Local Round-up...a bit of a catch-up - part two.

This is the second instalment of Dave Helliar's regular round up of local wildlife from the past couple of weeks. To kick things off a trip to the wonderful Quantock Hills in Somerset and some very nice summer migrants. Pity all of these have vanished (or are very scarce) from the Blackdown Hills...just can't work out why the Blackdowns have become so unattractive to so many species?

Wood Warbler: D. Helliar

Pied Flycatcher: D. Helliar

Redstart: D. Helliar

Redstart: D. Helliar

Small Heath: D. Helliar

And from Devon (also disappeared from it's haunts on the Blackdown Hills...)

Wood White: D. Helliar

Wood White: D. Helliar

From closer to home on Dave's regular patch near Chard:

Long-tailed Tit: D. Helliar

Mandarin Ducks: D. Helliar

Roe Deer: D. Helliar

Great Black-Backed Gull - a local rarity!
D. Helliar

Grass Snakes: D. Helliar

Grass Snakes: D. Helliar

Grass Snakes: D. Helliar

Common Blue: D. Helliar

Large Red Damselfly: D. Helliar

Azure Damslefly: D. Helliar

Mayfly: D. Helliar

Local Round-up...a bit of a catch-up - part one.

That last few weeks has seen a flurry of good local birds, butterflies and other wildlife and Dave Helliar has been catching up with a few of them. Spring migrants and a few scarcer species too...including this lovely red-footed falcon at Morden Bog in Dorset.

Red-footed Falcon: D. Helliar

Green Woodpecker:D. Helliar

Flyover Osprey nr Chard: D. Helliar

An unexpected visitor was this unusual wagtail. The restricted white throat isn't pronounced enough for a full blown Iberiae nor all yellow (as would be expected in Blue-headed) and instead indicates a possible hybrid between the two?

Interesting wagtail showing traits of a hybrid
f. flava x iberiae: D. Helliar

Possible f. flava x iberiae wagtail nr Chard
D. Helliar

Red Kite nr Chard: D. Helliar

Hobby: D. Helliar

With the warmth comes more wildlife too:

Common Blue: D. Helliar

Common Lizard Z. vivipara: D. Helliar

Common Lizard Z. vivipara: D. Helliar

Common Lizard Z. vivipara: D. Helliar

Four-spotted Chaser L. quadrimaculata: D Helliar

Siskin...

I'm still getting quite a few Siskins in the garden at the moment, including several juvenile birds but star of today was this lovely male hanging out near the pond this morning.

Close...

Closer...

Closest!

Siskin: R. Harris

Siskin: R. Harris

Bats are staring to pick up too. The warmer evenings have started to produce more reliable numbers of the commoner species including Pipistrelle, Soprano Pipistrelle, a single Noctule and a flyover Daubenton's - a new species for the garden in Whitestaunton.

Spectograms:

Daubenton's Bat - note the shape and frequency of the
spectogram. 1st record for the garden.

Soprano Pipistrelle on the left (55KHz) compared
to Common Pipistrelle (45KHz) on the right.

Roll on the warmer weather. Can't wait to get more Noctules and the Serotines back in the garden too.

Herping weather...

The warmer weather is certainly bringing out our reptilian friends a bit more. Saw this beautiful and rather large female Grass Snake Natirx natrix helvetica at the weekend. She's just about ready to slough her skin - the dull colouration and milky eye indicate an imminent shed approaching. During this time she won't move too far as they also become more susceptible to predation.

Grass Snake Natrix natrix helvetica: R. Harris

Also a nice female Common Lizard Zootoca vivipara warming up in the morning sunshine.

Common Lizard Zootoca vivipara: R. Harris

And this one from a few weeks back that I'd forgotten about - regenerating a lost tail:

And another casualty who obviously had a close shave not too long ago...it's Latin name is so apt.

Slow Worm Anguis fragilis, male: R. Harris

Slow Worm Anguis fragilis, female: R. Harris

Cornwall...Part Two

More wildlife from Dave Helliar's recent week in Cornwall.

Nanjizal:

Stonechat: D. Helliar

Gannet: D. Helliar

Common Lizard, Zootoca vivipara: D. Helliar

Wall (1st record this year for Cornwall)
D. Helliar

Meadow Pipit: D. Helliar

Nr Buryan:

Iceland Gull: D. Helliar

Penberth:

Wren: D. Helliar

Nanquidno: 

Wheatear: D. Helliar

Devon/Cornwall border:

Yellowhammer: D. Helliar

Willow Tit: D. Helliar

Willow Tit: D. Helliar

Willow Tit: D. Helliar

Willow Tits are of course Nationally scarce these days so seeing them is hard enough but getting photos with a bridge camera is something else!

Thanks to Dave for sharing his photographs