Breaking New Ground & Other Observations - 2nd to 7th May, 2023

The following is an account of some highlights from the first part of the month of May.

Tuesday, 2nd May                    Watermead Country Park

With a trio of Black-crowned Night Herons being reported from Watermead Park for a few days, and this being a place that I'd never visited, in spite of it only being half an hour from my home, I decided that I should give the place a visit.

The outing did not start well as, having got about 10 miles down the road, I realised that I'd left my wallet at home and had no means of paying for the car park there. I had to turn back and pick it up. The further complication was that, with the extra miles, I'd have to re-charge our car as I'd originally left home with just enough charge to get me there and back with not much extra in hand. I gave it just under an hour's worth of charge and set off again.

I arrived at Watermead Park to find that the recommended car park, unlike others at this place, was free of charge - grrrrrrr!!! 

The location for seeing the Night Herons was very close to the car park, and I found others already there, bemoaning the fact that the birds had not been seen that day. I stayed a while but, haveing been told of a Tawny Owl that was not far away, I went to check it out. It was very high up in a tree, and impossible to get a clear shot at. It's a long while since I last saw a Tawny Owl, and it will probably be a long while until I next see one, these were the best that I could manage.

Tawny Owl (Strix aluco)  - Watermead CP

I had been chatting with other people whilst looking at the owl, and was encouraged to explore the area further, in spite of realising that I was going to be at least an hour later home than I said I'd be. I was fortunate in being able to accompany a keen birder who knew the area well.

The greatest find for me on that walk was a Whitethroat - not a rare bird but another species that I don't often see - I last photographed one in 2017! I got some shots of it on barbed wire, and then some distant shots of it in a more natural environment.

Whitethroat (Sylvia communis) - Watermead CP

Before departing, I had another look for the Night Herons, but to no avail. As I stood there, a Canada Goose came drifting by. It was now time to go home.

Canada Goose (Branta canadensis) - Watermead CP

Wednesday, 3rd May                    Garden

The Large Red Damselflies were still emerging from our mini-pond. I got some shots of this one before it departed. 

Large Red Damselfly (Pyrrhosoma nymphula) - garden on 3rd May, 2023

Whilst checking the pond, I found a pair of flies mating, and took some shots.

Fly (Sarcophaga sp.) in cop - garden on 3rd May, 2023

It then occurred to me that the scene might be better conveyed if I took some video.

If you would like, you can also see this in slo-mo, below.

I then photographed a Blackbird, singing in the top of our Elder. 

Blackbird (Turdus merula) (male) - garden on 35rd May, 2023

There's nothing like the song of a Blackbird to lift the spirits so, again, video seemed to be required.

This female Orange-tip seemed to be ovipositing, but I have only found one Orange-tip egg this year and failed to find the caterpillar after it hatched.
 

Orange-tip (Anthocharis cardamines) (female) - garden on 3rd May, 2023

The moth trap went out that night, and only one moth was caught. It was a rather fine one, however!

Waved Umber (Menophra abruptaria) (male) - from garden moth trap, 3rd May, 2023

Thursday, 4th May                    Garden

One of the Azaleas in our garden was blooming more beautifully than ever. 

Azalea - garden on 4th May, 2023

From the conservatory, I noticed a strange insect on the edge of the mini-pond. I grabbed the camera and went out to find this fearsome-looking creature.

Ichneumon stramentor (female) - garden on 4th May, 2023

Friday, 5th May                    Garden

Although Bullfinch visit the garden fairly frequently, they usually make straight for the feeders and then depart again. It has, therefore, been a bit difficult to photograph them. On this occasion I managed a shot of a female - not a good shot, but at least it's a shot of one not on a feeder!

Bullfinch (Pyrrhula pyrrhula) (female) - garden on 5th May, 2023

Saturday, 6th May                    Garden

The damselfly emergences from our mini-pond were tailing off now, and the Robin was having to look elsewhere for food for his youngsters in the nest.

Robin (Erithacus rubecula) - garden on 6th May, 2023

Sunday, 7th May                    Garden ; Saltersford Valley Country Park ; Thortit Lake

This year seems to have been a very good year for Holly Blue butterflies and lately I have been seeing them almost everywhere I go. A feature of the Holly blue is that it tends to rest with its wings closed, and it is often necessary to wait quite a long time for it to open its wings just enough to see whether it has dark tips to the upper side of the fore-wings - denoting it to be a female. I had never managed to photograph one with its wings wide open.

Holly Blue (Celastrina argiolus) (female) - garden on 7th May, 2023

 - - that was, until this day! What a little beauty !!!!

Holly Blue (Celastrina argiolus) (female) - garden on 7th May, 2023

That afternoon, I took a trip out to a couple of very local spots, in the hope of finding my first dragonflies. I failed in this respect, but there were other things to keep me entertained.

 

As I approached the boardwalk I was greeted by a bright stand of Marsh Marigold.

 

Marsh Marigold (Caltha palustris) - Saltersford Valley CP

From the far end of the boardwalk, I watched a male Reed Bunting, although it was not very cooperative from a photographic point of view.

 

Reed Bunting (Emberiza schoeniclus) (male) - Saltersford Valley CP

Here are some of the other items that appeared in front of my lens during my wanderings.

 

Orange-tip (Anthocharis cardamines) (female) - Saltersford Valley CP on 7th May, 2023

St. George's Mushroom (Calocybe gambosa) - Saltersford Valley CP

Alder Leaf Beetle (Agelastica alni) - Saltersford Valley CP

Bog Bean (Menyanthes trifoliata) - Saltersford Valley CP

Speckled Wood (Pararge aegeria) - Saltersford Valley CP

Having not found any Odonata, and with some time in hand, on the way home I dropped in for a brief visit to Thortit Lake. I didn't find any Odonata here either, but a Common Tern was fishing on the lake. I'd not yet had any real success with the new camera with birds in flight, so thought I'd have a go here. The situation was quite difficult, with a fairly small bird at some distance, against a confusing back drop as far as autofocus is concerned. I was relatively surprised and pleased with the results.

 

Common Tern (Sterna hirundo) - Thortit La

  

This brings me to the end of this blog post. My next blog post will probably be in about a week's time and will probably feature more visits from home. In the meantime, please take good care of yourselves and Nature.

 

Thank you for dropping by - - - Richard