The Safari, in association with the Friends of Devonshire Rock Rock Gardens, held a very well attended moth and bat night last night, pity we forgot to invite the moths and bats!
We did have a mooch round and got a few registers on the bat detector. Some of the group took nets and torches and had a rummage around the bushes. Our Extreme Photographer had a close encounter with a Fox and a small mammal mouse/vole/shrew shot across the track in front of him. He did find and was able to pot up a Hawthorn Shield Bug.
The wet net was taken to the pond where yours truly struggled to get just a few of the many Smooth Newts in there.
Any webs on the trees were checked for their resident spiders and we found a couple of beauties, both turned out to be the same species although the second one was three times the size of the first; male and female? Whether they are or they aren't different sexes they are 'new' to the Fylde.
With rain setting in we had to abandon the event earlier than planned but it was too cold for any insects and therefore bats to be out...better luck next time...which will be August Bank Holiday.
Yesterday we took a few, what we consider to be, fairly good pics...reason - we had three things in our favour 1, sunshine, 2 time...no deadlines and 3, no Frank being held in the other hand.
Here's some more from yesterday.
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| Andrena sp |
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| Unknown bee |
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| Adrena nigroaenea |
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| Hybrid Bluebell |
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| Dandelion |
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| Forget-me-not - anyone know which species |
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| Fox & Cubs aka Orange Hawkweed |
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| Ladies mantle |
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| Nomad Bee sp? |
We didn't know they had a 'Rhino' horn, did you?
Chores were order of the day but then we gt a txt from AB saying there was a Whinchat at the wetland near the nature reserve. we asked if we could go and the answer was in the affirmative - pheww. Took ages to get there - too many dipsticks out on the roads on a Bank Holiday weekend :-(
Worth it though. (170, MMLNR 87)
A Grasshopper Warbler was reeling from the next bush along but we couldn't see it.
Then AB got wind of a Cuckoo a few miles away...of we went with AB & co and once again we were baulked by numpties doing 25mph when they should have been doing at least 50!!! Jeezzzzz we hate them and why the old ba* in the sports car needed her brakes we'll never know - we've seen slugs corner faster than she did!!!!!!
A great surprise greeted the Safari at the Cuckoo site...not wildlife but a real old beaut none the less
Old grey tractor fetish sated we went to the other end of the site away from the main road so that we could listen better without the traffic noise. No Cuckoo but a very distant Grasshopper Warbler.
We did see this rather snazzy little red fly
Wonder if they'll turn up again at Base Camp, they didn't last year.
A morning visit to Patch 1 gave us a Lesser Whitethroat (P1 35). The Golden Triangle has breeding Wren, Robin, Dunnock, Song Thush, Blackcap, Chaffinch, Greenfinch and maybe Woodpigeon and Goldfinch; we really hope no-one decides it needs 'tidying up'.
A morning visit to Patch 1 gave us a Lesser Whitethroat (P1 35). The Golden Triangle has breeding Wren, Robin, Dunnock, Song Thush, Blackcap, Chaffinch, Greenfinch and maybe Woodpigeon and Goldfinch; we really hope no-one decides it needs 'tidying up'.
Where to next? Everyone keeps telling us tomorrows weather is going to be dreadful but hopefully we'll be able to get out early before the deluge starts.
In the meantime let us know if anything was attracted to light in your outback.
1 comment:
Whoa, when you txt to say there was a Whinchat you didn't mention you were standing right next to it! What a great photo that is, I've never managed to get anywhere near one. I hope it's still about today.
Where was the Large Red at??
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