Spain

Some preliminary images from the past few days exploring eastern Andalucia. Huge thanks to Martin Corley, Eduardo Marabuto and Martin Honey for their assistance with identifications.

Aves

Lesser Flamingos Phoeniconaias minor, Fuenta de Piedra Lagoon
(Three of five we saw distantly from the visitor centre)


Greater Flamingos Phoenicopterus ruber, Fuenta de Piedra Lagoon


Black-winged Stilt Himantopus himantopus, Fuenta de Piedra Lagoon


Curlew Sandpiper Calidris ferruginea, Fuenta de Piedra Lagoon


Black-necked Grebe Podiceps nigricollis, Almerima Golf Course


Red-crested Pochard Netta rufina, Almerima Golf Course


White-headed Duck Oxyura leucocephala, Cañada de las Norias


Family party, Rambla de Morales


Marbled Duck Marmaronetta angustirostris, Rambla de Morales


Black-winged Stilts Himantopus himantopus and Garganey Anas querquedula, Rambla de Morales


Slender-billed Gull Larus genei, Roquetas de Mar Salinas


Woodchat Shrike Lanius senator, Sierra de Camarolo


Northern Wheatear Oenanthe oenanthe, Estación Invernal, Sierra Nevada



Odonata

Southern Skimmer Orthetrum brunneum, Las Guiraos


Red-veined Darter Sympetrum fonscolombii, Fuenta de Piedra Lagoon


Iberian Bluetail Ischnura graellsii, Cañada de las Norias



Neuroptera

Nemoptera bipennis, Las Almoderas


Lepidoptera

Pale Shoulder Acontia lucida, Cortijo el Campillo


Thetidia plusiaria, Cortijo el Campillo


Idaea circuitaria/rainerii, Cortijo el Campillo


Queen of Spain Fritillary Issoria lathonia, Estación Invernal, Sierra Nevada


Southern Gatekeeper Pyronia cecilia, Cuevas de los Ubedas


Dusky Heath Coenonympha dorus, Cabo de Gata


Probably Southern Marbled Skipper, Carcharodus boeticus, Cabo de Gata


Herpetiles

Large Psammodromus Psammodromus algirus, Caba de Gata



Marsh Frog Rana ridibunda, Almerima Golf Course


Apocrita

Velvet Ant Mutilla sp., Cuevas de los Ubedas


Arachnids

Wolf Spider (Lycosidae), Cuevas de los Ubedas


Scorpion (Buthus occitanus), Cuevas de los Ubedas


Orthoptera

Acrida ungarica, Cuevas de los Ubedas



Egyptian Grasshopper Anacridium aegyptium, Cuevas de los Ubedas



Mantids

Mantid nymph, probably Rivetina baetica, Cabo de Gata


Coleoptera

Oxythrea funesta (Chafer Beetle), Cuevas de los Ubedas


Diptera

Bee-fly (Bombyliidae), Cuevas de los Ubedas


Mammalia

Spanish Ibex Capra pyrenaica
Estación Invernal, Sierra Nevada


Sierra de Camarolo

Isn't she lovely

She's even lovelier now she's turned up on our patch. Terrific job by Jonny Taylor picking this up flying in from the east as he worked near the Dog in a Doublet. And even better he managed to see it go down on the High Wash floods opposite Holly Tree along the north bank of the Nene. Most of the time the bird stayed out of sight behind the river bank but with some effort (see below) it was soon located.

What with the Grafham bird failing to show today and this being a bright female it is clear we are talking about the the same bird. An amazing local record and only the second ever in the Peterborough area following one also on the Nene Washes on 27-28 Aug 1979.

Wilson's Phalarope Phalaropus tricolor


Me (the berk on the roof), Jim and Max

© Bob Davis

Eyed Hawk-moth

The weather hasn't been right for mothing in the garden recently but gave it a go last night and came up with these. The first Eyed Hawk-moth in the garden for three years.

1980 Eyed Hawk-moth (Smerinthus ocellata), 1
2063 Muslin Moth (Diaphora mendica), 2
2092 Shuttle-shaped Dart (Agrotis puta), 1
2190 Hebrew Character (Orthosia gothica), 1
2334 Rustic Shoulder-knot (Apamea sordens), 1
2450 The Spectacle (Abrostola tripartita), 1

Eyed Hawk-moth Smerinthus ocellata



Nikon Coolpix P4

Wilson's Phalarope, Grafham

What an amazing spring bird. The only other one of these I've seen was also in Cambridgeshire at Ely Beet Factory some years ago but that was a first winter.

This one was faithfully swimming along behind a couple of Mallard around the sludge lagoons at Grafham Water picking insects from the surface of the disturbed water.

Wilson Phalarope Phalaropus tricolor



Digiscoped wit Nikon Coolpix P4 and 20x Leica APO77

Boardwalk Damsels

Some more year firsts today. As well as those pictured here there were a couple of Hairy Dragonflies, Comma, Peacock, Small Tortoiseshell, Large White, Green-veined White, Holly Blue and Speckled Wood butterflies and four singing Garden Warblers.

