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This was my first visit to the forest since last September, was very pleased to find it quiet, sunny but a cool wind and later on it did try to hail a little.
Everything looked ok but the main thing I noticed compared to last year was the lack of flowers, the forest was running late this year a good month late. There was just one butterfly spotted were as last year they were everywhere.
The main flower out was the Dandelion and every one were covered in flies, Hoverflies or bees. A few Cuckoo flowers and a lovely big patch of lesser periwinkle (Vinca minor).
Something I learned today was there is more than one species of Bibio marci or St. Mark's fly or Hawthorn Fly. The two I photographed were one of the smaller Bibio species. Bibio marci has black legs and body hair and different wing venation.
Horse-tails (EQUISETUM) , still have to work out if it's Great or Bog Horse-tail.
Horsetails are primitive vascular plants descended from huge trees which lived in the Paleozoic era (600-375 million years ago) and were the product of the Carboniferous period (270 million years ago).
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| Bumblebee |
This is a beautiful Sadge, as it turns out I have not recorded this one at the forest before. Need to take some more photos as there are a few variety's and you need a photo of the female spikes to help with ID.
In the oval, a round clearing in the forest were they shoot clay pigeons. Not sure if they still do this but it is a great place for insects and wild flowers during the summer moths as it is sheltered by the trees all the way round and stays very warm.
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| Jellybaby species. (Leotia lubrica) |
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| Coltsfoot Wildflower (Tussilago farfara) |
At the pond there were many newts in the water, and very few tadpoles this year. Some of the other forest ponds had tadpoles in and normally don't get many newts so hopefully they all don't get eaten.
I did see a Lizard go into the top pond, annoyingly this is were most of the dog walkers allow their dog to jump in the water with no regards to the wildlife!
As far as I know they are all Palmate Newt (Lissotriton helveticus)
In the oval, a round clearing in the forest were they shoot clay pigeons. Not sure if they still do this but it is a great place for insects and wild flowers during the summer moths as it is sheltered by the trees all the way round and stays very warm.
Noticed insect on the rough ground which turned out to be a Spider wasp (Pompilidae) (few species) dragging a wolf spider (Lycosidae) There are 4 species in the UK and T.terricola is the most common, but microscopic examination needed to eliminate the rarer T.spinipalpis.
This event is not often witnessed, when I reached down to take a photo the wasp moved away but soon made it's way back finding the spider, the wasp was not giving up his big prize.
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| wolf spider (Lycosidae) |
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| lesser periwinkle (Vinca minor) |
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| Primrose (Primula vulgaris) |
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| Hoverfly (Melanostoma sp) |
I spotted the Green Woodpecker, then realised there was two, Jays were present too.(not recorded before) A Red kite and many Warblers were singing today.
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| Just make out the two Woodpeckers |
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| Willow Warbler (I think) |
In all the forest was fairly quiet but worth the trip, by the end of this month I hope it has warmed up and the flowers start coming through.
Cuckoo was calling in the distance.
