Bird-wise it was fairly quiet, apart from dozens of juveniles calling from the hedges, treetops and reedbeds. From what I could make out there were young Treecreepers, Goldcrests, Great Tits, Long-tailed Tits, Blue Tits and Robins all begging or chasing the parents through the woods.
Well the youngsters have to be fed and there was certainly an abundance of insects, mostly on the umbellifers, which I will say were Cow Parsley. However there are so many umbellifer species, I might have to do a survey to see what different types there are at Stanton. Another day!
Main highlights were a male Broad-bodied Chaser, Common Blue Damselflies, Blue-tailed Damselflies and a Southern Hawker. The latter was tucked away in a Bramble bush and it allowed me to come right up close.
On the Cow Parsley there were:
Ichneumon Wasp, Amblyteles armatorius
Black-horned Gem, Microchrysa polita
Flesh Fly, Sarcophaga carnaria
Green Bottle Fly, Lucilia sericata
Common Drone Fly, Eristalis tenax
Hoverfly, Volucella pellucens
Dance fly, Empis opaca
Here are a few images:
In the centre believe it or not is a Southern Dragonfly.
And here it is close-up. Shame the colours are all washed out.
And if you thought that was close, I'm 2 inches from its head!
A male Broad-bodied Chaser. I'm sure he turned his head to look at me.
Yesterday I had a female of this species on Liddington Hill, a good 2 miles or so from water.
A Common Blue Damselfly which outnumbered.......
........this Blue-tailed Damselfly by about 3 to 1.
A Dance fly, Empis opaca. A fly that preys on other insects.
An impressive gem the Black-horned Gem, Microchrysa polita
My friend the Ichneumon Wasp, Amblyteles armatorius. Same plant as yesterday, different location.
Frog or Toad, the back legs are just starting to show on this tadpole. We'll know soon......
Chicken-of-the-Woods or the Sulphur Polypore (Laetiporus sulphureus), on an old Oak Tree.
I've never been in the garden before............
Birds Recorded: Mute Swan, Mallard, Moorhen, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Wood Pigeon, Collared Dove, Swift, Great Spotted Woodpecker, House Martin, Swallow, Grey Wagtail, Dunnock, Robin, Blackbird, Reed Warbler, Chiffchaff, Goldcrest, Spotted Flycatcher, Long-tailed Tit, Coal Tit, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Treecreeper, Wren, Magpie, Rook, Carrion Crow, Jackdaw, House Sparrow, Chaffinch, Goldfinch and Reed Bunting.
Insects etc. recorded:
Broad-bodied Chaser
Common Blue Damselflies
Blue-tailed Damselflies
Southern Hawker
Large White
Small White
Dock Leaf Bug, Coreus Marginatus
Tadpole Bladder Snail, Physella gyrina
Black-horned Gem, Microchrysa polita
Flesh Fly, Sarcophaga carnaria
Green Bottle Fly, Lucilia sericata
Common Drone Fly, Eristalis tenax
Hoverfly, Volucella pellucens
Dance fly, Empis opaca