Hoverflies in the sunshine

Friday May 29th and Saturday 30th May. 2020

Not seeing much about insect wide, so much quieter than last year, must be due to all the heat we have had recently, few walkabouts the past few days though looking for mainly hoverflies.

Female Dasysyrphus tricinctus, a first for me.

female Helophilus pendulus

male Eupeodes sp

male Eristalis horticola

Sphaerophoria scripta

female Helophilus pendulus

Insect time

Tuesday 26th May 2020

Getting harder to spot the birds again due to the trees now all being in leaf.

Got another bridge camera now for my macro, Canon sx60HS to which I attach a Raynox 250 adaptor, taking a bit of getting used to and have to say I prefer the SX50, but as that gave up the ghost I had to get something else and with the 60 being the next model up I thought I would give it a whirl, for birds it is great although hard to focus at times, for macro I will tell you after I have had a few more outings, so far okay.

Just a walk about 100 metres from home today.

Marmalade Hoverfly

Common blue damselfly

Longhorn Beetle - Clytus arietis

Eupeodes

Catherton Common

Wednesday May 20th

Catherton Common

Such a lovely day, saw birds below, also a Red Kite and a cuckoo was calling most of the time we were there, shall be visiting again next week, it's such a peaceful place.

View toward Titterstone.

Meadow Pipit

Linnet

Stonechat

more walkabouts

Few photos from the past month.

With lockdown lifted a bit hopefully I will get out a bit more again.

Whitethroat at Spennells

Fox with Rabbit, Spennells

Small Copper, Spennells

Sunrise at Stone Pool

Whitethroat ast Hartlebury Common

Wheatear

Wednesday April 15th

Very nice morning, the wife joined me on this morning's walkabout, again it was very quiet on the pool, saw Skylarks over the cornfield, plenty of small birds about, swallows were perched in a tree preening themselves.

Thursday April 16th

Great walkabout, my first Wheatear of the year down Stanklyn Lane, quite a few swallows about, also a few pheasants, a yellowhammer was about, along the Bromsgrove Road we say a Kestrel perched on the wires, all in all a very pleasant walk.


For some reason I cannot upload any photos to my blog at the moment, for now I am only walking the roads due to my hay fever, so until I can the photos to work this will be my last post for a short while, back in action as soon as I can.

Nice warm weather

Easter Sunday 12th April 2020

Nice early walkabout in the sunshine, very quiet but a pleasing walk

Hairy footed flower bee

By the three pools

Easter Monday 13th April 2020

Sunny but with a very cold wind, especially early on, was like a gale by the Pool.
Two swans had arrived this morning and also saw my first swallows of the year skimming low across the pool.

Tuesday 14th April

Frosty start and then a really sunny but cool day.
I ventured out after breakfast and had a wander round the fields.
Nice to see a Yellowhammer and several swallows down Stanklyn Lane, few Dunnocks and the usual birds, not many people about early on but by the time I headed home it was starting to get quite busy.

The Pool was pretty quiet and so was the nature reserve.

Insect time

Only getting out for short exercise walks so not much to report, but will post photos of anything I find of interest.

Female Tawny Mining Bee in my back garden.

I have been popping up to the pool but not stopping long as it's a well used pathway, very quiet on there mind you, still 3 Great Crested Grebes and all the usuals.

Monday 6th April

Lovely bright start to the day and not too cold.

Saw lots of nuthatches on my short walk this morning, plus all the usuals, still very quiet on the pool.

Wednesday April 8th

Third year on the trot that the nuthatches have used this nest.

On my morning walks I have seen the Muntjac and foxes very often in a certain place, but for some reason I have not seen one since the shut down began, strange.

Friday 10th April 2020

Garden safari, now got an attachment which enables me to fix my Raynox 250 to the Canon sx60.

Green shieldbug

Hoverfly - Platycheirus albimanus,

7 spot ladybird

Hoverfly - Eristallis pertinax

Queen wasp