Best in the trap this morning was this alder kitten, on the birding front just singles of redshank and little ringed plover[5] passing through rhaslas in the last week.
Saturday, 29 June 2013
Thursday, 27 June 2013
Shock of my life
Local Walk
Was going " Stir Crazy " working from home and staring at the same 4 walls so I decided some fresh air was needed and went for a walk down the valley then up to the " Giant's Tooth " and across the mountains back to Mountain Ash.
Not a lot seen in the valley itself Great Tits feeding young out of the nest, Blackcaps everywhere and the other usual suspects.
The climb up saw lots of Chiffchaffs, Willow Warblers and more Blackcaps until I got to the small pine plantation just above " Giant's Tooth " where there were a family party of Great Spotted Woodpecker.
I then turned north back towards Mountain Ash through the meadow type landscape which produced the usual Skylarks and Meadow Pipits. Also lots of Small Heaths and a Fritillary flew through but too quickly to get anything on it. At the top of this section was a cracking male Stonechat with some young in attendance, Tree Pipit with food in it's mouth but surprisingly for this area I couldn't find any Wheatear.
I then dropped down slightly and walked across the top of the farm towards the forestry where I picked up a year tick in Garden Warbler, I have to get out more lol.
Lots of Chaffinch in the forestry and surprisingly lots of Blackbirds on the forestry floor where to me there didn't seem any life or growth.
Back out into the open above Newtown I decided to drop down by the side of the farm and come out by the edge of Newtown Quarry. This proved quite difficult as everywhere was overgrown, luckily I can remember where most of the paths are from playing here as a child ( why can't I remember what I did yesterday ). An heart attack nearly occured when I nearly stepped on something which I think was a Weasel or Stoat, I don't know who moved the quickest. Whatever it was it went into hiding I could not re-locate it.
Just above Newtown I then did a good impression of Mr Bevan in Portland and went a**e over tip and then 5 yards further on just to prove it wasn't a fluke I did it again this time on some wire netting stopping rock falls, ouch.
Since I know next to nothing about Caterpillars, that's wrong I actually know nothing about them can someone please tell me what species is in the photo
Not a lot seen in the valley itself Great Tits feeding young out of the nest, Blackcaps everywhere and the other usual suspects.
The climb up saw lots of Chiffchaffs, Willow Warblers and more Blackcaps until I got to the small pine plantation just above " Giant's Tooth " where there were a family party of Great Spotted Woodpecker.
I then turned north back towards Mountain Ash through the meadow type landscape which produced the usual Skylarks and Meadow Pipits. Also lots of Small Heaths and a Fritillary flew through but too quickly to get anything on it. At the top of this section was a cracking male Stonechat with some young in attendance, Tree Pipit with food in it's mouth but surprisingly for this area I couldn't find any Wheatear.
I then dropped down slightly and walked across the top of the farm towards the forestry where I picked up a year tick in Garden Warbler, I have to get out more lol.
Lots of Chaffinch in the forestry and surprisingly lots of Blackbirds on the forestry floor where to me there didn't seem any life or growth.
Back out into the open above Newtown I decided to drop down by the side of the farm and come out by the edge of Newtown Quarry. This proved quite difficult as everywhere was overgrown, luckily I can remember where most of the paths are from playing here as a child ( why can't I remember what I did yesterday ). An heart attack nearly occured when I nearly stepped on something which I think was a Weasel or Stoat, I don't know who moved the quickest. Whatever it was it went into hiding I could not re-locate it.
Just above Newtown I then did a good impression of Mr Bevan in Portland and went a**e over tip and then 5 yards further on just to prove it wasn't a fluke I did it again this time on some wire netting stopping rock falls, ouch.
Since I know next to nothing about Caterpillars, that's wrong I actually know nothing about them can someone please tell me what species is in the photo
Wednesday, 26 June 2013
Tree Bees and Fritillaries
I didn't know being ill could be so good! after spending yesterday afternoon and evening and early morning today coughing, sneezing and with a nose that resembled Niagara Falls, I decided to take the day off. With the weather being so nice I decided to try an early season Wider Countryside Butterfly Survey, if only to get me outdoors and get over this Cold.
On the walk out I finally caught up with Tree Bumblebee, with one, possibly two, seen near the start of Edwardsville Woods. and now I have my eye in on the species, I found around half a dozen more at two other sites.
