Whinchat and Hairy Dragonflies

 We usually get Whinchat during autumn migration, with only a single Whinchat in spring before according to my records (6 May 2022). It was therefore a nice surprise to see one this morning in first field.

Whinchat looking good

 While I was clicking away on the Whinchat, a Reed Warbler popped up just to the side of it momentarily.

Reed Warbler

Yesterday was a good day for Hairy Dragonflies as I saw three in the morning. Never seen more than one in a day before so that was pleasing.

 

Hairy Dragonfly ((Brachytron pratense)

Cropped image showing the hairs

As I was reviewing my photos last night I saw that there was a bug right next to the dragonfly on a couple of the pics. Zooming in on the image, it was a very small creature, and I have tried to get an id but it's difficult as the light may be washing out any colours.

Any ideas on id for the bug? Ignoring colours could be Harpocera thoracica?

It's worth keeping your eyes on the ground at the moment as all manner of wild flowers are flowering now. One of my favourites is Burnet Saxifrage, not particularly for the plant itself but for the name, as I remember it from my childhood when I collected Brooke Bond tea cards 🤣🤣

Burnet Saxifrage (Pimpinella saxifraga)

Common Dog-violet (Viola riviniana)

Bugle (Ajuga reptans)

At the Mere I also came across a new insect that I hadn't seen before - Dimorphic bumblefly. I've seen beeflies before but never a bumblefly 😀

Dimorphic bumblefly (Criorhina berberina)

Cool Days - but not in a good way

 The weather continues to be dry to arid but the northerly or north easterly wind keeps it feeling very cool, I'd go as far to say that it's been downright cold. This is not good for butterflies or early dragonflies and grey days certainly keep the number of singing birds down.

 

We did have a couple of nice warm days though and butterflies managed to get warm enough to spread their wings and get about the hedgerows.

 

Green-veined White (Pieris napi)

Small White (Pieris rapae)

Male Orange Tip

Male Orange Tip on Red Campion

Large White (Pieris brassicae) on bluebell

The Large White has two or three generations each year and the first brood which are out now have grey wing tips rather than black as seen on later generations.

 

Kittiwakes are commonly seen along our coast, most notably at Bempton cliffs, and don't often venture far inland, so it was good to get my first sighting of Kittiwakes (2) at the Mere earlier in the week. A grey day was brightened by their presence, but they didn't get off the water at all while I was watching them. Distant pics, cropped heavily, but Kittiwakes never the less.

 

Kittiwakes on the Mere

Mere Kittiwakes

I walked around the Mere on Monday, not expecting to see anything more than the usual birds and insects. I was very disappointed, and a little unsettled, to see hardly anything at all along the long stretch of footpath through the fields on the north side. As you enter the fields off Seaton Road and go up the slight incline through the rape crop then level out and walk straight ahead for about half a mile, I saw nothing at all - not even a crow or Wood Pigeon. It was like something from a post-apocalyptic movie where everything has been killed off. The large arable field just over the hedgerow was barren, possibly awaiting planting or has just been planted, so no Skylarks there, no Linnet or Reed Bunting, no Whitethroat or Corn Bunting in the hedge. No butterflies either.

North side of the Mere devoid of birds

 It was a relief to reach the path towards Buttercup Farm when I saw signs of life again.

 

On Tuesday I saw my first dragonfly of the year - a Hairy Dragonfly. No chance of a photo I'm afraid but we are now into the exciting phase of the year when larger insects start emerging!!

 

 The first young birds of the season are afloat on the Mere, Mallard ducklings are the most numerous (three families), Canada Goose goslings from a single family were also seen.

One of three family groups of Mallard

 

There were loads of hirundines and Swifts high over the Mere today, mainly Swifts and Swallows with House Martins and Sand Martins mixed in. I enjoy trying to get pics of Swifts each year, knowing I'll fail most of the time to get decent shots, but the effort is worth it when you get one good image. Today wasn't the day though!

Swift. Must try a lot harder 😂

We usually get Lapwings here every year, but this year has been a poor year to date, until today. A pair were displaying along the south side this afternoon so there is hope we could see breeding activity after all. They are usually well advanced with partners by this time but you never know.

