SPOT THE BEE FLY ETC. ETC. Update 16 March 2022
Time for another update, thankfully, members are continuing to send in photos and reports of sightings. We start this update with a note and accompanying photographs from Roger Hoyle:
“Good morning Mike. Here are a couple of very poor images, we think it is a Stonechat. They are VERY large magnifications of the original image because we couldn't get near it and I only had the 60mm lens on the camera. We were walking by Tundry pond, Dogmersfield. Best wishes, Roger.”
Thanks Roger, well spotted, and even with the 60mm lens they are easily identifiable!
I received the following email from Katrina yesterday:
“Today’s spots, - Several Brimstone butterflies (all very bright, so males) and actively flying along Blackwater River, plus one Peacock butterfly and one Comma. Does this mean Spring is here! Katrina”
Which was followed up today with:
“I forgot to add the 2 Little Egrets, but they are often along the River. Best wishes, Katrina”
So, thanks Katrina for passing on your observations for us. As I said, Spring has certainly seems to have sprung along the Blackwater River!
Next up was Chris yesterday with the following note and a couple of photos:
“Hija, Signs and sounds of Spring at Moor Green Lakes this morning....... many chiffchaff singing and feeding all the way along, black headed gulls making one heck of a din as they jostled for partners and nest spaces, two oystercatchers on the same island.
The blackthorn was in full flower in places depending on the warmth. In one large clump were flowers on one side and hardly a bud out on the cooler side!! This gorse bush was completely covered in yellow. Both with bees and flies but so far no butterflies. Although I did have a male brimstone go through the garden yesterday. Celandine appearing in the garden and along the river’s edge. Chris”
I then received this from Chris this morning:
“I’ve had the frogspawn in the garden for about a week now, just noticed the marsh marigold has flower buds on! Lots of nesting activity this morning....the Magpie is searching everywhere in the garden for suitable twigs. Pity it doesn’t pick up those it drops! Also the female Blackbird was diving into cover with a beak full of nesting material. Looks like I’ll have to stop trying to clear out at the bottom of the garden now! Chris”
Thanks again Chris for your continuing contributions.
Then again this morning a couple more photos from Rob Agar our first Butterfly shots:
“Spotted in St Peter's Churchyard, Frimley 14/3/22....Red Admiral, one of two and missed the Brimstone...Rob”
Yesterday, Jenny and I took a wander around Lightwater Country Park in the hope of finding a few birds to try and photograph, however, it was not to be, we saw just two Blackbirds and a couple of Woodpigeons! The consolation prize was a stunning display of yellow Gorse stretching across the whole landscape and definitely worth a visit. Jenny took the following photograph:
We are continuing to have Redpolls in the garden and took this rather cute photo in the week:
