Meanwhile, in the large tree nearby where the House Sparrows have a colony, one male House Sparrow was basking in the sun
Thursday, 26 March 2020
Blue Tit 'spring clean'
A pair of Blue Tit have been busy over the last few days nest-making and clearing out unwanted items from a nest box in Andy M's garden this week.
Meanwhile, in the large tree nearby where the House Sparrows have a colony, one male House Sparrow was basking in the sun
Meanwhile, in the large tree nearby where the House Sparrows have a colony, one male House Sparrow was basking in the sun
Sticky buds bursting forth
The sticky buds of the Horse Chestnut were starting to burst open in Jennifer H's garden today.
Tuesday, 24 March 2020
Sunny weather brings out the butterflies
Despite being a little chilly and breezy, the recent sunny weather certainly seems to have brought out the butterflies, with several reports of Brimstone, Peacock, Comma, Small Tortoiseshell and Small White butterflies from around the Abingtons over the past few days.
Please feel free to email your butterfly sightings to Jennifer at jennifer@hirsh.com.
Please feel free to email your butterfly sightings to Jennifer at jennifer@hirsh.com.
Comma butterfly (Lewis Crescent GA, Andy M)
Peacock butterfly (Lewis Crescent GA, Andy M)
Small Tortoiseshell butterfly (Lewis Crescent GA, Andy M)
News. First Bee-fly spotted
Monday 23rd March 2020
Derek T reported a Beefly in his front garden on Cambridge Road today (23rd).
Jennifer commented this was first sighting of a Beefly this year in the Abingtons, slightly earlier than previous years, the first sightings being on 24th March in 2019 and 2017, and on 5th April in 2018.
Since this first report, Derek has seen two more Beefly is his garden, and Andy M saw one near the Old Railway Cutting and two in his garden - all in sunny spots (24th).
Looking like a bee, Beefly have yellowy-brown hair on the body, long, spindly legs, and a long, straight proboscis that it uses to feed on nectar from spring flowers, such as primroses and violets. Beeflies are on the wing in the early spring, when they can often be seen in sunny patches. In flight, they are even more like a bee as they produce a high-pitched buzz. There are several species of beefly in the UK, which can be difficult to tell apart; the Dark-edged Bee-fly has a dark edge to the wing, while others have plainer, translucent wings. [source Wildlife Trust website]
Dark-edged Beefly and Seven-spot Ladybird, for scale
Derek T reported a Beefly in his front garden on Cambridge Road today (23rd).
Jennifer commented this was first sighting of a Beefly this year in the Abingtons, slightly earlier than previous years, the first sightings being on 24th March in 2019 and 2017, and on 5th April in 2018.
Since this first report, Derek has seen two more Beefly is his garden, and Andy M saw one near the Old Railway Cutting and two in his garden - all in sunny spots (24th).
Looking like a bee, Beefly have yellowy-brown hair on the body, long, spindly legs, and a long, straight proboscis that it uses to feed on nectar from spring flowers, such as primroses and violets. Beeflies are on the wing in the early spring, when they can often be seen in sunny patches. In flight, they are even more like a bee as they produce a high-pitched buzz. There are several species of beefly in the UK, which can be difficult to tell apart; the Dark-edged Bee-fly has a dark edge to the wing, while others have plainer, translucent wings. [source Wildlife Trust website]
Dark-edged Beefly
photos Andy M 24th March 2020
Monday, 23 March 2020
Garden Birds
Jennifer H also had a bird tapping on her window today, although on this occasion it was Blue Tit, and this particular bird kept up the tapping for around twenty minutes! She also reports having a Robin singing beautifully in her garden this morning.
Blue Tit - tapping at its reflection in the window glass
Robin singing
Blackbird on the nest
Over the past few weeks, Andy M has been watching a female Blackbird refurbish a nest in his garden (from a suitable distance so as not to disturb her). In early March, the female was very much coming and going, and was seen carrying nest material at one stage. However, now she is quietly sitting and watching, and not moving off the nest when we walk around. I strongly suspect this means she is now incubating eggs.
Female Blackbird on the nest
(photo taken with a long lens from a suitable distance away)
Sunday, 22 March 2020
Old Railway Cutting walk
Andy M took a walk along the Old Railway Cutting early this morning, and heard a good number of birds singing: Blackbird, Wren, Robin, Song Thrush, Skylark, Chiffchaff and, for the first time this season, Blackcap.
Between the footpath and the Hildersham parish boundary, there appeared to be three singing male Chiffchaff and two male Blackcap, each staking out a territory and hoping to attract a mate.
Several Skylark were seen and heard singing whilst hovering high above the fields, and down below a Magpie was spotted collecting nesting materials.
The Blackthorn was starting to flower well, and old Thistle heads seemed to shine in the early morning light.
Between the footpath and the Hildersham parish boundary, there appeared to be three singing male Chiffchaff and two male Blackcap, each staking out a territory and hoping to attract a mate.
Several Skylark were seen and heard singing whilst hovering high above the fields, and down below a Magpie was spotted collecting nesting materials.
The Blackthorn was starting to flower well, and old Thistle heads seemed to shine in the early morning light.
Chiffchaff singing
Chiffchaff feeding on a fly
A Chiffchaff in the flowering Blackthorn - a very early spring combination!
Chaffchaff
A Magpie with some twiggy nest materials
Male Blackcap
A Skylark athletically sings continuously whilst hovering above the field
Blackthorn
Blackthorn
Last year's Thistle heads shining in the sun
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The Aims of Abington Naturewatch
