Lace-web Spider!

This morning at the station I noticed a very small but chunky spider running along the wall. I took a photo but I was mystified as to what it was. I posted it on one of the Facebook spider groups and it has been identified as a Lace-web Spider Amaurobius similis. I've never spotted one before but I have seen their webs which are very common in walls around Montpelier especially in the park and station areas. Also, a Jay flew into the trees on the disused platform.

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

Distant butterflies!

This morning at the station there were at least 3 Speckled Wood butterflies and a Large White butterfly, but of course they were the other side of the tracks and photographing them was a challenge!

Speckled Wood

Large White

Montpelier Station!

 It was good to see 10 Ivy Bees on the ivy near the station this morning - my first of the year and proof that they have truly colonised Montpelier! Also lots of Common Wasps, a Hornet Hoverfly, a Syrphus hoverfly, a couple of Myathropa florea hoverflies and 2 Eristalis tenax hoverflies. A Red Admiral was nectaring on the Buddleia at the disused platform. The gang of House Sparrows was very much in evidence!

Red Admiral

Common Wasp



Female House Sparrow

Ivy Bee



Myathropa florea

Syrphus

My moth trap was surprisingly productive last night despite the lateness of the season:
Garden Carpet 1
Large Yellow Underwing 10
Box Moth 3
Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing 2
Setaceous Hebrew Character 1
Lesser Yellow Underwing 2
Square-spot Rustic 1

Box Moth

Also a couple of Birch Shieldbugs and a Caddis.

Caddisfly

Montpelier Station!

This morning a couple of Speckled Wood and a few Small White butterflies were enjoying the early sunshine and a Jay called. Lots of Zygiella x-notata spiders along the wall - there seemed to be one every 6 inches!

Small White

The pitiful-looking Fox was sat on the railway track again - I don't think it is going to last much longer.

Narroways!

Ninety minutes on the reserve was well-spent this morning. The ivy bush near the entrance to Lynmouth Road allotments was alive with hoverflies including a Hornet Hoverfly, a Helophilus pendulus, a few Syrphus, lots of Eristalis tenax and many Myathropa florea. Nearby was my first ever Southern Green Shieldbug - a 4th instar nymph.

Hornet Hoverfly

Eristalis tenax

Syrphus

Myathropa florea

Southern Green Shieldbug

There's nothing I like better than making a complete prat of myself by using a sweep net. Luckily the local Narroways crowd never make fun of me and I found lots of interesting invertebrates including a Long-winged Conehead, a (sadly deceased) Tortoise Shieldbug, 7 or 8 Common Earwigs, about 10 Crab Spiders Xysticus, a young Nursery Web Spider and lots of Sawflies. Hoverflies included a Sphaerophoria and a Cheilosia.

Xysticus

Common Earwig

Sphaerophoria



Cheilosia

Long-winged Conehead

Ex Tortoise Shieldbug

Apart from the ever-present calls of the Ravens, there was a single fly-over Jackdaw and a singing Chiffchaff.