A day of thin cloud and occasional sunny breaks, gentle southerly breeze and temperatures around 12 degrees C. The first decent invertebrate day of the year, marking a turning point to my recording activities from this point forward. I will however endeavor to collate as full a bird list as I can, though head down probably cost me a few birds today, including Buzzard Buteo buteo which didn’t make the list. Starting out with the beetles a small Staphylinidae is likely to be Tachyporus cf. hypnorum, though this is a difficult group to deal with, even for the experts. Another new one for me was Celery Leaf Beetle Phaedon tumidulus found along the bridleway west of Dryham Farm. Other species starting to show in numbers include 7-spot Ladybird Coccinella septempunctata and Altica sp, along with smaller numbers of Cereal Leaf Beetle Oulema melanopus s.l.
Tachyporus hypnorum
Celery Leaf Beetle – Phaedon tumidulus
7-spot Ladybird – Coccinella septempunctata
Altica sp.
Cereal Leaf beetle – Oulema melanopus s.l.
A quiet day butterfly-wise with only a single Peacock Aglais io noted, the only other Lepidoptera noted being Garden Tiger Arctia caja caterpillars along the northern path.
Garden Tiger – Arctia caja
Several Buff-tailed Bumblebee Bombus terrestris evident around the reserve, searching for good nesting sites, along with a single Large Red-tailed Bumblebee Bombus lapidarius found along the western path. Honey Bee Apis mellifera obvious, feeding around the site, with a few Andrena Mining Bees also noted, the male below a Tawny Mining Bee Andrena fulva.
Large Red-tailed Bumblebee – Bombus lapidarius
Apis mellifera
Tawny Mining Bee – Andrena fulva
A couple of Shieldbugs found with Pied Shieldbug Tritomegas bicolor into double figures, including a few mating pairs. A Green Shieldbug Palomena prasina found still showing some winter colouring. Two new species also found, first being Orthops campestris along the path to Turret Hide, a small species less than 4mm in length. Secondly a Leafhopper, Mocydia crocea found along the bridleway on the way to Dryham Farm.
Pied Shieldbug – Tritomegas bicolor
Green Shieldbug – Palomena prasina
Orthops campestris
Mocydia crocea
On the Hoverfly front, no Eristalis species noted, which was a bit of a surprise, however two Cheilosia species filled the gap. First where several Cheilosia pagana feeding along the northern path. Second was a new species, Cheilosia grossa an early spring species, its wings already showing signs of wear. Another fly recorded was Yellow Dung Fly Scathophaga stercoraria along Dryham Lane.
Cheilosia pagana
Cheilosia grossa
Scathophaga stercoraria
Other oddments included a Sawfly Aglaostigma aucupariae, two Slender Ground-hopper Tetrix subulata which wouldn’t sit still for the camera, and a couple of Spiders, Tent Spider Pisaura mirabilis and Zebra Spider Salticus scenicus. Finally a Brown Hare Lepus europaeus was noted in the fields to the west of the new workings.
Aglaostigma aucupariae
Tent Spider (Nursery Web Spider) – Pisaura mirabilis
Salticus scenicus
Finally the birds included a couple of year ticks with Reed Warbler Acrocephalus scirpaceus singing and showing briefly on Reedbed Lake and Blackcap Sylvia atricapilla singing and seen along the eastern path, with another male and female also seen around the reserve. Several Little Ringed Plover Charadrius dubius were on Cell A of Dryhams Ings, along with a lone Dunlin Calidris alpina. The Mediterranean Gull Larus melanocephalus can be a bit hit and miss, none present when I first arrived at Village Lake, though whilst stood on the northern path scanning the north field, a calling pair alerted me to their presence as they came in from the north, appearing to drop down on to Village Lake. Another was present on Main Lake. Yellowhammer Emberiza citrinella was a reserve year tick, although heard a few times, this was my first sighting, with two present along the Bridleway west of Dryham Farm. At least 32 Avocet Recurvirostra avosetta now on the reserve, one pair showing well on Island Lake from Turret Hide.
Avocet – Recurvirostra avosetta
Yellowhammer – Emberiza citrinella
Species List (81)
Birds (57)
Avocet – Recurvirostra avosetta
Black-headed Gull – Chroicocephalus ridibundus
Blackbird – Turdus merula
Blackcap – Sylvia atricapilla
Blue Tit – Cyanistes caeruleus
Carrion Crow – Corvus corone
Chaffinch – Fringilla coelebs
Coot – Fulica atra
Dunlin – Calidris alpina
Dunnock – Prunella modularis
Feral Pigeon – Columba livia
Gadwall – Anas strepera
Goldfinch – Carduelis carduelis
Great Crested Grebe – Podiceps cristatus
Great Tit – Parus major
Green Woodpecker – Picus viridis
Greylag Goose – Anser anser
Herring Gull – Larus argentatus
House Sparrow – Passer domesticus
Jackdaw – Corvus monedula
Kestrel – Falco tinnunculus
Lapwing – Vanellus vanellus
Lesser Black-backed Gull – Larus fuscus
Linnet – Linaria cannabina
Little Grebe – Tachybaptus ruficollis
Little Owl – Athene noctua
Little Ringed Plover – Charadrius dubius
Long-tailed Tit – Aegithalos caudatus
Magpie – Pica pica
Mallard – Anas platyrhynchos
Mediterranean Gull – Larus melanocephalus
Moorhen – Gallinula chloropus
Mute Swan – Cygnus olor
Oystercatcher – Haematopus ostralegus
Pheasant – Phasianus colchicus
Pied Wagtail – Motacilla alba yarrellii
Pochard – Aythya ferina
Red-legged Partridge – Alectoris rufa
Redshank – Tringa totanus
Reed Bunting – Emberiza schoeniclus
Reed Warbler – Acrocephalus scirpaceus
Robin – Erithacus rubecula
Rook – Corvus frugilegus
Sand Martin – Riparia riparia
Shelduck – Tadorna tadorna
Shoveler – Anas clypeata
Skylark – Alauda arvensis
Starling – Sturnus vulgaris
Stock Dove – Columba oenas
Swallow – Hirundo rustica
Teal – Anas crecca
Tree Sparrow – Passer montanus
Tufted Duck – Aythya fuligula
Wigeon – Anas penelope
Woodpigeon – Columba palumbus
Wren – Troglodytes troglodytes
Yellowhammer – Emberiza citrinella
Beetles (5)
7-spot Ladybird – Coccinella septempunctata
Celery Leaf Beetle – Phaedon tumidulus
Cereal Leaf Beetle – Oulema melanopus s.l.
Altica sp.
Tachyporus cf. hypnorum
Butterflies and Moths (2)
Peacock – Aglais io
Garden Tiger – Arctia caja
Bees (4)
Buff-tailed Bumblebee – Bombus terrestris
Honey Bee – Apis mellifera
Large Red-tailed Bumblebee – Bombus lapidarius
Tawny Mining bee – Andrena fulva
Sawflies (1)
Aglaostigma aucupariae
Grasshoppers (1)
Slender Ground-hopper – Tetrix subulata
True Bugs (4)
Green Shieldbug – Palomena prasina
Pied Shieldbug – Tritomegas bicolor
Mocydia crocea
Orthops campestris
Hoverflies (2)
Cheilosia grossa
Cheilosia pagana
Flies (1)
Scathophaga stercoraria
Spiders (2)
Tent Spider – Pisaura mirabilis
Salticus scenicus
Mammals (1)
Brown Hare – Lepus europaeus