Update on Lime Hawk-moth !

It was the 15th August 2012 when the last two caterpillars decided it was time to dig in to the soil to change into a chrysalis: http://allmarsh.blogspot.co.uk/2012/08/caterpillarsgoing-under12082012.html

The original Lime Hawk-moth was found on the 15th June 2012 so almost 12 months have passed!

Well today the first one has emerged, hopefully there will be more but I am well pleased to see that one has survived and emerged after what has seemed to have been a very long time under the soil and after such a cold and long Winter.

I have had to lighten many of the images as it was a little difficult to get a good image due to the position of the moth in the box. 


16.30pm

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An April catch-up in May!

1st April:
Lower Smite Farm and Hillers Farm Shop.

It had been a long while since my last walk around Lower Smite Farm, a cold day so it was good to have a good walk! Yellowhammer, Chiffchaff, Robin, Blue & Great Tit, House Sparrow, Sparrowhawk and Kestrel were all seen on the walk. It was  a pleasure to sit and watch the House Sparrows on and around the feeders, a sight I had in my garden once upon a time but not anymore.

 

 

Later in the afternoon a first visit to Hillers Farm Shop was made and most enjoyable it was too. Apart from the delicious food they serve and sell they have bird feeders and a hide at the far end of the Farm shops/Garden centre, a lovely idea and a good idea to get people interested in birds and Wildlife! A Muntjac was a nice surprise to see feeding fairly close with a Pheasant for company.

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Several visits were made to Brake Mill Pool and Brake Lane during April. Varying numbers of Goosander were seen on several occasions on the pool during the early part of April. Mistle thrush, Fieldfare, Blackcap, Chiffchaff, Whitethroat, Grey Wagtail, Green and Great Spotted Woodpecker, Swallow, House Martin, Kestrel and Buzzard werre a few of the highlight species seen during the month.

 

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Buzzards galore at Severn Valley Country Park , well 7 to be precise! It was a real treat watching them circling in the thermals. The marsh area was quiet with just Canada Geese, Coot, Moorhen and Mallard to be seen. The views were excelllent as it was such a clear and sunny day!

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Several visits were also made during the month  to the area of Whittington, nr Stourbridge where Wheatears and soaring Buzzards were the stars of the show though I must also mention the singing Skylarks and hovering Kestrels which played their parts magnificiently!

There were 5 Wheatears perched at one point, I think they were enjoying the heat!

 Spot the birdie!

This sheep somehow managed to find it's way out of the field where the flock were but soon was bleating to return to them! It followed me up the track at one point, I felt like Little Bo Peep! It did return home wagging his tail behind him!

 

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A visit to Forge Mill Farm, Sandwell was made though there was  not much in the way of birds to report about. However a rather handsome looking  Bull and cute calves were delightful to see.

 

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 Dowles Brook, Wyre Forest came up trumps today (28th) with a pair of Pied Flycatchers and two female Redstarts being the absolute stars of the day! To have had good views of the Pied Flycatchers feeding and perching for around an hour was brill and then two Redstarts arrived! It was lovely to get such good sightings of these stunning looking birds!

  

Wood Warbler was heard only, a pair of Mandarin Ducks, Grey Wagtail x2, Marsh Tit, Blackcap pair, Siskin, Redpoll, Goldcrest, Green and Great Spotted Woodpecker and a Nuthatch being other highlights! A Muntjac was fleetingly seen and Peacock Butterflies were spotted several times but surprisingly not a single Brimstone today. At long last we are now seeing some colour in the form of Cowslips, Forget-me-knots, Cuckoo Flower and Common-dog Violets to name a few.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Somerset Levels....19th-21st April 2013‏

First stop was RSPB Swell Wood NR to see and hear the Heronry though this had to wait after being informed that Common Cranes had been seen from one of the woodland viewpoints! Distant views were had of 5 Cranes, they seemed so mobile, hardly stopping in one place for long.

We were informed that a count had recently been taken of the Heron nests, 77 being the total number of nests though normally 100+ would be the average count. Good views were had of the chicks as their parents returned to the nest with food. A few of the adults were bill clapping, it reminded me of hearing White Storks in Portugal doing the same thing but the Storks were much louder!

 

 

 

 

 

Next stop was RSPB Greylake, Reed Bunting, Lapwing, Coot, Mallard, Mute Swan and Little Egret x3 were the highlight and practically the only birds seen on a short visit. A 'loop' walk around the reed beds in search of Bearded Tits was fruitless though with the wind blowing as it was it was hardly surprising.

 

 

 

 

 RSPB Ham Wall NR was a real treat today as the sun was shining and the birds were in full voice. Reed, Sedge and Grasshopper Warbler were heard only. Willow and Cetti's Warbler, Chiffchaff, Whitethroat and Blackcap were seen and heard, great to see the Summer migrants back!

Bittern x3 in flight and Bitterns booming throughout the day were a sheer delight to see and also to hear their booming which could be heard from what seemed to be several areas around the reserve! A Great White Egret also Marsh Harrier x3 were seen in flight and to witness a pair of Marsh Harriers performing a food pass was a bonus! Hobby x2, Garganey, Common Sandpiper were also good to see though the main attraction for a lot of the birders present was the Pied-billed Grebe, I heard it call once but did not see it! No matter as I had had a great walk around Ham Wall and had some delightful sightings and heard some delightful calls and song. Late morning from the car park I spotted a Red Kite over the reserve, another delightful bird to see.

 

 

 

 

 

Shapwick Heath NNR was visited after lunch and a pleasure to see were 55 Black-tailed Godwits in summer plumage, though distant good scope views were had of these stunning looking birds, one each of Pintail and Redshank were spotted close to the Godwits. Arctic Terns x12 were later viewed from Noah's Hide ( a lovely name for a hide), though cloud cover had arrived the views of the Terns was still good!  

 

 

 

 

Several Brimstone and  Peacock Butterflies put in fleeting appearances when the sun shone   over the weekend .

 

On the way home a drive through Cheddar Gorge was made having not visited here before and wasn't it an eye opener! The heights of the cliff faces are mind blowing. One of the car pull-in places had been partly cordoned off due to a land slide, this was a little unnerving to say the least! The caves I will leave for others to explore as they really do not appeal to me.

It seemed quite surreal driving through the Gorge after a weekend on the Somerset 'Levels'!

 

 

 

All in all it was a super weekend in a most delightful County!