Blackcap in the Apple Tree

This is a bird I sometimes hear but don't often see as it seems to keep a low profile. Spotting one in the apple tree outside the window I took the opportunity to get a snap of this shy bird which has such a gorgeous song.

New species - Field Grasshopper

It only took me a couple of days to add another Orthopterid to the species list - this time the Field Grasshopper to add the Meadow Grasshopper I found earlier in the week. I had to capture it momentarily to get the photo so please ignore the background and blurring.

New Species - Essex Skipper

My suspicions have been confirmed by a butterfly expert and I can add the Essex Skipper to our buuterfly species list. It seems that contrary to what my butterfly book says the Essex Skipper is found in South Wales and so it is not surprising that we have them here as well as Small Skippers. The photograph above shows the black undersides to the antennae that are the giveaway that it is an Essex Skipper and not a Small Skipper. That makes it 17 species of butterfly this year on site.

New species - Meadow Grasshopper

I hadn't realised how similar some of the common grasshopper species are and how wide the colour variations are but this is a Meadow Grasshopper (Chorthippus parallelus)according to Google images at least. The policy of leaving some grass uncut each year seems to be paying off in terms of inverterbrate numbers. I shall be looking to see if I can spot at least one more Orthopterid this month.

Red-tailed bumblebee

Having picked up some bee identification sheets I thought I ought to make a start. So here's my first ID - a Red-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus lapidarius). Excuse the lack of sharp focus - I was having camera issues yesterday.

Small Copper

One of my favourite butterflies has made its appearance at last this year - the Small Copper. That makes 16 species (or perhaps 17 depending on how the Essex Skipper ID pans out). Apologies the picture was overexposed so the colours are not accurate. It does have a new-agey vibe about it though.....

Slow worm

I posted a picture of the end part of the tail of a slow worm a while back. Now I have a proper picture of a slow worm so it is time to reprise this particular lizard. Found whilst haymaking hiding in the cut grass.