Sunday 18 September 2016

Webs Day

0930 - 1100 Grey, dull, brightening later

A quick visit to count the birds on the water....quick mostly because I had the company of my son...as he is only 7 he doesn't have the longest patience....so it was count and move...

However....he was impressed with the 200+ Starling flying up from the sheep field, landing on the line and making it sag quite considerably....

...this was from a few days ago and not so many on a line near by...

....and he even mentioned re-visiting the murmeration we saw last year over at Laddingford....he was also impressed with the geese numbers, see below.....

I suppose the 'big story' is the return of the ducks, the return of Autumn....

....this Poplars leaves are going yellowy green...turning for winter.....

....increased Pochard numbers and the arrival of good numbers of Wigeon....

Mallard 1, Grey Heron 4, Coot 98, Tufted Duck 3, Gadwall 8, Pochard 9, Little Grebe 3, Great Crested Grebe 4, Mute Swan 9, Cormorant 1, Moorhen 10, Wigeon 38, Shoveler 1, Greylag Geese 84, Canada Geese 263, Black-headed Gull 9, Herring Gull 1

So what else impresses a 7 year old....try this.....burrowing bees....there were at least a couple of hundred all with individual holes in a pile of sand in the quarry area and he was very impressed with them....fascinating....but what species are they....


possibly...Colletes or Halictus species....all burrowing bees...

Finally....took these pictures a few days ago....I was interested in the 'two-tone' colouration of the flower....turns out to, possibly, be a bit of an oddity....a rosette from two plants growing together...



...Flatweed (or Cats ear), Hypochaeris radicata and
Autumn Hawkbit, Scorzoneroides autumnalis


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