On the walk out, butterflies had been quite conspicuous by there absence with only a couple of Large Skippers (new for the year), Speckled Woods, and single Green-veined and Large Whites being seen.
The Survey transect started off just as quiet with only a couple of Silver Y's being recorded. Just before finishing the first section of the transect, a large butterfly took off from the path in front of me and flew strongly off. The quick look at suggested a large fritilary, but as I'd never recorded any frot's in that area I just presumed it would have been a Comma!
Into the next section and a couple of Small Heaths put in brief appearances before another large orange butterfly took off from the path in front of me. This time it landed further along the path and I was able to approach and get my bin's onto it. It was no Comma but rather a large fritillary, probably Dark Green - Wow, I wasn't expecting that, and it convinced me that the earlier butterfly was almost certainly of this species.
If that wasn't enough, a third flew right past me just as I finished the third section, with two more flying past during the 4th section - 5 Dark Green Fritillaries!
The second half of the transect proved to be butterfly less - not even a White or Speckled Wood - but did produce a Golden-ringed Dragonfly, 3 Common Blue Damselfly's and a dozen or so Large Red Damselfly's.
Other notable sightings included my first Green Carpet of the year, Violet Ground Beetle, several Green Tiger Beetles and a Cuckoo calling from the Letty Turner area around midday.
On the walk out I finally caught up with Tree Bumblebee, with one, possibly two, seen near the start of Edwardsville Woods. and now I have my eye in on the species, I found around half a dozen more at two other sites.
On the walk out, butterflies had been quite conspicuous by there absence with only a couple of Large Skippers (new for the year), Speckled Woods, and single Green-veined and Large Whites being seen.
The Survey transect started off just as quiet with only a couple of Silver Y's being recorded. Just before finishing the first section of the transect, a large butterfly took off from the path in front of me and flew strongly off. The quick look at suggested a large fritilary, but as I'd never recorded any frot's in that area I just presumed it would have been a Comma!
Into the next section and a couple of Small Heaths put in brief appearances before another large orange butterfly took off from the path in front of me. This time it landed further along the path and I was able to approach and get my bin's onto it. It was no Comma but rather a large fritillary, probably Dark Green - Wow, I wasn't expecting that, and it convinced me that the earlier butterfly was almost certainly of this species.
If that wasn't enough, a third flew right past me just as I finished the third section, with two more flying past during the 4th section - 5 Dark Green Fritillaries!
The second half of the transect proved to be butterfly less - not even a White or Speckled Wood - but did produce a Golden-ringed Dragonfly, 3 Common Blue Damselfly's and a dozen or so Large Red Damselfly's.
Other notable sightings included my first Green Carpet of the year, Violet Ground Beetle, several Green Tiger Beetles and a Cuckoo calling from the Letty Turner area around midday.
Monday, 24 June 2013
Monday morning moths & moorhens
Pityful catches in the back yard but Eyed Hawkmoth and a faded Blood Vein this morning. Then to the cynon valley to have car serviced. It took 2.5 hours so wandered to whats left of Tir Founder, I'd forgot how handsome Moorhens were.
Sunday, 23 June 2013
rain, rain, and more rain.....
A damp WeBs this am at Parc Taf Bargoed produced a record number of Mallard (52), helped with three broods of 5, 9 and 10 ducklings. The brood of 10 were at least 3/4's grown so look like they will make it to full adulthood. Moorhen with 2 half grown chicks in the reed beds, with another adult elsewhere in the reed beds (2pr?). 4 Reed Warbs heard at three area's within the reed beds so looks like 3prs are breeding (a site record) and 2, poss 3 male Reed Bunts on territory.
A wander round CCF produced to family parties of Great Spott peckers, with drumming hear at two localities, looks like 3 pair of Green peckers also bred. Plenty of Blackbird, Song Thrush, Blue and Great Tit families, but looks like only 1 pr of Redstart have bred this year. No Spot Fly's or Wood Warbs seen/heard. 1 Tawny Owl seen well in its daytime roost.
A wander round CCF produced to family parties of Great Spott peckers, with drumming hear at two localities, looks like 3 pair of Green peckers also bred. Plenty of Blackbird, Song Thrush, Blue and Great Tit families, but looks like only 1 pr of Redstart have bred this year. No Spot Fly's or Wood Warbs seen/heard. 1 Tawny Owl seen well in its daytime roost.
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