Wildlife Medley (1): Helmingham Hall

We had a great visit to Helmingham Hall, where we saw this delightful Fallow Deer fawn in the park ...

There was a king-of-the-castle Goldfinch on the chimney ...

The sun was in the wrong place for this shot, but you can see why there were a lot of bees!

The Ox-eye daisies were a picture. 

This Wagtail loved the clipped hedges ...

It was time for preening session!

Butterflies and Moths (6): Small White

We enjoyed watching this male Small White butterfly at Helmingham Hall. I have only just learned these butterflies (along with Large Whites) are also known as Cabbage Whites. It is, apparently (and presumably for reasons of camouflage) particularly attracted to white flowers.

Beautiful Birds (46): House Martins at Helmingham

The House Martin at her nest ...

... I imagine the blue tinge is iridescence, as the bird looks mainly black.

Spot the face! Is it the adult, preparing for take-off?

If you would like to attract these birds to your home, you might find this RSPB advice helpful.

Home Patch (19): Squirrelympics

While I was counting birds in the garden, a pair of competitive Grey Squirrels ...

... decided to have a rough-and-tumble at the Starting Line.

This one decided to join the relay race ...

... but he lost his baton

... and decided to withdraw from the competition

... as it was time for elevenses.

There are two kinds of Squirrel in the British Isles. These Grey Squirrels are the dominant but non-native species. They are great characters and good fun to watch. I have included the pair in the photos above in my RSPB survey, as part of the form is about mammals.

The Red Squirrel is a delightful animal. It is shy of humans and can only be found in certain parts of the UK. I have watched Red Squirrels in Scotland and on Brownsea Island.

Home Patch (18): RSPB 'Make Your Nature Count' Survey

I mentioned the RSPB 'Make Your Nature Count' survey some days ago. I took an hour out yesterday morning in order to do the survey in my garden. The weather was quite blustery. The sky was largely grey, but the sun peeped out from the shadows every so often.

Given how many birds I have seen since we moved here some eight weeks ago, the results are perhaps disappointing, but the entertainment provided by the resident Grey Squirrels more than made up for a (temporary) lack of birds. Typically, one of the regular Robins took up his usual position on a high perch minutes after my hour was up!

The results for my edge-of-town garden were (in alphabetical order) ...

• Blackbird - 2
• Dunnock - 1
• Swift - 6 (overhead. N.B. For this survey, these birds - and House Martins - can be counted when seen in flight since they rarely land in gardens)

We have a regular Chaffinch, who deigned to put in an appearance later on, along with the Woodpigeons. Four (?Wood)larks flew overhead, but, like the late Robin below, could not be counted. There was no sign of the Great tits, Blue tits or Greenfinches.

The two Squirrels got a mention, since this survey includes a section on mammals. They will feature in my next post.

An odd photo of the two Blackbirds (in a shady patch of the garden)

The Dunnock

A Swift flying high (picture taken on a previous occasion)

Show-stealer Robin ... who arrived too late to be included!

I hope you have more garden visitors during the course of your 60 minutes of the Survey!

Nature Reserve Notes (6): 7-Spot Ladybird

During the course of our wet ramble through our local nature reserve last Sunday, we noticed this 7-spot Ladybird. I apologise for the quality of the photographs, but it was hard to keep the camera still in the breezy conditions. I am tempted to assume that the poor Ladybird has fallen victim to the parasitoid wasp, Dinocampus coccinellae. You can see an excellent photo of a Dinocampus coccinellae wasp pupa here. I shall log this sighting with the UK Ladybird Survey.

Ladybird Alert (11): 14-Spot at Melford Hall

(Propylea 14-punctata)

This 14-spot Ladybird was crouching on a nettle in the grounds of Melford Hall on Monday afternoon, 4 June 2012. These yellow Ladybirds are very small. I shall log it on the UK Ladybird Survey site.

Butterflies and Moths (5): Small Copper

We encountered this Small Copper butterfly in the meadow below Sutton Hoo.

I see I last recorded a sighting of this species in Carmarthenshire in August 2010.

Seasonal First (4): Two Blue Damselflies

Damselfly at Sutton Hoo, Suffolk, UK

I find these very difficult to identify beyond the designation 'blue Damselfly'!

Damselfly at Melford Hall, Suffolk, UK

I am wondering if this one immediately above is a Southern Damselfly.

Nature Reserve Notes (5): Jubilee Walk

We took a stroll, largely through the rain, in our local nature reserve on Sunday afternoon (having watched the amazing Jubilee flotilla on our television, as it made its way down the Thames).

The lovely Wild or Dog Rose above was the first flower we noticed, and it seemed a patriotic choice! 

You can see the ripples and reflections of rain.

On our way back through the woodland path, with its short stretches of boardwalk, we noticed this fragment of pale blue eggshell, possibly from a Blackbird's nest, in a dark corner of the path. I hope the chick was safe!

This majestic Yellow Flag sparkled as watery light lit up the drops of rain on its petals.

