Saturday 16 April 2011

High Spring





This is now officially the peak period for spring migration at Beddington (mid April to early May). I was in the kebab shop when 2 Common Cranes flew over but I did have a female Marsh Harrier (pic 1), 2 Common Buzzard, 1 LRP, 3 Yellow Wagtail, 5 Meadow Pipit, 2 Swallow, 2 House Martin, 20+ Whitethroat, 1 Lesser Whitethroat (first of the year), 15+ Blackcap, 5 Chiffchaff, 1 Willow Warbler, 3 Reed Warbler and 11 Wheatear (pic 3). Only 1-2 Green Sandpipers left now (pic 2), 25+ Teal, 3 Shoveler, 7 Gadwall and there were 1-2 Little Owl along the path. Good to see 2 Skylarks prospecting on the mound.

Also did some more natural history stuff with Steve and Derek- plenty of plant ticks and some insects including this parasitic bee with some long scientific name or other (pic 4).

6 comments:

Chris Townend (Jaffa) said...

All hotting up Mr Alfrey. That's what I call professional, bins and camera to hand even in the Kebab Shop!

Peter Alfrey said...

don't talk to me about hotting up- you on fire Mr Jaffa!!

Rachel Anne Walls said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Rachel Anne Walls said...

What were you doing in the kebab house at midday? This isn't part of our fitness regime!!

Peter Alfrey said...

sorry rach, I've just had a bowl of museli instead of a Sunday roast to compensate.

Peter Alfrey said...

Derek Coleman kindly identified the bees- in a colony near the main entrance gate

The yellow and black one is Nomada fucata, which is a cleptoparasite of Andrena flavipes.

The small black bee is Lasioglossum malachurum which is parasitised by Sphecodes monilicornis.

So both these other species were probably present.