Tuesday, May 27, 2014

Local Maytime - bee ID quandry


A few trips round the park and down by the river has produced the following list:

Gadwall – resident on SLRS
Teal – 2 on 3rd May on SLRS
Cuckoo – one calling incessantly, seen occasionally in the top of tall trees.
Hobby – 1 over the W edge of the park on 3rd
Yellow Wagtail – 1 in the usual field by the train track
Common Tern – 1 through up river.
Reed Bunting 1m
Linnet a few
Willow Warbler,
Lesser Whitethroat,
Whitethroat – plentiful.

Yesterday the insect army was out in force. Lots of bumble bees in one area, al round the same species of plant. You would have thought that with photos and guide books I would be able to identify the bee, but no. I think its the Common Carder Bee (Bombus Pascuorum), but it looks too dark and smooth compared to photos on the web. Apologies for the shots but the bees were either in flight or head first up a flower. These are the best ones for ID.Also, I have no idea about the plant (comments welcome!)





No such problems with the mass of Banded Demoiselle that sprang up wherever I walked in the damp stream-side pasture. I’ve never seen such a deep vivid blue. Two photos (M, then f) that would be great if they were better.




Further into the village, a Sedge Warbler and a Reed Warbler are battling it out for song every morning (and giving good close up photo opportunities too ...) and the local colonies of Swallows, House Martins and Swifts are back. I don't count the birds so have no idea what the population trends are.Slightly further afield two cracking summer plumage Black-Necked Grebes at Rye House RSPB yesterday.