Fordham Woods 9.4.2014

I had a lovely couple of hours at Fordham Woods today, its really a fantastic wood and perhaps one of the most underrated in the area. It is wet to a unique degree, having a marsh like area of woodland and the river Snail running through it too, and on this bright spring day there was a cacophony of bird song, a tranquil patchwork of shade amongst the bright green of the new nettle growth, and water beetles zooming around in the shimmering clear river. 

There are Marsh Marigolds in the wet part of the wood, just emerged Cuckoo flowers being visited by Orange-tip butterflies and Bee flies in the drier wood, and many a butterfly aerial battle along the river bank. I also saw, a personal first, the impossibly alive blue of a Kingfisher at the edge of the wood, something I'll never forget. 

I saw 8 species of Butterfly, which is hopefully a sign the good summer last year can be built upon this summer. 

Butterfly species seen - 

Brimstone (males and females) c.30
Orange-tip (males and females) c.20
Peacock c.15
Comma c.10
Small Tortoiseshell 1
Holly Blue 1
Speckled Wood 1
Red Admiral 1

Sloe Bug

Bee Fly

Orange-tip m

Eupeodes corollae Hoverfly

Peacock

Cuckoo Flower

Orange-tip f

Cavenham Heath 29.3.14

A visit to Cavenham Heath was rewarded with fine weather and lots of insect activity which was really good to see. There were several bird watchers at the heath but not having a massive 600mm lens I didn't bother trying to see what they were looking at, everything there is so far away! 

My walk around the southern woods was really nice, saw my first Speckled Woods of the year, and there were good numbers of Brimstone and a few Peacocks too. Also the verge at the side of the road was quite productive, seeing two caterpillars cross the road (not sure on species - please comment if you know), a rove beetle and a Common Wasp Bee. 

The Woods on the eastern side weren't as active but the Slime Mould was an interesting sight. 

St Mark's Fly m or Bibio lanigerus

Cereal Leaf Beetle Oulema melanopus

Rove Beetle Tachyporus solutus

Caterpillar (any help?)

Common Wasp Bee Nomada ruficornis

Slime Mould on Birch Stump

Common Wasp Queen

Gamlingay Wood 19.11.13

An autumn stroll around one of my favourite woods was a perfect diversion on a bright sunny day. Its a bit late in the season for fungi now so didn't see too much diversity, but the spotting of a really tiny mushroom (pic 3) was a nice find. Much of the conifers here are being removed, which will be great for the biodiversity in the coming years. 

Gamlingay Wood main ride

Common Spangle Gall

Tiny Mushroom

Autumn Oak Leaf

Clent Hills 3.11.13

A nice walk on the Clent Hills turned up hundreds of Amethyst Deceivers, many more than I've ever seen. Also saw a Peacock Butterfly over a field :-)

Amethyst Deceiver

Amethyst Deceiver

Candlesnuff Fungus

Cavenham Heath Woods 26.10.13

A nice walk in the woods next to Cavenham Heath, which is actually quite diverse for Fungi. Also saw a beautiful Minotaur Beetle, and several Dragonflies and a Noon Fly were still flying. 

Cavenham Heath Woods

Spiny Puffball

Minotaur Beetle (m)

Beechwoods (Cambridge) 23.10.13

A short walk in the woods to see what Fungi might be there. I was hoping for more but still got a couple of nice shots. Come on Mushrooms let's be having you!

Strange spiky fungus?

Grafton Wood 31.8.13

Another new butterfly for me! I was very fortunate to catch Brown Hairstreaks in their flight period, and at a great wood. The management here is absolutely spot on to my untrained eyes, so hats off to everyone involved with looking after the wood. Its also in beautiful surrounding countryside, so I heartily recommend a visit! I was actually fortunate to see the ones I did, as a friendly fellow enthusiast found one along the hedgerow on the west side, and we then spotted some others. 

Species seen - 

Brown Hairstreak
Small Copper
Large White
Green-veined White
Small White
Peacock
Comma

Common Darter
Striped Hoverfly (Helophilus pendulus)
Tachina fera Fly

Brown Hairstreak

Striped Hoverfly (Helophilus pendulus)