Just behind the bungalows in Barnmoor Close, there is a small area of scrubland which recently has had an addition of a few saplings. Out of the wind and facing the south it's a right little sun trap. There were Brimstones, Orange Tips, Peacocks and Green-veined Whites, along with Drone Flies, Bee-flies, a hoverfly, possibly Syrphus ribeshii or S.vitripennis or a close relative, a possible male Ashy Mining Bee, Andrena cineraria ID from Here or Andrena nigrospina. There was even a Blackcap and Chiffchaff singing in the hedges close by.
The "Scrubland", great for Butterflies and Insects
Drone Fly
Possibly a male Ashy Mining Bee
Andrena cineraria or Andrena nigrospina or something else!
Another conundrum a Syrphus ribeshii or S.vitripennis or a close relative.
A Peacock butterfly, something easy to identify
A Green-veined White
A Brimstone
And a Small Tortoiseshell
Having tried very hard to photograph an Orange Tip I conceded defeat and carried on around the lagoon. The daffodils have now past over and in their place there are a lot of nettles starting to appear. Another Blackcap was singing from the island and also heading in that direction a Coot was carrying nesting material in its beak.
A Coot with nesting material
The south island had another Chiffchaff singing and as I reached the south bank there were 2 more Blackcaps trying to out-sing each other. A few large gulls settled on the water and comprised of 4 Lesser Black-backed Gulls and 3 Herring Gulls. As I made my way round to the tarmac path a few more Herring Gulls arrived along with some more Lessers. A fight broke out between the rival gulls and all left bar 2 Lesser Black-backs.
Lesser Black-backed Gull
Two 3rd-summer Herring Gulls
Herring Gull with pink legs
And a Lesser Black-backed Gull with yellow legs
The cob Mute Swan was doing his best to move a Canada Goose along, ignoring the others that were even closer. This one was obviously the one he'd targeted and he was determined to show him and the other Geese that this was his Lagoon. Eventually he turned away and the Goose thinking that he could finally chill out, was then targeted by a Canada Goose hiding behind the overgrown trees on the north island. It just wasn't his day as he had his tailed pecked as the dominant Goose belted after him at full speed. He finally made his escape and was last seen preening his battered tail feathers.
The Great Crested Grebes are still nesting, so the signs are good there. The male was once again fishing at the north end of the Lagoon.
Great Crested Grebe
A quick shake before diving under the water again
Back at the car park there was a very low song of a Warbler that turned out to be the sub-song of a male Blackcap, what was interesting though was that about 10 metres away in another bush there was a male belting out his song. Really bizarre. As I got into my car I looked up and there in the tree next to me was a Collared Dove staring down at me.
Birds recorded: A pair Great Crested Grebe, a pair Mute Swan, 21 Canada Goose, Mallard, no sign of Gadwall, 1 drake Tufted Duck, 1 Buzzard, Moorhen, Coot, 5 Herring Gull, 7 Lesser Black-backed Gull, Wood Pigeon, Dunnock, Robin, Blackbird, 5 Blackcap, 2 Chiffchaff, 2 Goldcrest, Long-tailed Tit, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Wren, Rook, Carrion Crow, House Sparrow, Chaffinch and Bullfinch.
Insects recorded: Brimstones, Orange Tips, Peacocks and Green-veined Whites. Drone Flies, Bee-Flies, Hoverfly, possibly Syrphus ribeshii or S.vitripennis or a close relative, a possible male Ashy Mining Bee, Andrena cineraria or Andrena nigrospina.
Today's Photos Here