Sunday 31 May 2015

Sunday 31st May 2015

0940 - 1020 rain, 11c : Swift 25+, House Martin 12, Swallow 10+, Sand Martin 10+, LBB Gull 4, BH Gull 7, Pied Wagtail 4 (2 young birds), Blackcap, Chiffchaff, Blackbird 5, Robin, Starling 20, House Sparrow 4, Moorhen, Heron 2, Cormorant juv., Oystercatcher 2, Lapwing 6, GC Grebe 2, etc.
Pied Wagtail juvenile birds, and Swallows.

Saturday 30 May 2015

Jewels in the Grass

Common Blue butterflies at Aldridge this afternoon. The third & fourth shots are of a female with practically all-blue wings.

Saturday 30th May 2015

1100 - 1230 sunny between clouds, 14c : Little Ringed Plover 4, Lapwing 2, Oystercatcher 2, Mute Swan pair + 5 cygnets, Heron, Canada Goose 40+, Mallard 30+, Tufted 4, GC Grebe 3, Moorhen, Coot 10, Herring Gull 2, LBB Gull 8, BH Gull 6, Swift 6, Willow Warbler, Pied Wagtail, Reed Bunting 2m, Skylark, Green Woodpecker, Linnet, Goldfinch 2, Greenfinch, Dunnock, Blackbird, Song Thrush, Stock Dove 2, Buzzard, House Sparrow 2, Jackdaw 6, C Crow 2, Magpie 10+. Also seen today - Blue-tailed Damselfly, Brimstone 2m, Orange Tip m, Small White, Large White, Speckled Wood, Dingy Skipper, Burnet Companion 2, Wolf Spider. (PPN / GWR). At Aldridge 1420 - Common Blue 2m & 1f, Peacock, Small Tortoiseshell, Large White, Burnet Companion 3, Grass Pyralid. Also Long-tailed Tit 2 & Chiffchaff.
Photo's show Green-veined White, hoverfly, Longhorn moth & Orange Tip male at roost on Cuckoo Flower (with 2 orange eggs visible on stem), all on 10th May 2015. All of the ground plants along the footpath including the cuckoo flowers with Orange Tip eggs on, were obliterated a few days later due to the councils (or waterways board?) "scorched earth" mowing and strimming policy.

Thursday 28 May 2015

Thursday 28th May 2015

1500 - 1530 westerlies, 15c : Cormorant, Greylag, Heron 3, Mute Swan pair + 5 cygnets, GC Grebe 5, LBB Gull 133, Herring Gull 6, BH Gull 9, Lapwing 2, Oystercatcher 2, Moorhen, Pied Wagtail, Swift 2, House Sparrow 5.

Wednesday 27 May 2015

Wednesday 27th May 2015

1200 - 1300 fairly sunny but breezy 14c : Willow Warbler 2, Blackcap, Reed Bunting, Skylark, Pied Wagtail, Linnet 2, House Martin, Sand Martin 3, Song Thrush, GC Grebe, Mute Swan pair + 5 cygnets, Heron, Canada's 50, Tufted 5, Mallard 30+, Coot 10+, LBB Gull 103, Herring Gull 4, BH Gull 3, Oystercatcher 2, Lapwing. At 2000 a "Commic" Tern flew over the canal bridge near Brickyard Road & 20 Swifts were flying over Stubbers Green.
Also seen - Dingy Skipper 3, Speckled Wood, Peacock, Orange Tip 2m, Green-veined White 2, Longhorn moth.

Tuesday 26 May 2015

Tuesday 26th May 2015

1200 - 1315 cloudy, 12c : Oystercatcher 3, Lapwing 3, Little Ringed Plover, GC Grebe 3, Moorhen 2, Coot 9, BH Gull 6, LBB Gull 21, Mute Swan pair + cygnets, Swift 3, Swallow 2, House Martin 5, Sand Martin 2, Grey Wagtail, Pied Wagtail 3, Skylark, Reed Bunting, Chiffchaff, Willow Warbler 2, Linnet 3, Goldfinch 3, Greenfinch, Long Tailed Tit 5, House Sparrow 4, Starling 12, Dunnock, Wren, Robin, Song Thrush, Blackbird 4, Buzzard etc.

Photo's : Buzzard & corvids today. Also seen - Speckled Wood 2, Peacock, Froghopper 2, Green Flower Beetles 5. (GWR)

Sunday 24 May 2015

Sunday 24th May 2015

0845 - 0930 drizzle, 11c : Lapwing 4, Little Ringed Plover, LBB Gull 5, BH Gull 18, GC Grebe 2, Mallard 43, Tufted 3, Coot 10, Moorhen, Heron 2, Mute Swan pair + 5 cygnets at Sailing Club side, Canada's 40, Swift 20+, Swallow 12, House Martin 3, Sand Martin 4, Skylark, Pied Wagtail, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Great Tit 2, Blue Tit, Long Tailed Tit 2, Chiffchaff, Willow Warbler, Song Thrush, Blackbird 4, Robin, Dunnock, Wren 2, House Sparrow 2, Starling 8, Jackdaw, Carrion Crow 2, Magpie 9, Wood Pigeon 5, Goldfinch 2, Bullfinch, Chaffinch 2, Greenfinch.

Saturday 23 May 2015

Saturday 23rd May 2015

A quick look when passing at 0745 : Little Ringed Plover, Lapwing 2, Pied Wagtail, Swift 4, Chiffchaff, Long Tailed Tit 2, Blackbird, plus usuals. Collared Dove 3 at Shelfield. 2 Oystercatcher were present yesterday and the Swans & 5 cygnets were on the Sailing Club shore ramp.
Photo's show a Canada Goose and two passing trucks in the quarry on 13th May.

