Not a combination you see every day: a Redshank passing some golden Coltsfoot, growing near the river’s edge …
Redshank and Coltsfoot
21 Monday Mar 2022
Posted in birds, wildflowers
Fritillary
20 Sunday Mar 2022
Posted in wildflowers
When the word fritillary is not being used to name a butterfly, it refers instead to several species of flowers, members of the Lily family, in particular the gorgeous Snake’s-head fritillary (Fritillaria meleagris). Interestingly, the Oxford Dictionary gives the following explanation of the word’s origin: ‘Mid 17th century from modern Latin fritillaria, from Latin fritillus “dice box” (probably with reference to the chequered corolla of the snake’s head fritillary).’ I was surprised to find several Snake’s-head fritillaries in flower today, in a location I’ve not seen them before, almost certainly planted rather than wild but beautiful just the same.
As busy as a beetle
19 Saturday Mar 2022
Posted in insects
An idiom we often use to describe someone who has a lot to do is ‘as busy as a bee’ but have you ever watched a beetle going about its everyday chores? They can be just as busy as bees.
With over 4000 species of beetle in Britain, it’s almost impossible to identify them with examining their genitals (!), so I haven’t even tried to put a name to this little one. I simply enjoyed watching the sun catch its glimmering carapace as it beetled busily along.
Bee-flies are go!
18 Friday Mar 2022
Actually, keen-eyed bee-fly fanciers have been spotting these fuzzy little beasties for a week or so now, and by 14 March, 14 records – all in England – had been entered in to the recording system. And yesterday, in warm sunshine and alongside a sheltered footpath with plenty of flowering Lesser celandine, I finally saw my first bee-fly of the year. This is a Dark-edged bee-fly (Bombylius major); although there are other species in Britain, this is the only species local to me.
For everything you might ever want to know about bee-flies, there’s a fantastic presentation The A to Z of Bee-flies on the FSC Biodiversity channel on YouTube.
Second Peacock
17 Thursday Mar 2022
Finally a butterfly that settled long enough for a photo. This Peacock was my fifth butterfly, third species for 2022.
Sunbathing bugs
16 Wednesday Mar 2022
Tags
British bugs, Common Green Shieldbug, Coreus marginatus, Dock bug, Dolycoris baccarum, Hairy shieldbug, Palomena prasina
The shallow bowl shape of the leaves of Winter heliotrope were perfect for the bugs enjoying Monday’s warm spring sunshine. In one small sheltered area I found several Common green shieldbugs (Palomena prasina) . . .
two Hairy shieldbugs (Dolycoris baccarum) . . .
and two Dock bugs (Coreus marginatus).
The smallest gull in the world
15 Tuesday Mar 2022
Tags
birding, birdwatching, British birds, Cardiff Bay birding, Hydrocoloeus minutus, Little gull, spring passage
Local birders have been treated to another striking gull visitor to Cardiff Bay in recent days, this time an adult Little gull (Hydrocoloeus minutus). They can often be seen locally at this time of year as they move from their over-wintering locations to their breeding grounds but they can be difficult to spot, especially if they are flying in the centre of the Bay.
These are the smallest gulls in the whole wide world – compare the size of the Little gull perched on the buoys with the Black-headed gull standing next to it. Their size is one distinguishing feature, but the best way to pick out the adults is from their wing colours, light grey with a white edging on top, very dark grey with that white edging underneath. The wing shape – often described as paddle-shaped – is also distinctive.
Another percher
14 Monday Mar 2022
Posted in insects
How lucky am I? After blogging last week about my delight at having a hoverfly sit on my hand, I’ve had another tiny percher. This time it was a bee, possibly a Yellow-legged mining-bee (Andrena flavipes), but don’t quote me on that. It was reluctant to fly off, as it was a cool day, so I carried it along with me until I got to a willow with open catkins, which my little flying friend was happy to move on to.
Modestly cheerful
13 Sunday Mar 2022
Posted in nature, spring, wildflowers
Tags
British wildflowers, Common whitlowgrass, Erophila verna, signs of spring, sping wildflowers, Spring colour
‘Modestly cheerful’ – this is how Richard Mabey describes Common whitlowgrass (Erophila verna) in Flora Britannica. He continues: ‘The small white flowers are amongst the first to appear in March, and are followed by seed-pods a little like miniaturised versions of honesty’s.’
He also explains that the name is due to the plant’s use by medieval herbalists to treat whitlows, not a medical condition I was familiar with but which the Oxford Dictionary defines as ‘an abscess in the soft tissue near a fingernail or toenail’. I don’t recommend a Google image search as the condition looks quite gruesome, but these wildflowers, often present in large massed displays, are a delight.
First Spring Wheatear
12 Saturday Mar 2022
I was just about to head home from Cosmeston when I got word there was a Wheatear in the southern end of the west paddock – I was at the northern end. Back I stomped and splashed – it’s exceedingly muddy there after all the recent rain – and enjoyed close views of this very handsome bird, as well as a lovely catch up with a female birding friend. I’ve since seen reports of Wheatears in other locations today – Spring migration has begun!
earthstar 
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