Lots of 'firsts of the year' at Cranford Park today

As my blog title says...there were lots of 'firsts of the year' on my visit to Cranford Park today.

The sun was out, the temperature was in double figures and the birds were singing.

It truly felt like Spring has sprung.

 

It's looking like it's going to be a good Bluebell season.

Carpets of leaves are spreading across the woodland floor, and most have buds....

 

 

and there are even pockets of them already starting to bloom....

 

In St Dunstan's churchyard I found my first Sweet Violets of the year...

 

 

Another first of the year, and which always tells me spring is here, was my first sighting of a Bee-fly, Bombylius major. These harmless little critters always fascinate me. They lead such an intricate life. After breeding the female literally throws her eggs down a suitable bee's hole, where the eggs later hatch and feed on the bee's larvae.

 

 

I found two Hoverfly species today but neither photo is good enough for a proper identification. One is on dandelion and the second is on Lesser Celandine.....

 

I also came across two flies 'enjoying' themselves in the sunshine.

With the help of Chris Raper and Rui Andrade from the UK Diptera Facebook group, we can possibly say they are either Lypha dubia or Macquartia dispar.....

 

 

The lovely weather meant that both the wild Honeybee hives were very active.

Also active were several of our larger bees, the Bumbles. I saw both White-tailed and Buff-tailed but couldn't get photos, then I came across this sorry sight.....

a dead Red-tailed bumblebee....

 

 

On a brighter note I managed to photograph three species of butterfly at Cranford Park today. I saw my first of the year at Kensington Gardens two weeks ago, which was a Small Tortoiseshell that refused to stay still for a photo. So today I was pleased to see several of them including the two below...

 

There were several Commas on the wing today, and they were being very obliging.....

 

I particularly like the photo below.....look at the huge shadow the Comma has...

 

I also had my first Peacock of the year, but could only find the one....

 

 

I need to brush up on my shield bug ids. I found two today.

The one below is, I think, Common Green Shield Bug....

 

 

and this one is a Parent Bug.... 

 

I spent a lot of time at the wood circle. The Robins have paired up and I caught the lovely sight of one feeding the other, a sure bonding sign. Sadly I didn't get a photo, but one of them posed nearby for my camera.....

 

 

There were a pair of Long-tailed Tits flitting about too. I tried to follow them around the wood circle to see if they were constructing a nest, but found nothing. However they spent a lot of time looking for tasty morsels to eat......

 

Normally when I'm at the wood circle I eat my lunch and share any crumbs with the two resident Magpies. Today I took a fatball with me and crushed it up on the usual 'bird table' log. No Magpies came down, which I found a bit strange, but a Blue Tit soon discovered the appetising suet.....

 

 

and was shortly followed by a Grey Squirrel....

 

 

Up by the Headland area I found another Grey Squirrel apparently sunbathing ! It was completely motionless, and eventually I moved nearer to it just to make sure it was okay......which it was.....

 

The huge ancient Sweet Chestnut tree at the front of the car park has many hollows. I was talking to one of the regular dog walkers when I spotted movement inside one of them. I quickly pointed my camera as the 'movement' emerged, and was delighted to see it was a Stock Dove....

 

I've known for years that they breed at Cranford Park, but I've only ever been lucky enough to find one nest before today (and that nest site was eventually taken over by one of the wild Honeybee hives).

As like all of our Stock Doves, this one was skittish and the above photo was the only shot I managed before it spotted me and flew off.

 

Other news from around the park.......

 

I failed to find the Little Owls in the new location that I had previously seen one at two weeks ago BUT I did hear one calling from that area, so fingers crossed, I may find it again.

 

Our resident Kestrels have paired up again. They flew across the park together this afternoon and one was 'calling'. They took me by surprise though so no photos.

 

A Buzzard circled over the park several times today, and surprisingly wasn't mobbed by any of the Carrion Crows, Jackdaws or Marmite Parakeets.

 

I heard both Green and Great Spotted Woodpeckers calling but didn't see them. The Goldcrests in the evergreens in the woods were very vocal but I only got fleeting glimpses as they flitted around. The water level on the River Crane was high again so no sign of either of the Little Grebes. I heard the Kingfisher by the iron bridge but didn't see it.

 

It's Easter. Spring has sprung. But it does look like today could be the only 'good' day out of the whole long weekend !!