A mixed bag on a Sunday visit to Cranford Park

I was at Cranford Park at 10am Sunday morning and waited until 10.30 to complete my weekly UKBMS butterfly transect.

Not a great transect today. I expected to see more numbers but made do with 62 butterflies of ten different species during my 95 minute walk.

 

Todays tally....

62 butterflies / 10 species

 

Large White x 3

Green-veined White x 7

Small Copper x 1

Holly Blue x 4

Red Admiral x 10

Peacock x 3

Comma x 6

Speckled Wood x 15

Gatekeeper x 3

Meadow Brown x 10

 

Speckled Wood

Small Copper

Holly Blue

Red Admiral

The fine weather meant there were a few hoverflies around. The most prolific was the Volucella Zonaria and they were dotted all around the park in various habitats and great numbers....

 

Volucella zonaria

awaiting confirmation of ID

Myathropa florea - male

Just as I was nearing the end of my transect, on a section that runs parallel between the A312 and the River Crane a large dragonfly emerged from the reeds by the stagnant pond and landed right in front of me. It had recently emerged and was still fluttering it's wings drying them off.

 

It was a lovely male Common Hawker with the most amazing colours....

 

 

On the way out of the park I also saw another Common hawker, but it was a way off and quite camouflaged against an old buddleia flower stalk.....

 

The water level on the river had dropped considerably since last weekend.....

 

 

Again the warm wet weather this week provided ideal conditions for some more fruiting fungi. This time I found two very good sized Puffballs, the largest was the size of a football....

 

In the meadows I found two juvenile Kestrels still loitering and honing their hunting and flying skills...

 

In Cranford Woods there was the unmistakable call of a Sparrowhawk, followed by several more calls which led me to stand under a dead tree and look up to see this juvenile......

 

 

Following it's progress it inadvertently led me to directly to the nest where there were two more juveniles perched in the branches. Sadly trying to get photos were near on impossible but I did manage to witness a food pass between one of the adults and juveniles, and then one of the young perched very briefly out in the open......

 

before flying off to land in another high tree and start the process of continuous calling all over again.

Apologies for the dreadful photos, I blame the fact I had the wrong lens on my camera.

 

Last weekend I reported that I had found three chrysalises down the alley way from Roseville Road. I stated they were Small Tortoiseshell when in fact they are Comma. Today I found another two in exactly the same place.

 

Comma chrysalis - probably due to emerge this week

another Comma chrysalis probably due to emerge this week

empty Comma chrysalis - the butterfly would have emerged within the last six days

remains of a Comma chrysalis that fell victim to a fungal parasite

 

and my new mystery chrysalis - awaiting identification

So a proper mixed bag from Cranford Park today. Butterflies, hoverflies, hawkers, juvenile birds of prey and fungi. Just what every Country Park should contain.