Banded Demoiselle Calopteryx Splendens, male


Blue-tailed Damselfly Ischnura elegans, male



Azure Damselfly Coenagrion puella
Male

Female


Nikon Coolpix P4

King's Dyke insects

A fabulous hour spent just at the west end of King's Dyke West Pit in a sunny spot sheltered from the wind. Most of the insects were in a small area of rank nettle. The Broad-bodied Chaser was my first anywhere and the Variable Damselfly my first in the Peterborough area.

Odonata:
Broad-bodied Chaser
Hairy Dragonfly
Variable Damselfly
Common Blue Damselfly
Large Red Damselfly

Lepidoptera (butterflies)
Large White
Green-veined White
Orange-tip
Brimstone
Peacock
Holly Blue
Brown Argus
Speckled Wood

Diptera (hoverflies)
Eristalis spp.
Eupeodes luniger
Syrphus spp.
Rhyngia campestris
Leucozona lucorum
Helophilus trivittatus
Helophilus pendulus
several smaller species

Diptera (others)
Bombylius major (Bee-fly)
Bombylius sp. - smaller species did not settle

Others
Cercopis vulnerata (black and red Froghopper)
7-spot Ladybird

Broad-bodied Chaser Libellula depressa


Variable Damselfly Coenagrion pulchellum
Male



Blue female


Dark female (tentative ID, but no male Azures present so likely to be this species)


Hairy Dragonfly Brachytron pratense


Orange-tip Anthocharis cardamines


Eupeodes luniger (Hoverfly) - to be confirmed


Helophilus trivittatus (Hoverfly)


Cercopis vulnerata (a froghopper)


All pictures taken with Nikon Coolpix P4, Broad-bodied Chaser and Hairy Dragonfly digiscoped through 20x Leica APO77

First Dragons of the year

First few odonata of the year for me today with several Four-spotted Chasers, Large Red Damselflies and many teneral damsels, most or all Common Blues.

Common Blue Damselfly Enallagma cyathigerum

Nikon Coolpix P4

Adder

This is my first locally.

Adder Vipera berus

Nikon Coolpix P4

Spruce Carpet

Barely any moths are flying in the garden at the moment but this one was among just four last night and was a first for the garden.

Spruce Carpet Thera britannica

Nikon Coolpix P4

Slow Worm and Cardinal Beetle

A couple of pics from a recent outing.

Slow Worm Anguis fragilis


Pyrochroa serraticornis (a Cardinal Beetle)


Nikon Coolpix P4

Finally found one

Well this is the year to find one I guess with approaching 20 birds now recorded in the area this April. I've looked at likely locations for many years without finding one of these birds and was starting to get a bit sick of close-cropped sward. Still, an hour searching the Newborough Fen area yeilded this male today near the junction of Bridgehill Road and Werrington Bridge Road, near the northern outskirts of Peterborough. Managed a record shot of sorts in the rain.

This is the first for Tony Parker's Newborough Fen patch and the 201st species I've located in the area.

Ring Ouzel Turdus torquatus


Digiscoped with Nikon Coolpix P4 and Leica 20x77 APO

Ring Ouzels

I think Ring Ouzel is the most regular PBC area species I have yet to find. It's not for want of trying and this spring is seeing record numbers stopping off in our area so I've covered more ground than usual. Today I've checked out the cracking grasslands and heaths between Great Byard's Sale and Ring Haw and had a look around the northern parts of the King's Dyke complex, all without any joy. However my route sort of took me near Pondersbridge so I called in to see the two males found by Steve Dudley at The Plough pub where I got this shot.

Ring Ouzel Turdus torquatus

Digiscoped with Nikon Coolpix P4 and Leica 20x77 APO

Linnet

Concentrated on the NE corner of Serpentine BP this morning. Still no Ring Ouzel for me despite another 5 turning up locally in the past 24 hours. Single singing Whitethroat and Grasshopper Warbler were my first this year and there were yet more Lesser Whitethroats and Willow Warblers (both having an amazing spring so far).

Linnets were also in evidence with several singing.

Linnet Carduelis cannabina

Digiscoped with Nikon Coolpix P4 and Leica 20x77 APO

Chocolate-tip

Not trapped this species since 2004 so nice to have among only 4 Hebrew Characters otherwise.

Chocolate-tip Clostera pigra


Nikon Coolpix 995

Orange Underwing

Several visits recently to Easton Hornstocks in search of Light Orange Underwing moth have proved very interesting but not revealed the target species. So when an Archiearis species fluttered down to the track in front of me as I was leaving right near the Aspen stand I thought I was onto something. Unfortunately it was it was just an Orange Underwing (there is plenty of birch around too). Fortunately it sat still allowing me my first opportunity to photograph this species that usually spends most of its time fluttering around the tops of birch trees.

Orange Underwing Archiearis parthenias


Also present:
Ichneumon stramentarius


Common Lizard Zootoca vivipara


Nikon Coolpix P4

Tawny Mining Bee

A selection of insects awaited us on our return from Scotland including Holly Blue, Orange-tip, Large White, Brimstone, Speckled Wood, Peacock, Small Tortoiseshell, Esperia sulphurella, Brimstone Moth, Tawny Mining Bee, Ichneumon stramentarius and several hoverflies all active in today's tropical heat.

Tawny Mining Bee Andrena armata/fulva



Speckled Wood Pararge aegeria


Nikon Coolpix P4