South side Lapwing

Warmer times are on their way allegedly. I can't wait 😊

Whimbrels

 I found five Whimbrels this morning at the Mere and managed a few photos before they took off and flew west. The photos I took while they were on the ground were taken through a wire fence so not the clearest images - here is the best one.

Whimbrels by the Mere

They took off and flew over the trees and looked as if they were coming back, but they carried on unfortunately.

Whimbrels westward ho!

We are seeing more and more Great Crested Grebes as the days go by - double figures soon?

Good to see so many Great Crested Grebes

Little Egrets were up to three today

I haven't seen a Brown Hare for a while, but rabbits keep appearing. They seem to be on the increase again.

 Away from the Mere and along north cliffs there are still a few Tree Sparrows hanging on there, keeping the Stonechats company.

male Stonechat

Tree Sparrow

 I have plenty more pics but they are of Yellowhammer, Whitethroat, Sedge Warbler, Blackcap etc. so rather than bore everyone with images of the same old subjects I have posted in the recent past, I will leave you with a more common bird: a Common Pheasant on top of a hedge - looking like a target in a shooting gallery 🤣🤣🤣

Target practice anyone? This one lived to pose another day

I'm Just Sitting Watching Flowers In The...Dry!

 Of course everyone knows that the Move's song Flowers In The Rain was the first song to be played on Radio 1 when it launched in 1967, but as I was photographing lots of flowers recently the song came to mind - with an appropriate change of lyrics. With just one day's rain in the last month we could do with a good load of precipitation to freshen things up a bit.

A lovely display of Cowslips (Primula veris)

Garlic Mustard and Red Campion

Close up of Garlic Mustard (Allaria petiolata)

Bluebells and Wood Anemone

Bluebells and Wood Anemone

Red Dead-nettle (Lamium purpureum)

White Dead-nettle (Lamium album) and Forget-Me-Not (Myosotis arvensis)

Honesty (Lunaria annua)

Green Alkanet ((Pentaglottis sempervirens)

Close up of Green Alkanet

Green Alkanet is not a native plant, it was introduced in the early 18th century and once it got a foothold it didn't go away. It is a difficult plant to get rid of (like dandelions, they have a deep tap root) but growing wild it is a plant that looks good and is very good for pollinators - so it's on my list of keepers if I find it in my garden.

Cuckoo Flower (Cardamine pratensis)

The only plant that I photographed that looked as though it had been rained on!  Also called Lady's Smock, Cuckoo Flower is common in wet meadows. It is edible and the leaves can be used in salads as a substitute for watercress.

 

Apart from the sudden uprising of wild flowers in almost every corner of the town, what else grabbed my attention?

 

 The relatively sudden increase in numbers of Great Crested Grebe is noteworthy. After seeing single birds over the last 18 months it is great to be seeing up to seven of these birds now. Why they were absent for so long is a mystery and why they are back in good numbers is also a mystery. Answers on the back of a £10 note please 😂

Great Crested Grebes on the Mere

I am also seeing more Gadwall than usual - at least I can check on numbers of this bird by interrogating our records on BirdTrack to see if I'm imagining an increase or not. It's a good looking duck with both males and females having something to commend them.

 

Drake Gadwall

Female Gadwall

Gadwalls in flight

Sedge Warblers have arrived in very good numbers too, with a maximum count of 15 yesterday morning.

Sedge Warbler

 

 

Whitethroats have also started arriving and are being seen and heard in the hedgerows around the Mere.

Whitethroat

Whitethroat

As Great Crested Grebes have come back to us, so have Little Egrets. We had them every day a few years ago but they didn't visit the Mere very often while the water level was high, but now it is low enough for them to land and hunt for food we are seeing them daily once again. 

Little Egret on the Mere south side

Little Egret and two Shelduck

 Lapwings are few and far between this year...

Spot the Lapwing

Finally what of the butterflies? a week or so go they were seen quite often in sunny places but they have gone to ground recently. Maybe it is still a tad cold with the easterlies, but from tomorrow it is going to be hot, hot, hot so they should be out then.

Seldom seen underside of Speckled Wood butterfly

Usual view of Speckled Wood