St Andrews Park - Again!

The sun shone this afternoon after a wet and windy start, so I had a stroll round the park. There were about half a dozen Starlings in their usual tree but very flighty on my approach. Also lots of Goldfinches everywhere but not surprisingly, most birds kept a low profile in the brisk wind.

Goldfinches

Good to see lots of Frogspawn in the pond with little bits of Toadspawn too. The willow catkins next to the pond were being visited by Bumblebees but they were too high up to identify so I'm guessing they were Buff-tailed Bumblebee queens.

Frogspawn and a tiny bit of Toadspawn

I peeled away some lichen from a branch and found some tiny larvae which are probably fly larvae.
The lichen is probably Xanthoria parietina.

Fly larvae

Xanthoria parietina

It was lovely to see a few Daisies and Lesser Celandines in flower. A couple of Marsh Marigolds were in flower on the pond.

Lesser Celandine

Daisies

Marsh Marigold

St Andrews Park!

I had a wander round the park while the sun still shone this morning and there were a few Redwings around together with several Blackbirds, a singing Coal Tit, several Carrion Crows and a Jay. A row of dwarf Daffodils were very attractive. One of the trees in the park had about 3 species of lichen growing on it. I'm no expert but these may have included Punctelia jeckeri and Xanthoria parietina.

Carrion Crow

Daffodil

Redwing

Possible Xanthoria parietina

Possible Punctelia jeckeri

Back in Montpelier a Common Buzzard flew over, harassed by gulls, and a pair of Ravens were hanging around St Andrews Road, also being ruthlessly mobbed.

Raven

Plants around Montpelier included Annual Mercury, Green Alkanet, Dandelion, Cleavers and Lesser Celandine.

Lesser Celandine

Annual Mercury

Cleavers

Green Alkanet

Dandelion

Not much insect activity despite the sunshine - just a Bluebottle fly (probably Calliphora vicina).

Bluebottle

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

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.