Wednesday 20 May 2015

Wednesday 20th May 2015

1010 - 1045, overcast, bitter NW wind, 9c : Swallow 25+, House Martin 11 some collecting mud from Swag shore, Sand Martin 10+, Swift 6, Little Ringed Plover, Lapwing 2, Blackcap, Chiffchaff, Pied Wagtail, Skylark, Goldfinch, Greenfinch, Blackbird 2, Starling 8, Dunnock, Robin, Wren, Long Tailed Tit 4, Great Tit, Stock Dove, Heron, GC Grebe 4, LBB Gull 7, BH Gull 3 Coot 17, Moorhen 2. Also present were the usual Mallard/Tufted/Canada's/Magpie/C Crow/Jackdaw/Wood Pigeon.
Photo's - Robin & Whitethroat on 17th May.

Tuesday 19 May 2015

Tuesday 19th May 2015

1530 - 1550, showers, westerly wind, 10c : Pied Wagtail 7, LBB Gull 15, BH Gull 2, Lapwing 2, Mute Swan pair + 5 cygnets, GC Grebe 2, all three Hirundines 50+, etc.
Cuckoo at Belvide Reservoir this morning. The likelihood of seeing one at Stubbers Green these days is remote...(GWR)

Monday 18 May 2015

Monday 18th May 2015

1400, westerlies, only 9c : Oystercatcher 2, GC Grebe 2, Heron, LBB Gull 8, Herring Gull, Swallow 7, Chiffchaff, Long-tailed Tit 2, Goldfinch, Canada Goose goslings 22.
Crab Apple Blossom, Bramble Sawfly & Flower Beetles yesterday. (GWR)

Sunday 17 May 2015

Sunday 17th May 2015

0930 - 1030 : Lapwing 2, Little Ringed Plover, Swift 30+, Swallow 5, House Martin 4, Whitethroat 2, Blackcap, Willow Warbler, Skylark, Pied Wagtail 3, Linnet 2, Song Thrush, Blackbird 2, LBB Gull 4, BH Gull 14, GC Grebe 7, Mute Swan pair + 6 cygnets had a swim around the Swag before heading back to Swan Pool, Stock Dove 2. Oystercatcher 2 & Greylag Goose were present on Saturday.
Photo's - Froghopper & Wolf Spider today, and Orange Tip male at roost on 10th May.

Friday 15 May 2015

Friday 15th May 2015

0945 - 1015 : Little Ringed Plover 2, Lapwing, Oystercatcher 2, LBB Gull 9, BH Gull 11, Swift 18, Swallow 6, House Martin 2, Sand Martin 10+, Chiffchaff, Blackcap, LT Tit 2, GC Grebe 2, Mute Swan pair + 6 cygnets.
Probable Yellow-legged Gull immature, 1st summer.

Thursday 14 May 2015

Thursday 14th May 2015

Kevin C. reported a first-summer Yellow-legged Gull, Little Ringed Plover 2, Oystercatcher 2 & GC Grebe 10, in the early morning. Between 1030 - 1115 the following were present - Greylag, Heron, LBB Gull 10, YL Gull 1st s., Herring Gull, BH Gull 11, GC Grebe 5, Swallow 30+, Sand Martin 10, House Martin 4, Swift 4, Whitethroat, Chiffchaff, Pied Wagtail, Mistle Thrush. The Mute Swans have had 6 cygnets hatch, a few photo's enclosed. (KC/PPN/GWR).

Wednesday 13 May 2015

Wednesday 13th May 2015

1330 - 1445 becoming cloudy, 15c : Whitethroat 2, Blackcap 2, Willow Warbler, Swift 7, Swallow 2, Skylark, Reed Bunting, Bullfinch, Long Tailed Tit 4, Common Tern, Heron 2, Mute Swan pair, GC Grebe 5, Lapwing 3, LBB Gull 12, Buzzard 2.
Also seen - Dingy Skipper (photo) 2, Burnet Companion, Orange Tip 2m, Green-veined White 3, Speckled Wood 2, Peacock 3. (GWR)

Tuesday 12th May 2015

Kevin Clements advised that a Shelduck was present during the day, the bird was still to be seen at rest at 1700. Also seen were GC Grebe 7, Greylag, Heron, Mute Swan pair, LBB Gull 7 & a Chiffchaff.
Record shots of Shelduck (where did that gull come from!), Raven diving over the quarry and a Swift on 10th May. Also a Kestrel on the same date.

Monday 11 May 2015

Monday 11th May 2015 Insect Update

1100 - 1300 sunny but breezy, 18c : Orange Tip 5m, Large White 2, Small White 3, Green-veined White 3, Speckled Wood 6 (including mating pair), Peacock 5, Holly Blue (seen at Rushall), Metallic Longhorn 6, Tortrix moth Grapholita Lunulana, Green Flower Beetle 6 (of 2 species), Orange Carder Bumblebee 2, Harlequin Ladybird 3 (very variable), Hoverflies of four species, to be determined. Also seen - Blackcap 2, Whitethroat 2, Willow Warbler, Swallow 3, LBB Gull 7, Lapwing, Kestrel.
Photo's show Bee-Wasp (nomada), Green Flower Beetles, Carder Bee, Speckled Wood mating pair, male Orange Tip, Tortrix (G. lunulana), Harlequin Ladybird.