SPOT THE BEE FLY etc. etc. UPDATE 23RD May 2022
Hello again, still the contributions keep coming, so thank you all for your continued interest and involvement. We begin this update with a note from our President, Pat Morris dated 11th May.
“We have had pair mandarin and pair mallards visiting our lawn this week. Must get photos! Pat”
We await the photos Pat!
I should add that Pat had sent a similar message prior to our last update and I unfortunately forgot to include it. We haven’t seen our Mandarins for a couple of weeks or so but our neighbour assures us they are still around; she believes they are eating the tops of her radishes!
Mike Clift has become an ardent bird watcher since moving home to Dorset and as he says here, - he is still learning…
“I went to the Stour on Sunday and saw a gull with red beak. I have always sorted the Black headed gulls by the head colour but had not realised its bill was not yellow!”
Next up is the following note from Mike and Pam Tooms, accompanied by a nice set of photographs from their stay on Lundy Island.
“Hi Mike, not sure if what follows is relevant to the ‘Spot the Bee fly’ contributions. (It certainly is Mike!).
We have just returned from a few days on Lundy, a plateau island at about 120 metres high, three and half miles long by half a mile wide, 12 miles from the coast in the Bristol Channel, where we saw highland cattle, roaming Sika deer and some 25 species of birds. Numbers were a bit disappointing but it is mainly known for migratory birds and we did watch the ringers in action for a time including a Willow Warbler and a Black Cap. Quite surprising were the number of ravens, so
much so that initially we were doubtful about our identification! We just about made it to Jenny’s cove to see the puffins at a distance. Regards, Mike & Pam”
11th May, received the following message from Katrina…
“Yesterday saw first Red Admiral, Sunday first Banded Demoiselle. Holly Blue always in garden and an occasional Small White of some sort.
No photos though. Regards Katrina”
Mark Taylor sent the following message on the 15th May from his home in Worthing which includes a very kind open invitation from him and Simon to drop in any time for a cup of tea and cake and a walk around their garden. Thank you both!
“Hi Mike, I hope yourself, Jenny and everyone in CNHS are keeping well.
This weekend's observations included: evidence of Box Tree Moth on all of the four box trees in garden including the sighting of one caterpillar.
We intend to treat this with Xentari as recommended by Bernard. Today we notice that a Great Tit kept visiting two of the Box Trees and saw it eating a caterpillar. We hope this was a Box Tree Moth Caterpillar.
We saw a young Robin, two young Goldfinches and a Broad-Bodied Chaser Dragonfly.
Early in the Month we had a Blackcap singing on top of the Copper Beech in the Garden.
Although we are quite a distance from Camberley we will always be very pleased to see anybody who happens to be travelling this way and would like to drop in for tea, cake and a walk round the garden. With warmest regards from myself and Simon. Mark”
Friend Alan Meeks, whom many of you know, is secretary of our camera club, he is a keen video photographer and during lockdown he set up an infra-red lamp in his garden and has been filming at night the coming and goings of the foxes and hedgehogs being tempted by a bowl of dog biscuits. Interaction with the fox has progressed to a situation whereby on Friday afternoon he decided to have a sit down in the garden with a cup of tea and biscuits when to his amazement, and joy, ‘Foxy’ strolled casually in and sat down in front of him! What a moment…
“Mike, I had tea and (dog) biscuits in the garden this afternoon with Foxy! Regards, Alan”
Not forgetting the hedgehog:
“Mike, a couple of frame grabs from Friday night's video taken by torch light. Goes well with the Fox photo on Friday afternoon. It was nice to see them both in daylight! Note that we are adhering to 'No Mow May'. Regards, Alan”
Thanks Alan, terrific photos!
I’ll round of with a couple of shots of my own, a Common Chafer Bug on the lawn.
