New bird species - Raven

I know this is Raven country but I hadn't seen one until yesterday. It was the distinctive call that alerted me - it sounds like a double bass version of a woodpecker to me. The picture is poor but it was all I could do at short notice. The raven performed some aerial stunts above our fields before disappearing rapidly into the clouds. Strangely enough I was out walking later in the day and a couple of miles away I came across seven ravens - again confirmed by the calls. I hadn't appreciated that ravens flocked as I have only ever seen them in ones and twos before.

Fungi

The late cutting of the waxcaps field has been unfortunate for this years crop. I was hoping that the cut would be in time for the waxcaps to fruit again but amongst the grass were lots of broken up waxcaps including a pink one, golden ones and scarlet ones as well as meadow waxcaps. I was too late - but without my own machinery there was not much I could do to affect the timing. Interestingly I saw also some Crested Coral (Clavulina coralloides)and a new spindly sort of fungi which was an orange colour. I wasn't sure about the ID as it looked like it might be Golden Spindle except for the colour. The books say that Golden Spindle is a bright yellow but this was definitely orangey. I can also add one new fungi species to the site list - a single example of Liberty Cap (Psilocybe Semilanceata)was found on the newly mown field which had either missed the mower or sprung up afterwards. I apologise for the poor photo but I didn't have a suitable lens with me.

Privet Hawkmoth

I was privileged to be present when a Privet Hawkmoth larva was found in a wet meadow very close to The Narth. At the time I took some photographs and through that we were able to positively identify the larva. The surprise was that this was the first record of this species in Gwent for forty years and only the ninth record ever in the county.

New Butterfly - Green-veined White

Another new butterfly for the site making it about 12 species so far. More common and less exciting than the Marbled White but a new species nonetheless.

New butterfly - Marbled White

I was just thinking that despite the sunshine bringing out loads of butterflies they were all meadow Browns or Ringlets, when a black and white beauty flew across my eyeline. I have never seen a Marbled White before so it was a very welcome sight.

New flower - Fox and Cubs

This flower is not endemic to the UK, having been introduced in the 17th Century, but pretty widespread in the countryside now. I didn't record it last year so it is a new species for our meadow this year. It is a most striking hawkweed just for its colouring.

Nesting swallows

I'm delighted that swallows are nesting in one of the outbuildings. I realised last year that there were plenty of swallows but no nests on our land. To encourage them I installed four artifical swallow nests in outbuildings. Needless to say the swallows have totally ignored the nests I put up and built a makeshift nest resting on a girder. No pictures I'm afraid - I tried a flash assisted picture but it just frightened the fledgling who was sitting there and the photo didn't come out.