Catch-up time! (1)

Worcs W T Broadmoor Wood N R....20/05/2012


I visited this Ancient Woodland for the first time at the end of April last year on a sunny and warm afternoon, the heady scent of the Bluebells filled the air! Today it was overcast and sadly a lot of the Bluebell plants had been almost flattened by the heavy rains! However there were still plenty to see and enjoy. A Blackcap was singing his heart out as it perched in a tree adjacent to the entrance of the wood, Chiffchaff and Song Thrush were heard only on the walk through the wood. Blue Tits, Great Tits and Blackbirds (singing) were in abundance and I was well pleased to see a Goldcrest and Wren as they frantically scoured the trees and shrubs for insects. I spotted a Warbler but couldn't ID it from sight, now if it had sung for me I might have got an ID.lol! A lone Canada Goose was on the pool, strangely there was just one Canada Goose there last year, it must be fond of this area. A few Marsh Marigolds were in flower, always a delight to see these cheery flowers. A pleasing visit today especially seeing the Wildflowers in and coming into bloom, the only downside was having to take extra care when walking the narrow paths after the recent heavy rains as they were very,very muddy!







Yellow Archangel


Greater Stitchwort


Herb Robert


  Canada Goose



Longhorn Moth



Fungi. I have no idea as to the ID of these Fungi, ID's would be appreciated!




Bunkers Hill Wood...26/05/2012

It was a glorious sunny morning and the birds were singing! A highlight today was seeing Longhorn Moths as they flitted and seemingly danced around the tree branches in the sunshine, suitable music to accompany them would have been welcomed.lol! Highlight birds were Song Thrush, Whitethroat, Yellowhammer, Robin, Dunnock, Chaffinch, Goldfinch, Chiffchaff, Skylark, Great Spotted Woodpecker and a pair of Great Tits that are once again nesting in the upright pole of a field gate as
they did last year, presumably the same pair.

Algarve Finale.

It was good to see a few creatures other than birds whilst out and about. Not many Dragonflies and Damselflies were seen and those that were spotted were much too flighty for any possible ID. There were plenty of clouds of gnats about so I was well sprayed with Insect Repellant however I did get bitten 4 times which is a record few amount for me!

I almost trod on this Egyptian Grasshopper as I was looking up to the sky at the time.lol! A lovely creature.

I believe this to be a species of Rove Beetle.

 

Again I am not quite sure on the ID though I believe this is a Dung Beetle.

The Crabs at Quinta do Lagos were very skitty but I managed a quick pic!

I have been informed that this is a Robber Fly (sp). It flew into the car and landed on the dashboard, I soon shooed it away after taking the photo!!!

A Snail tree! There were huge numbers of them on the branches and post!!

I think this is a Pug Moth (sp), a very pretty little moth. Not many moths were seen during the holiday, maybe due to the strong winds at times.

This Marbled White was the only Butterfly I managed to photograph due to the strong winds making the butterflies flighty and not settling for too long. Butterflies species seen were Common Blue, Monarch, Meadow brown, Small Copper, White and Yellow species, the latter were not easy to ID as they hardly ever settled.

I love to see the Iberian Hares but they take off as soon as they spot you. A few youngsters were seen and they were surprisingly placid compared to the adults, I suppose they are still on a learning curve.

This Viperine Water Snake was a first for me in the Algarve, it was a thrill to watch as it swam in the Lagoon at Lagoa dos Salgados!

The Snake above was spotted whilst watching these European Pond Turtles! They surface as people walk over the lagoon bridge in the hope of a tasty treat being thrown in for them!

The Spring wildflowers were delightful to see with many vineyards, fields and scrublands awash with colour! The Red Poppies in particular stood out amongst the yellow, white and blue flowers in many a field and vineyard. I would have liked to have photographed them but in some cases I would have been trespassing and in most cases there was nowhere along the roads to park up. They really were a joy to see. It makes a refreshing change to see such colour rather than the dust covered vegetation as the weeks progress to high summer and Autumn. A few images ( well a lot actually) to follow of flowers that were accessible.
Anchusa Bazurea

Cistanche

Cistus

Common Birds-foot Trefoil

Corn Chamomile

Corn Chamomile

Crown Daisy

Crown Daisy

Dwarf Mallow

Hottentot Fig

Red Hottentot Fig

Illyrian Thistle

Mallow-leaved Bindweed

Sea Holly

Sea Squill

Small Tree Mallow

Wild Carrot

Wild Gladiolus

The Algarve at it's greenest.lol!

That's all folks! My thanks are extended to anyone who has viewed and to those who have kindly commented on my Algarve postings.


Lagoa dos Salgados boardwalk and dunes.

Sunset at Lagoa dos Salgados.