Always a good day when you learn something new about nature

The Safari was a bit disappointed to find so little in the moth trap this morning after recent double whammy NFGs, just 10 individuals, almost half of those were Heart & Darts, of only six species. Riband Wave was the only one new for the year.

Mid-afternoon we were able to meet up with BD to have a look for White Letter Hairstreak butterflies on Patch 1, they'd been reported from a reserve in the nest town so while it was 'early' for them it was worth a look. We heard two Chiffchaffs in the main area of the park and had a look at the bottom lake but other than lots of litter, Duckweed and lots of Poecilobothrus nobilitatus flies dancing there was nothing there. At the butterfly zone there were several Large Skippers and a few Meadow Browns, the first we've seen this year, and a couple of very fresh smart looking Speckled Woods. The butterflies were mostly inactive hiding away as the sunshine turned minute by minute to more cloudy conditions.

With no sign of the White Letter Hairstreaks and the top of their favourite tree being shaken round quite madly by the increasing wind we decided to have a look at what else was on offer then wander down to the rough field.
BD pointed out something we've never heard of before, Sycamore Leaf Aphids spread themselves remarkably evenly across the underside of the leaf, usually we think of aphids as all bunched together at the tip of a plant.

Flitting around the grass nearby and generally refusing to stay still was this colourful Sawfly, Tenthredo sp?

We also found a bee that had made a grave mistake!

Not much nectar there mate!

It had probably got caught out by the sudden much cooler, cloudier and windier weather. 

Down at the far end of tthe field BD showed us something else we've not seen bef ore or certainly not noticed if we have seen it before. After looking at a few Yellow Meadow Ants' nests, one of which was huge, maybe about 3 feet (1m) across, he found some Ragwort plants being sucked by aphids white Black Ants in attendance milking them for their honeydew. A closer look revealed the ants had build their nest around the base of the plant, all the better to defend their 'herd'.

The whole base of the plant is completely encrusted with the ants nest

He also found us the first of this year's Grasshoppers and we showed him the local plant specialty Ploughman's Spikenard although it'll be another week before it comes into flower. As in previous years it was sad and upsetting to see wheelbarrow loads of garden rubbish tipped here, as usual mostly all over the big patch of Birds-foot Trefoil smothering most of it so not so many Common Blue butterflies this year - Yet another reason why basic education about the natural history, ecological relationships and what can be found in your local area is so vital.

With no butterflies on the wing now we walked back through the park to the car as a Great Spotted Woodpecker flew past us, the first sighting we've had here since their nesting tree was felled. It flew across the field and landed in the trees at the edge of the park where a Sparrowhawk immediately attacked it and it was lucky to escape - an amazing sequence of events to witness. Going through the wooded edge of the field BD spotted some weird looking fungi growing out of an old felled tree stump.

Later identified by the world famous and font of all knowledge woodland and beyond AB @HesistantWeasel - well if he isn't world famous he should be - as emerging Dead Mens Fingers. The Council's budget cuts have made it necessary to do much less grass cutting and the lower area of the park is no longer a cutting priority and has been left - it looks great, lots of different colours and textures of grass flowing like waves in the gentle breeze under the trees. There were even some kids enjoying playing in it!

Mostly Yorkshire Fog

Just needs a more flowers to make it that little bit more exciting, but after decades of being scalping twice a week through the summer there's probably precious few taller species left in the turf.

From Patch 1 we drove a couple of minutes up the road to a site we've only visited a couple of times before. It has - or at least had - Common Lizards but the area they were last seen in is now perhaps too well vegetated, if they are still there hopefully they'll have been able to move somewhere more suitable. Seeing the Common Lizards would have brilliant but they weren't what we were hoping for, that was something altogether rarer and harder to find and probably hasn't been at this site for tens of the best part of a hundred years - well you can dream! What we were after was a Grass Snake! Earlier in the week PT had told us one had been seen at a pond near here and the lad that found it had somehow tried to drown it??? That pond is very isolated so was the ID good, where had it come from, how many are there, are they anywhere else nearby - questions questions. Apparently the ID was correct but the other questions still stand...was it a pet someone had released - where do you get and how could you keep a pet Grass Snake, maybe they didn't like the smell? Anyway we didn't find it, the weather was against us as it stayed cold and cloudy and the sun didn't come out to encourage any that might be there to bask. The pond had a family of Coots and a family of Moorhens as well as a sinister looking Heron - not good news for any nearby Grass Snakes! It was the longest of long shots and of course we were unsuccessful, but it's a site that warrants closer and more regular inspection. 

