....you will see a huge
Hornets nest at Stanton Park. From the car park, head up the main track and just past the bird feeders on your left there is, I believe, a Douglas Fir Tree. Not 100% sure if it's that species, but it's the big fir tree on your left and about 20ft up it, there's a nest box attached to it. Looking at the nest it appears the Hornets must have started off in the box, via the hole and then built out from it. Its quite impressive.
The nest box is about 20ft up the tree
And the hole for the nest box is now enveloped by the Hornets nest.
The main entrance of the nest is from below.
Where there is a constant coming and going
On the outside of the main nest there are several small "cubicles". More egg chambers maybe!
Also seen today lots of
Common Darters, with I'm assuming, several immature males. I hope I've got this right, but I will check.
Note: Apparently newly-emerged adult dragonflies are known as
tenerals, and are a pale green colour at first, with only hints of the final adult patterning.
An "immature" male Common Darter
A female Common Darter
Not a great pose for identification purposes, but I think this is an adult male Common Darter.
Also seen this afternoon a
7-spot Ladybird on the same thistle I found what I'm 99.9% sure was a Pine ladybird. Shame I couldn't find one today, but perhaps it was in the fir trees overhanging the thistles. Also about a few
Speckled Wood and singles of
Red Admiral and
Peacock butterflies. On one of the thistles I came across a Copse Snail,
Arianta arbustorum.
7-spot Ladybird
Red Admiral
Copse Snail, Arianta arbustorum. How does it avoid those spikes!!
Along the stream heading towards the waterfall I came across a
Common Spindle,
Euonymus europaeus in flower with a few seeds starting to appear. And at the far end of the pool the
Swans were feeding in the shallows.
The Common or European Spindle with a few seeds starting to appear.
The Swans at the shallow end of the pool
Birds recorded: Grey Heron, Mute Swan, Mallard, 2 Buzzard, Moorhen, Black-headed Gull, Wood Pigeon, Great Spotted Woodpecker, House Martin, Swallow, Dunnock, Robin, Blackbird, Song Thrush, 2 Blackcap, 7 Chiffchaff, Goldcrest, Long-tailed Tit, Marsh Tit, Coal Tit, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Nuthatch, Treecreeper, Wren, Magpie, Rook, Carrion Crow, Jackdaw, Starling, Chaffinch, Goldfinch and Bullfinch.
Also seen: 1 Peacock butterfly, 3 Speckled Wood, 1 Red Admiral, Hornets nest, lots of Common Darters, Southern Hawker, a 7-spot Ladybird and a Copse Snail (Arianta arbustorum).
