No Butterflies seen at all today which is not surprising, I did manage to see my first Red Tailed Bumblebee of the year, looked like it was suffering from the low temperature.
- Cold but bright conditions for this morning's walk, I spent a few minutes watching the
in their nesting tree near Two ponds, certainly seem a bit more confiding now, the usual mass exodus from the various holes in the tree is less obvious, their young must be getting near fledging now.
all adding their voices to the morning chorus.
A young Rabbit was seen today always a scarce sighting here for me, close by some Archangel nearly coming to bloom.
was sitting in its usual tree, slightly worrying was the sight of a Grey Squirrel sitting above the nesting hole, to be honest they did not seem bothered by each other's presence.
heard singing today.
flying over the woodland was a new bird for this site bringing the total to 71 species
Bright sunny morning even if the temperature was on the cool side, Butterflies, Bees still quite scarce, although there seemed to be a lot of Bee flies around. especially around the Primroses.
I did notice this evidence of some type of Mining Bee I think.
Bluebells are starting to provide there annual show in the woodlands and bringing in the crowds to admire them.
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| Little Owl |
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| Song Thrush |
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| Discarded Song Thrush eggshell |
13th April - Some warm sunny weather tempted us into a longer than usual walk today taking in the whole of Jeskyns country park.
Skylarks were everywhere in the pastures , singing from the sky, keeping a wary eye from the many fence posts around the fields, one particular bird was very reluctant to leave its chosen fence post allowing me to get some photographs.
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| Skylark |
While watching the Skylarks another bird also on the fence post caught my eye a lovely male
Wheatear(45), a new species for my site list bringing the total to seventy species now, I managed to get some photographs before it flew off into the middle of the field and out of sight, a nice surprise though.
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| male Wheatear |
Other birds noted were a few Jackdaws, Carrion Crows Moorhen and Mallard in the lakes, another surprise sighting was my first Swallow(46) of the year just a single bird hawking over the
fields on the edge of the country park.
Back in the woodlands
Great Spotted Woodpecker, Green Woodpecker Great Tit, Robin.
At least four sightings of
Peacock butterfly and a single
Brimstone moving at speed along the woodland edge.
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| Peacock Butterfly |
A few more Scarlet Elf cups were seen in the usual spot in the woodland.
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| Scarlet Elf cups |
12th April - Another gorgeous morning in the woodlands, a Cock
Pheasant was seen waiting to cross the road as I entered the car park, a
Nuthatch was seen unusually on the ground as I walked up the path from the car park, three
Great Tits were chasing each other through the trees, and the
Jackdaws piled out of their communal nesting site in the old chestnut tree next to Two Ponds.
Blackbird, Song Thrush, Wren and
Robin were all quickly added to my mental list. A couple of
Green Woodpeckers were in dispute high up in the tree. (see my other blog
Pear tree and Beyond for more pics)
A few
Chiffchaffs could be heard calling as I approached the Little Owl site, but still none seen as yet. The
Little Owl posed as normal in its favoured tree, a short flight to prove that he is real and not a stuffed specimen.
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| Little Owl |
A walk through the glades produced two
Yellowhammers, Magpie, Carrion Crow, Long Tailed Tit and
Blue Tit, no sign of the Skylarks today. Back in the Woodland a distant view of a
Treecreeper kept me amused as I watched it feeding. a few
Chaffinch. and
Wood Pigeon.
Buff Tailed Bumblebee and a few Tapered Drone flies , no Butterflies.
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| Common Treecreeper |
11th April - Bright start to the day although still quite chilly, birds seen today included the
Jackdaws at Two ponds,
Carrion Crow in the glades, a flyover
Jay, four
Magpies in dispute. two
Great Spotted Woodpeckers chasing through the treetops, a
Nuthatch calling unseen, at least five
Chiffchaffs calling around the woodland, the usual,
Great tit, Blue Tit, Robin, Wren, Blackbird, Song Thrush, Goldfinch, Chaffinch. no sign of the Little Owl today, no Bees, no Butterflies.
Cowslips shooting up all around the glades.
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| Cowslip |
10th April - A bright sunny start for this mornings walk, warm enough not to need a coat, Scarlet Elf Cup sightings have been very scarce this year, I suspect the land management carried out in the autumn not to there liking, this is only the second specimen I have seen this year.
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| Scarlet Elf cup |
Some nice Cuckoo flowers appearing around the woodland, they are suppose to be a herald for the return of the Cuckoo's and I believe there has been a few sightings around Kent, although nothing heard hear at Ashenbank.
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| Cuckoo flower or Ladies Smock |
At least three Bee Fly sightings this morning with one allowing a photograph as it basked in the sun.
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| Bee fly |
The only notable bird sighting today was the Little Owl , like the Bee fly enjoying the early morning sunshine. I did hear at least three Chiffchaffs singing this morning, but I could not pick them out in the trees.
