Tuesday, April 23, 2013

Sunburn and Bees

Up early and in the square by 6am in the hope of migrant birds in the scrub. Nothing new, I guess they're passing over at height in the glorious weather? Flying insects were more noticeable today, additions being Holly Blue (egglaying on Common Gorse), Small White, Common Wasp, Common Carder Bee, Tree Bee (both lifers) and Honeybee. I'm studiously ignoring hoverflies until the ID guide I've ordered arrives!

Plantwise there were a few additions; Field Wood-rush finally doing it's thing and enabling me to identify it, garden escapees were Balkan Anemone Anemone blanda (glabrous sepals) and Garden Hyacinth Hyacinthus orientalis. Black Ants were all over the pavements and sunburn was all over my arms and neck. Apart from the wide band of paleness where my binocular strap sits...

Additions today are as follows:

425 - Field Wood-rush - very common but I was waiting for it to start flowering to firm up the ID
426 - Common Wasp - sunning itself on Ivy leaves
427 - Balkan Anemone Anemone blanda - garden escapee, naturalised opposite houses (LIFER!)
428 - Garden Hyacinth Hyacinthus orientalis - garden escapee, 1 plant beneath trees. Bizzare!
429 - Small White - several seen along woodland rides/near gardens
430 - Common Carder Bee - 1 trapped and studied whilst at Lungwort (LIFER...yeah yeah, I know...!)
431 - Black Garden Ant Lasius niger - suddenly everywhere along pavements/bottoms of walls etc
432 - Honeybee - several nectaring at Gorse flowers
433 - Alsike Clover - leaves noted at only known site on Epsom Common
434 - Tree Bee - 1 at Lungwort by gardens, 1 in woodland (LIFER!)
435 - Wood Anemone - patch near Bramble Heath, phew, pressure off!
436 - Holly Blue - a female egglaying on Common Gorse, not seen that before
437 - Rosebay Willowherb - leaves coming through
438 - Hop - fresh growth sprouting up last years' tendrils

Hoping the hoverfly and bee guides arrive first thing tomorrow, I reckon 450 could be acheivable by end of play tomorrow - with luck!

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