Insects again

Lovely warm day today. Almost spring-like! The cows seemed happy, though they drank their water rather quickly. They have moved to a new field which always keeps them happy for a few days.

I managed to identify the ground beetles from yesterday - 2 Badister bullatus and an Anchomenus dorsalis. Both are pretty common species, but quite nicely marked - a change from the usual black. Also found a 7-spot Ladybird yesterday on Ground Ivy by the edge of a field.

Today had two highlights. Insect-wise, the first butterfly for the fields for 2015. A solitary Small Tortoiseshell Aglais urticae was flying near the pond. In the garden under the feeders was a Reed Bunting. This is our first one at Beech House. It seemed to be a first winter female. Buzzard was quite noisy over the field and the Kestrel was hunting, so presumably there was quite a bit of small mammal acivity.

This is my old painting of A. dorsalis taken from the Peregrine Productions plate BTL4 Garden Ground Beetles

Insects! First Butterfly of the year for me.

A crisp, sunny morning today. Surprisingly warm as well. Went looking for Bumblebees in the garden, but none out yet. However, there was a male Brimstone Gonepteryx rhamni flying in Loddon as I drove through. I have planted 3 Alder Buckthorn and 2 Common Buckthorn around the garden over the last few years. So, you never know, Brimstones may breed here!

Down in Wilkins Wood, I overturned the cherry log and there were a few Ground Beetles. WIll see if I can identify the species.

In Sisland Carr, Bluebells and Dogs Mercury coming through. Surprised a Chinese Water Deer by the stream.

Grey Partridges

This week I have seen a couple of Grey Partridge Perdix perdix in or adjacent to our fields. We regularly get Red-legged Partridge, but I don't really regard them as 'proper' birds. They are probably released for shoots, like all the influx of dozy pheasants we get each year.

I saw a couple of Grey Partridge when we first moved here. These are the first ones since then. Hopefully they will hang around. The species is undergoing serious declines in numbers and distribution. So any birds are good news!

Today we also had a nice male Bullfinch Pyrrhula pyrrhula eating the buds in the Blackthorn hedge along our front garden. Always nice to see.

On the insect front, there are a few Harlequin Ladybirds Harmonia axyridis about. Not sure if this is something to celebrate or not!

More anon...

World Pangolin Day

To continue the non-insect theme, today is World Pangolin Day.

This annual event is intended to highlight the plight of these endangered mammals. they are apparently the most trafficked animals in the world and the Asian species are threatened with extinction.

More on:
https://www.facebook.com/WorldPangolinDay

Current reading matter

I know it is not insects, but I am currently reading a great book on frogs.
The book is 'In Search of Lost Frogs' by Robin Moore, published by Bloomsbury.

It tells the story of how the crisis in amphibian extinctions triggered a campaign to try to rediscover species that had not been seen for decades. It is fast paced, serious and reasonably optimistic. It is also full of exquisite photographs of frogs.

This has also inspired me to try to improve the garden and fields for amphibians. We regularly have newts but few toads and no frogs. So log piles are going in near the ponds and I am going to see what else I can do to tempt some frogs to breed.

Help save a rare endemic from extinction

Buglife are trying to highlight the plight of a rare spider.
It is under threat from cynical developers (no surprise there).
Please help.

 

The link to the fundraising page is:

 

http://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/save-our-spider

 

 

Update 7/3/15: The project was overfunded, so the surveys look like they will go ahead.