In the grassy area we found a Meadow Brown that was far more accommodating than those at Patch 1.

And a Nursery Web Spider 

By the pond as we walked through the bankside vegetation we disturbed many Blue Tailed Damselflies and some bright blue ones all of which that stayed still long enough to ID were Azure Damselflies.

From there we went the couple of hundred yards to where the Grass Snake was seen and had a quick look round but the most exciting thing to be seen in the pond was a bicycle wheel.
All good things come to an end as did our time and we turned for Base Camp after a very enjoyable coupla-three hours out on safari not seeing what we hoped we'd see but seeing other wondrous stuff instead.

Where to next? We'll be out n about on safari somewhere tomorrow - but where, that the $64,000 question and probably weather dependent.

In the meantime let us know who's not slithering around in your outback.

 

Tales from the river bank

The Safari spotted the Fox fortunately a second or two before Frank last night which was a big bonus otherwise he'd have been off like a rocket totally au contraire to his normal lethargic self.

Immediately after his early morning walk we gave him his breakfast and sent him back to bed. We, on the other hand, pointed the Solihull Special towards the river.

As soon as we arrived at the river and walked across the  bridge the hoped for Kingfisher (151) shot upstream - result!. A couple of Goosanders were sat on the far bank.

We watched the Kingfisher park up on a small bankside Willow but when we reached it camera at the ready it had vanished...doh.

Something that hadn't done a runner was this Moorhen sitting on a nest which we thought might be a bit too low if the river rises, it's well down at the moment.

Dawn was coming up over the junction over the meeting of the two rivers.

The tall Sycamore tree on the left held a singing Corn Bunting in the topmost branches while the fields on the far side of the river had displaying Lapwings and singing Skylarks.

Meadow Foxtail was coming into flower.

In sheltered areas the sun hadn't reached the frost still gave a very wintery feel to the somewhat chilly morning.

The riverside woods had a much more summery feel to them with Willow Warbler (152), Blackcap and Chiffchaff adding to the chorus of Woodpigeons, Blackbirds, Song Thrushes, Robins and Chaffinches.

This rural idyll is somewhat spoilt by the Euro-standard cattle and the ubiquitous used silage bag caught on the flood line.

More idyllically rural was this rather large Small Leaved Lime tree at about 6 feet (2m) in diameter, we'll check the Ancient Tree Hunt website and if it isn't there we'll put it on tomorrow.

With two year birds in the bag and time still available we headed off to another riverside site. On the way being high up in the Land Rover we could see where the banks of the river had been scoured by winter's high waters providing a large  stretch suitable for the buzzing Sand Martins (153) to nest in.

Reaching the car park we noted a couple of cars and when we got out our heart sank a bit as we heard shouting and barking dogs coming from the river.

As luck would have it they had scared our quarry this end of the river but it was very very wary and wouldn't allow close approach...But distant or not Dipper (154) is in the bag. Crikey we'll have to get up early to stand a chance of getting a better pic!

No Bullfinch here but the spring plants were beginning to put on a decent show.

The Bluebells will be delicious next weekend.

Opposite Leaved Golden Saxifage is a midget in the plant world but it's name more than makes up for its stature

Like the Bluebells the Wild Garlic is going to be spectacular in a couple of days or so but today only the odd plant was in flower.

After lunch a short safari to the nature reserve was in order. The cold wind and scientists surveying the mere precluded sitting in the hides so we set off for the Feeding Station. It took ages as Frank was in super sniffer mode. At the gate a Chiffchaff competed with a Blackcap (MMLNR #75). Just couldn't get it to look at the camera though.

At the Feeding Station we played 'Guide in the Hide' for an hour with several groups of beginner birders, hope they learned something and enjoyed the birds on offer, Reed Buntings, Pheasant, Dunnock, Blue and Great Tits and a rather confiding Wren, with Blackbird and Blackcap singing nearby but out of sight.

After an afternoon of chores at Base Camp our Extreme Photographer called to ask if we wanted to go lizard hunting in the last of the evening sunshine - well what d'ya think??? Did we or didn't we???

Of course we did, we had an hour of searching for our scaly friends without success. We did find a couple of Frogs and this stunning Smooth Newt under bits n bobs we turned over.

The plants were good though, rakes of Cowslips, Wild Strawberries, Violets sp and a large patch of Primroses of which this was only a small portion.

The walk in through the fields gave us a pair of Grey Partridges (155).

A great day!

Where to next? no early morning Patch 2 tomorrow

In the meantime let us know what's lurking under rocks, logs, bricks and boulders in your outback.