More Signs of Spring in the Garden

 

We had a cold and blustery weekend, but I noticed these insects moving around in a sheltered corner when the sun peeped out for a brief spell. We spotted a few of these bugs last year in March. I posted photos on iSpot at the time, and the consensus ID was Rhyparochromus vulgaris, a ground bug that is a fairly new arrival to the UK.

 

We have enjoyed checking the card in the trailcam. The feline below is our latest 'capture'; we have no idea who s/he is or where s/he lives.

The female Blackbird with the white marking on her head has been named 'Star' since she is frequently caught on camera.

Our nettle patch was pathetic last summer so I am hoping for better growth this year. Nettles provide good habitats, and the signs so far are promising. 

Our small daffodils withstood the storm pretty well, but our crocuses became so droopy that I doubted they would pick up again. Remarkably most are now standing once more. A large Buff-tailed Bumblebee swooped down to investigate.

I was delighted to find this little Violet in the shady corner that used to be our 'wildlife patch' in the days before we turned virtually the whole garden into a home for wildlife. I don't ever recall seeing Violets here before and this discovery has made me think I will try to record species of wildflowers as they appear.  

This is my fledgling list for 2021:

1. Daisy

2. Violet

I hope it will continue to expand. 

P.S. I saw my first Grey Squirrel of 2021 this afternoon, and two Buzzards flew overhead.

Ground Bug

I found this tiny insect (sorry about poor record shot) on a wooden post in the garden a few days ago. The kind folk on iSpot and one of the local wildlife Facebook groups have helped me identify it as Rhyparochromus vulgaris, though there is a similar species, Rhyparochromus pini. Ironically for an insect climbing up a post, the Rhyparochromus is a Ground Bug. Apparently the species has not been in the UK for many years. 

I had thought initially that it was perhaps a Fire bug (see one here, if you scroll down) in an early stage of development as we come across these colourful insects in the summer, but it is clearly something else altogether, and a new species for my garden list. A further species that is similar in appearance is the Raglius alboacuminatus, which you can read about here.