Comma

Top: Comma, Bottom: Female Pintail

Had the first Comma of the year today. Buzzard and Pintail were the birding highlights of a quick visit.

I had 18 moths in the trap three nights ago and now the evenings are colder only two the following evening, none yesterday and nothing so far tonight.

Spring weather

8 Ruff migrating- circled farm before heading on

Little Owl- the regular bird along Commonside- also one heard from the Park

A pair of Teal. Quite a few of the wildfowl are paired up. Still about 60 Teal, 30 Shoveler, 12 Gadwall and the Pintail around.

Male Spring Flower Bee feeding on Goat Willow flowers

Lesser Celandine
Nice bit of weather today encouraged more flowering and insect emergence. A group of migrating Ruff was interesting. Also a few Buzzards over the last couple of days heralding the beginning of the spring raptor pasage.

Hackbridge Wildlife Corridors and Gateway to Beddington Farmlands

Wildflower meadows are an option that is being explored for the verges in Hackbridge

Lavender has an historical significance in the area and is also good for insects. The artist impression above is of lavender planting at Hackbridge Railway Station (Lysanne Horrox)

Even simple bulb planting can provide interest and nectar for insects. Artist impression of The Green, Hackbridge (Lysanne Horrox)

Neighbourhood Planning Group including members of London Borough of Sutton, CABE (Design Council), University College London, Bioregional, Beddington Farmlands Bird Group and local garden designers, green businesses, architects, estate directors and residents (Helen Barrowclough)

It has been non-stop meetings recently as things move towards presenting draft copies of the Neighbourhood Plan as part of new Localism developments. Beddington Farmlands is an integral part of the Hackbridge Neighbourhood Plan as one of the main objectives is connecting the Beddington Farmlands nature reserve to the River Wandle via Wildlife Corridors and wildlife networks through Hackbridge village. This will be a great development as it represents an important development in the way that wildlife is planned for- not just in reserves but as an integral part of the whole planning process connecting reserves through corridors via urban areas.

The proposal to develop the Beddington Farmlands Nature Reserve gateway and visitors centre in Hackbridge is also a priorty issue in the neighbourhood plan.

Native Spring at Beddington Farmlands

Red Admiral on Prunus flowers

An increase in Tufted Duck numbers

Common Quaker (One of the commoner moths around at the moment. Also March Moth, Small Quaker, Twin-spot Quaker, Pale Mottled Willow, Clouded Drab, Double-striped Pug and Hebrew Character

Goat Willow in flower. An increase in bees as the trees start to flower. Mainly Salix and Prunus at the moment but Hawthorn and Elder coming into leaf.

Colt's Foot

Speedwell sp probably Slender (cheers Steve) - a few early flowering plants providing food for the first emerging insects

Native birders waiting for Spring migrants

Still no spring migrants but plenty of spring activity amongst the native wildlife. On the bird front today 1 2nd winter Iceland Gull, Cetti's Warbler, 2 Curlew, 3 Water Pipit, 5 Snipe, 4 Green Sandpiper and loads of singing resident passerines.

Real early Spring

2nd winter Iceland Gull

Small, Common and Twin-spot Quaker and Clouded Drab (above). March moth (below).

Treecreeper in the same tree as a Little Owl and a group of 8 Redpoll were the high light of the day. Still looking for the first Wheatear or Sand Martin with no luck yet. However the native spring continues to unfold. Displaying Lapwings, lots of singing passerines and some subtle migration including an increase of Tufted Ducks (80+) and about 8-9 Green Sandpipers.
Plenty of moth action in the calm mild evenings- March moths, Common and Small Quakers predominate with the odd Twin-spot Quaker, a few Beauties and some micros.
Colts-foot is beginning to turn the side of the mounds yellow.
First and second winter Iceland Gulls still present.

Spring shoots

Still four Iceland Gulls (above) and the Kumlien's about

This female Pintail has been putting in irregular appearances

Hairy Bitter-cress
A few more flowering plants, few more insects, the first Redshank for the year, flocking Fieldfares, prospecting Shelducks and migrant waterfowl are all part of the unfolding Spring.
I finally managed to see 2-3 Pheasants on 100 acre that have been present all year but proving to be very elusive.

March Moths

Looks like food for the summer migrants is appearing ahead of them- I had this lot in the moth trap last night/this morning - 5 Common Quakers, 2 March Moths, a plume sp (emmelina monodactyla?), 2 micros (agonopterix sp?) and a massive bee. They all sat still for the photo- eventually!
Quaker action here: http://peteralfrey.blogspot.com/2012/03/quakers.html