An Hour at Blaencanaid

As I had to go to Merthyr, late morning, I decided to nip up the parish road, park up there and walk over to Blaencanaid for an hour or so, before getting back to work.
There wasn't too much about, bird-wise: Ravens, of course (a couple of them giving a female Sparrowhawk hell), Siskins, Redpoll, Chiff Chaffs and Willow Warblers calling and in the latter's case, singing in the scrub around the quarry.

The highlight of my brief visit was this lovely fresh Painted Lady: the first I've seen this year.

Checking the Angelica flowers for insects, I saw the beautiful, cream and black, partially migrant hoverfly Scaeva pyrastri, but it didn't like my ugly mug and made off at high speed, before I could photograph it.
On a stem of Rosebay Willowherb, I came across this distinctive Weevil, which I believe is Hylobius abietis and is common in Britain. It lays its eggs on the roots of dying Pines and Spruce, the larvae feeding on the sap wood and the emerging adults on the cambium.

 

A couple of local flowers

 Some more shots of the Broad Leaved Helleborine.

 I found some Fennel on the Chicken factory site last week.

 Any ideas on this one it's growing over by Abercwmboi Lake and is everywhere.

Last plant we found by Clydach reservoir on side of forest road and I also saw it up at Graig Llyn..

Goldcliff

Decided to go to Goldcliff for a few hours this morning no sign of the reported Little Stint but managed to see a few LRP's, Ringed Plovers, S/P, Blackwits, Greenshank, Ruff, Avocets, Dunlin, Lapwing, Redshank, Curlew and a few Common Sandpiper also two Yellow Wags off the sea wall and a single Stock Dove over, good numbers of Little Egret dotted around and only my second Clouded Yellow of the year. Really good to bump into a few of the Glamorgan Bird Club lads who were trying their best to get me to go on their China trip next May, mmmmmm!

Life and death

Forget, the Masi Mara, great drama watching the interaction of preditor and prey can be had almost anywhere, if only you look hard enough.

On a visit to Crymlin Burrows yesterday, I was entertained by a couple of hunting masterclasses from a Red-banded Digger Wasp and the sheet web spider Agelena labyrinthica.

Also of note was a superbly large Longhorn Aromia moschata

Before heading to Crymlin Burrows, I had a couple of hours seawatching from Tutt Head. Highlights were 2 Storm Petrels heading up channel. at least a dozen Harbour Porpoises were feeding over an extended area.

Moth id help please

Sorry it's a bit blurred / out of focus. I had about 6 of these yesterday at Crymlim Burrows, but can't find they on UK Moths website. It's small, but not tiny (about 10-12mm across). Each time I saw one resting, it was in a similar posture.

Insect Day

During a walk around the " Cwm " near Llanwonno this morning with the two Martins looking mainly for insects and flowers I managed the to get the following photos.

 Meadow Brown

 Common Emperor

 Common Hawker and below Common Darter

Another quiet week for passage at Rhaslas, at least from my visits, with just singles of dunlin, common sandpiper and a whimbrel noted on Friday. Also at Llwyn-onn, ranger service report at least 3 redshank through since Sunday.