Between the Showers

This was always going to be a quick walk. The rain had eased off, the sun was on its way out, but there was always the chance the showers would move in again. I was going to have another walk around Liden, but thought I'd take a chance and have a walk around Stratton Wood instead.

What a difference a week or so makes, everything was green and lush. The flowers on the Hawthorns might be going over now, but the meadows are really bursting with colour. In the Spring it was covered in Cowslips, but now it was a sea of yellow Buttercups and Yellow-rattle. Mixed in amongst them was Mouse-ear Hawkweed, Meadow Cranesbill, Clover and possibly Wild Clary.

A sea of yellow

Yellow-rattle

Yellow-rattle

Mouse-ear Hawkweed

Mouse-ear Hawkweed

Meadow Cranesbill

Meadow Cranesbill

Away from the meadow there were plenty of birds in the woodland, with quite a few Chiffchaffs, Blackcaps, a few Garden Warblers and 2 Common Whitethroats. Along Kingsdown Lane there was the sound of young Great Spotted Woodpeckers coming from a hole in a dead tree. As I approached an adult bird flew out.

Chiffchaff

Chiffchaff

Chiffchaff

The rain might not have dampened the spirits of the birds, but it certainly had an effect on the butterflies. The only one I came across was a Holly Blue. If the butterflies were non-existent, the bugs and flies certainly weren't and below are a few I came across. The ones I have ID'd are Meadow Plant Bug Leptopterna dolabrata nymph, Nursery Web Spider, Flesh Fly, Noon-fly, Dark Bush Cricket there were lots of young ones, Scorpion Fly, Cluster Fly, Soldier Beetle and Melanostoma scalare Hoverfly

Possible Melanostoma scalare Hoverfly

Nursery Web Spider

Leptopterna dolabrata nymph

Leptopterna dolabrata nymph

Flesh Fly

Mesembrina meridiana sometimes known as the Noon-fly

A young Dark Bush Cricket

Fly sp.

Fly sp.

Scorpion Fly

Scorpion Fly

A Cluster Fly I believe

Soldier Beetle

And finally no walk would be complete without seeing a Rabbit.

Rabbit

Birds recorded: 1 Herring Gull, 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull, Wood Pigeon, 2+ Great Spotted Woodpecker 1 adult and 1+ juveniles in a nest , 1 Skylark, 1 Grey Wagtail, Dunnock, Robin, Blackbird, 3 Garden Warbler, 2 Common Whitethroat, 8+ Blackcap, 7+ Chiffchaff, 1 Willow Warbler, Long-tailed Tit, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Wren, Magpie, Rook, Carrion Crow, Jackdaw, Chaffinch, Goldfinch and Bullfinch.

Butterflies: 1 Holly Blue

Other insects:  Nursery Web Spider, Flesh Fly, Noon-fly, Dark Bush Cricket there were lots of young ones, Scorpion Fly, Cluster Fly, Melanostoma scalare Hoverfly and Soldier Beetle. Plus one or two Flies sp.

Today's Photos Here