Ashley Hill.

The station produced a singing Chiffchaff, a Jay and a Large White butterfly. A Jackdaw flew over Richmond Road.

Last night a huge House Spider was racing around the flat and ended up on my bed.

House Spider

 

Comma

A Comma was at the station this morning along with Large and Small Whites. A Chiffchaff was heard again and a Jay was heard along Station Road.

St Andrews Park

Not a bad morning considering the leaves on the trees making bird spotting rather difficult. The full list as follows:

Great Spotted Woodpecker - one female showed well near the pond
Jay - two or three showing well
Coal Tit - one gave good views near the pond
Mistle Thrush - one near the toilets
Blue Tit - one or two
Great Tit - several calling and one singing
Robin - several songsters
Blackbird - two or three including a juvenile and moulting female
Dunnock - one heard
Greenfinch - one heard
Goldfinch - two or three around
Woodpigeon - a few
Collared Dove - one or two
Lesser Black-backed Gull - one over the park
Carrion Crow - a few
Magpie - one or two
Jackdaw - one heard calling overhead

Blackbird

Great Spotted Woodpecker

 There were also 2 or 3 Speckled Wood butterflies in the park.

In the Hurlingham Road end of the iron bridge there was a nice party of Great, Blue and Long-tailed Tits feeding busily and another Speckled Wood.

The station produced a Chiffchaff, a Jay and a couple of Great Tits. On the wildlife wall I found a tiny Rove Beetle (Steninae) which was the first I've ever seen on the patch. Nearby several Anthomyia flies were on the footbridge.

Anthomyia

Rove Beetle

Speckled Wood

More Chiffchaffs....

At least 1, possibly 2 Chiffchaffs in St Paul's Park this morning, flitting around in some Sycamores and calling intermittently. Also a Great Tit, several Robins and a couple of Blackbirds of note.

Chiffchaff and Jay

A Chiffchaff was calling persistently at the station this morning and a Jay flew over.

Narroways

Not much happening on the reserve this morning between 9.30 and 11.00 other than a Chiffchaff at Simons Grove along with a party of Blue, Great and Long-tailed Tits. Also a Jay on the cutting. Too cool and overcast for invertebrates other than several Garden Spiders mostly along the stony path and a Common Wasp at Lynmouth Road..

Back in Montpelier, there was another Chiffchaff calling in Fairlawn Road and although it was still not very sunny, a Twin-spot Centurion (a soldier fly) was sitting on a leaf. This is the first time I've knowingly seen this species anywhere - exciting, eh? Along the wildlife wall on the station was what I think is a Long-jawed Spider Tetragnatha and about 4 Harvestmen.

Haarvestman

Twin-spot Centurion

Probable Long-jawed Spider

Migrating Swallows

In the five miniutes I waited for my train this morning, several groups of hirundines (mostly Swallows by the look of it) flew SE over the station. As far as totals are concerned, I'd guess there were 15-20 involved. I just wish I had got there earlier as it is always special to see some visible migration over the patch.

St Paul's Park

A Chiffchaff was calling almost constantly from the fir trees just outside the park this morning. Also a couple of Jays, a Great Tit, a couple of Robins and a Blackbird pecking at a Cheesy Wotsit!

Fairlawn Road

Not an awful lot to write home about - several Green Shieldbugs, a few Garden Spiders, a Nursery Web Spider, 2 Speckled Wood, an Eristalis pertinax hoverfly and an unidentified fly which might be a Cheilosia species. A Jay was heard nearby.

Garden Spider

Green Shiledbug

Unidentified Fly

Narroways

A slightly disappointing morning with no sign of migrants other than a Chiffchaff. The only other birds of note were a singing Coal Tit and a couple of Jays.

Leopard Slug

Spider

Large White

At the station the wildlife wall produced a probable Leopard Slug, a Harvestman and a small as yet unidentified spider. There were Large and Small White butterflies flying.

Montpelier Park

The only notable sighting in the park this morning was of swarms of Horse Chestnut Leaf Miner moths flying around one of the trees. They were very impressive, but unfortunately did not allow a photo as none of them settled. The signs of their leaf mines were on every leaf. Also a Green Shieldbug was sat on one of the leaves.

Yesterday at the station a Jay showed well and there was a party of Great and Blue Tits busily feeding.

Greg Wagtail

The only bird of note today was a Grey Wagtail over Richmond Road. There's usually an influx of these birds into the neighbourhood at this time of year.

Montpelier Station

The wildlife wall didn't produce anything of note this morning shock horror, just a few woodlice and some snails. A Jay was calling noisily and there seemed to be an influx of Robins this morning - up to 4 - including a couple sparring. These were possible migrants.

Square-spot Rustic

A Square-spot Rustic moth was on the wall at the station this morning. The wall is now the number one place in Montpelier, possibly the world, for wildlife. Nearby in Montpelier Park a juvenile Blackbird was seen - a really late brood.

Square-spot Rustic