I went up the old Parish road last night, it was great to be out, dry and yes a bit of heat. I walked up past the old ponds and found these Peacock caterpillar feeding on nettles. I heard a Grasshopper Warbler singing away, I started my search but could not find it and each time I moved to try and get a better angle it stopped and went silent, so after 30 minutes of my dog moaning I give up and left him in peace.
I also found this tiny Ladybird which turned out to be a Ten Spotted Ladybird and one which I think is new too me.
I also found this and thought it could be a leaf miner but dont real know so open too any offers. It was on Elm. Also this Comma was enjoying the warm sunlight.
I went back to the wood where there was large number of Broad Leaved Helleborine and I found some were starting to flower. It seems a strange place for this flower to be as it's in a pine wood .
This is the area where the Gropper was, there were lots of Linnets and Meadow Pipits to keep me on my toes. Last of all I was down the river this morning in Robertstown where I found a female Goosander on the river it seems early for this bird too be back on the Cynon
That's very early for the Goosander. If I remember rightly they were back in mid to late August last year.
ReplyDeleteThat does look a bit like a Coleophora larva on the Elm leaf, Martin, but it doesn't look much like C. limosipennella, or any of the others listed by British Leafmines, unless it is still in the early stages of building its case.
ReplyDeleteAs I was counting the ravens this morning, the Grasshopper Warbler was reeling almost continuously from 04:45 to 05:15, when it promptly shut up and remained silent for the rest of the raven count.