March
Spring is in the air, and the last week (from Monday 14th March) has seen an explosion of activity in the Willsbridge park. Birds are splitting up from their groups and pairing off. There is at least one longtailed tit nest in the reserve (hint: look in the bramble near the quarry area). Also jays are contact-calling with calls very like that of buzzards. I only hear them do this in spring during mating. There are several wrens singing, such a loud song for a tiny bird. Listen for the rapid high-pitched song punctuated by three or four tick-tick-tick notes.
Invertebrates are also emerging with the park's first butterflies. The yellow brimstone males constantly searching for the later emerging white females, peacocks and commas basking in the sunshine, each ready to drive off other insects that encroach their patch. Look out also in the patch of last year's bracken by the path leading to St Anne's church where I spotted at least four small tortoiseshell butterflies.
Celandines always do well at Willsbridge and they are well under way now although not yet at their peak.
Below is a small tortoiseshell butterfly, recently emerged from hibernation. Suffering from suspected parasite attacks numbers have plummeted in the last couple of decades but there are signs of them picking up in recent years.
The peacock (below), another butterfly that hibernates through the winter as an adult seeking shelter in sheds and other places out of the worst of the weather. The next generation will emerge in mid to late summer.
Dunnocks (below) are unassuming sparrow-like birds, but they are not sparrows. The males have a delightful song but females are rather fickle, often seeking to mate with more than one male.
Jays (below) are pairing off and nest building at this time of year. Despite their splendid plumage, they are corvids, like crows, rooks and magpies. Normally their call is a nasty sounding primal squawk but during mating they keep contact with a high pitched cry, somewhat similar to that of a buzzard. This has fooled me several times as buzzards are often seen over the park as well.
See you next month,
Mike.
Invertebrates are also emerging with the park's first butterflies. The yellow brimstone males constantly searching for the later emerging white females, peacocks and commas basking in the sunshine, each ready to drive off other insects that encroach their patch. Look out also in the patch of last year's bracken by the path leading to St Anne's church where I spotted at least four small tortoiseshell butterflies.
Celandines always do well at Willsbridge and they are well under way now although not yet at their peak.
Below is a small tortoiseshell butterfly, recently emerged from hibernation. Suffering from suspected parasite attacks numbers have plummeted in the last couple of decades but there are signs of them picking up in recent years.
The peacock (below), another butterfly that hibernates through the winter as an adult seeking shelter in sheds and other places out of the worst of the weather. The next generation will emerge in mid to late summer.
Dunnocks (below) are unassuming sparrow-like birds, but they are not sparrows. The males have a delightful song but females are rather fickle, often seeking to mate with more than one male.
Jays (below) are pairing off and nest building at this time of year. Despite their splendid plumage, they are corvids, like crows, rooks and magpies. Normally their call is a nasty sounding primal squawk but during mating they keep contact with a high pitched cry, somewhat similar to that of a buzzard. This has fooled me several times as buzzards are often seen over the park as well.
See you next month,
Mike.
posted by Mike Dimery at
1:51 PM
<< Home