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| Little Owl |
No Butterflies seen this morning which was a bit of a surprise as the sun was shinning and the temperatures warming up again.
Best sighting of the day though, goes to this lovely female Tawny Mining Bee, the first one that I can say that I feel happy with its identification.
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| female Tawny Mining bee |
8th April - Some overnight rain dampened the woods down, but thankfully dry conditions this morning, bird sightings included,
Chaffinch, Song Thrush, Jackdaw, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Robin, Carrion Crow, Magpie, Jay(2) Skylark, Goldfinch (4) Great Spotted Woodpecker. At long last my first
Chiffchaff (44)was heard this morning at Ashenbank, although I could not see it.
Yesterday I noticed a freshly dug hole in the hillside which I thought may be a new Fox Den, see photograph below.
Today as I walked by there were three freshly dug holes, all in the same vicinity, a closer look revealed some tell tale hair laying on the soil.
A footprint close by on the muddy track clinched the identification. you can just make out the five toe pads and the claw marks in front of them.
7th April - The weather looked a bit grim as I entered the woodland but the sun surprisingly broke through, the
Jackdaws piled out of there communal nest site as I passed by Two Ponds.
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| Jackdaw |
A
Song Thrush was singing from the treetops, the usual birds were in the understorey,
Blackbirds, Robin and Wren, Great Tit and Blue Tit, Dunnock.
Some fungi and broken through the moss covered tree stump looked like some form of Grisette, maybe Tawny Grisette.
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| Tawney Grisette ? |
No sign of the Little Owl this morning but as I left the woodland and headed towards the glades my first Migrant bird in the form of a Blackcap(43).
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| Blackcap |
No Yellowhammers today's but a few Skylark were seen, two Black Headed Gulls flew by, always looking a bit out of place. a Green Woodpecker was flushed from the grass
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| Black headed Gull |
A single
Stock Dove was in the old Sweet Chestnut tree to which they always seem drawn to.
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| Stock Dove |
5th April - The walk through the woodlands this morning revealed a brief glimpse of the
Little Owl in flight near its roosting tree, the usual
Great Tit, Blue Tit, Robin, Wren, Blackbird, Song Thrush, two
Skylark and two
Yellowhammer up in the glades.
The
Jackdaws still very vocal around their tree at Two ponds, two
Carrion crow over the treetops
An interesting fungi sighting this morning on a fallen tree, I was wondering if it could be an example of
Tremella mesenterica, the Yellow Brain Fungus, having never seen this before I can't be sure.
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| possible Tremella mesenterica, Yellow Brain Fungus |
4th April - A cold damp start to my walk this morning, frustratingly the sun broke through as I returned to my car, most of the wildflowers were closed, including Lesser Celandine, Wood Anemones and Dog Violets, up in the grassy glades I found a few Cowslips beginning to show, not very impressive though.
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| Cowslip |
To cold and damp for any Butterfly or Bee sightings this morning, Birds seen today included, Great Tit, Robin, Wren, Song Thrush, Blackbird, two Long Tailed Tits, three Dunnocks, a single Starling, Great Spotted Woodpecker could be heard drumming in the distance but not seen, the Little Owl was away from its normal resting place for a change. a Skylark allowed some photographs before flying off and the usual Jackdaws were in the dead tree next to Two ponds. A couple of Jays were very vocal as they flew through the treetops. still no sight or sound of any Chiffchaffs.
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| Skylark |
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| Hedge Sparrow or Dunnock |
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| Little Owl |
2nd April - Temperatures starting to warm up now, and this has been reflected in the woodland, more and more Dog Violets on show, Lesser Celandine looking better in the warmer temperatures, Wood Anemones blooming in the sunnier aspects of the woodland and a few Bluebells starting to show.
This Coltsfoot caught my eye as I walked through the glades. It was at one time used in traditional medicine for dry Cough and throat irratations.
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| Coltsfoot |
Sometimes used in Chinese herbal medicine for the treatment of respiratory diseases, strange because it has been found that Coltsfoot contains
hepatotoxic ( toxic to the liver) pyrrolizidine alkaloids and not recommended for internal use.
A few Butterfly sightings now with Brimstone, Comma and a single Peacock.
Bee sightings confined to the Buff Tailed Bumblebee, A tapered Drone Fly, and a single Bee-fly. all on the same small Blackthorn bush.
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| Bee-Fly |
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| Tapered Drone Fly |
Bird sightings around the woodland included, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Long Tailed Tit, Wren, Robin, Nuthatch, Blackbird, Song Thrush, Jay, Magpie, I heard my first Chiffchaff at Rainham the other day but still no sign here in Ashenbank wood.
The Jackdaws have been entertaining in there nesting tree, I counted four Jackdaws exiting from one hole in this old tree.
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| Jackdaw |