Plants noticed in the reserve so far:

1] Alkanet, 13 May 2012
2] Forget-me-not, 13 May 2012
3] Stinging nettles, 13 May 2012
4] Blackberry brambles, 13 May 2012

and new for this time ...

5] Pink Campion
6] Dog Rose
7] Greater Stitchwort
8] Yellow Flag
9] Bluebell
10] Cow Parsley
11] Yellow Archangel
12] Diasy
13] Buttercup

Beautiful Birds (45): Goldfinch

It is always a pleasure to see the bright red and gold [Jubilee] colours of the Goldfinch. This one was hopping about at Sutton Hoo in a patch of what looked like some kind of saxifrage.

Red-and-Black Froghopper (Cercopis vulnerata)

We visited Sutton Hoo yesterday afternoon, where this striking insect reminded me (a little) of the Sutton Hoo helmet, in terms of shape and protection!

You can read more about the Red-and-Black Froghopper here. This was a first sighting for me. Ladybirds apart, I haven't seen such a brightly coloured red and black insect since my visit to Pylos in Greece in 2010.

Eye-catching Insects (11): Sailor Beetles ... and a Soldier Beetle

Cantharis rustica

We went out in search of a little sunshine, and encountered this pair of Sailor Beetles in the grounds at Melford Hall in Suffolk. They were in a 'wildlife patch' of nettles, long grass and cow parsley. The black heart in the middle of the pronotum is a key feature of this species.

• Soldier Beetles on Gower

The record shot immediately above is of a Soldier Beetle I saw at Sutton Hoo on Tuesday. It may be a Common Red, but I am no expert when it comes to these insects.

Beautiful Birds (44): It's those [Jubilee] Puffins Again

Puffins at Bempton Cliffs

This has to be one of my favourite ideas for an out-of-London Jubilee celebration, complete with Puffin Prince and Princess. Those who follow this blog will know just how much I love watching Puffins (of the feathered kind) at Bempton Cliffs RSPB Reserve.

Home Patch (17): Preparing for the RSPB 'Make Your Nature Count' survey

Grey Squirrel ... there was one in our garden the morning

Many in the UK will be enjoying the Queen's Diamond Jubilee celebrations over the weekend, with garden parties and park parties going on in most areas. If you find yourself in your garden or a local park, you might like to take part in the RSPB's 'Make Your Nature Count' survey, which runs from tomorrow, 2 June, through to 10 June.

You can read more about taking part under the headings below ...

• Why it might be good to take part
• How to take part 
• A check list of possible wildlife visitors 
• Last year's overall results

Readers of this blog will know that I have been trying to keep a close eye on wildlife in my 'home patch' (my garden, the sky above it and area I can see from my garden) and in and around my local nature reserve. I never cease to be amazed at how much there is to see in a small area.

There is, of course, much life in terms of small organisms in a single drop of water (see these extraordinary photos here) ... and William Blake is renowned for his 'poetic' line about seeing a world in a grain of sand. And speaking of sand grains and water drops, you might like my 俳句 Haiku here on the Asahi Haikuist Network site (ed. David McMurray) on The Asahi Shimbun newsite from Japan.

Home Patch (16): Bees and Hoverflies on the Ceanothus

I stood by the Ceanothus for a few minutes, taking pictures of the flying insects that landed on it. There were more species than the ones shown below, but a number of insects - notably the hoverflies - were too fast for me.

I think the photos immediately above and below show a visitation from a Honey Bee, Apis Mellifera.

I wonder whether you knew that Bumblebees, like the one above, used to be known as Humblebees ... this was news to me.

The creature above is a Hoverfly. Unlike bees and wasps, it only has one pair of wings, and so is a true fly. This one has proved difficult to identify: Britain boasts some 270 known species. I suspect this is a female, because in males the eyes are close together, and you can make out a gap (with wide Vertex) in the photo above.

I am wondering whether the bee in the photos immediately above and below is Bombus hypnorum. It certainly has the foxy-red thorax, black abdomen and white tail. I have included the photo above to show the tail. It was a highly active insect and had no wish to pose for the camera! You can see from the yellow sac just how much pollen was being collected. I don't think it was stripy enough for a Carder Bee.

Above: a Honey Bee, full frontal, hard at work ...
Below: the Honey Bee, end on!

Home Patch (15): Ladybird Alert

7-spot Ladybird

I was amused (and delighted) to see this 7-spot Ladybird prospecting for a new home in the ladybird house in our new garden. I wonder what it made of its plastic 'cousin'.

Pine Ladybird (Exochomus 4-pustulatus) ... I think

I noticed what I believe is a Pine Ladybird (Exochomus 4-pustulatus) just behind the ladybird house. It is only the second one I have seen of this variety, with its phlange and red comma fore-spots. You can see my previous sighting here.

I am about to log the two new sightings on the UK Ladybird Survey site here (and you may like to do the same if you find Ladybirds).