Sep 6th Catton Park

Cat's-ear

It was a nice warm day today, so I went for a short walk around Catton Park for some fresh air. The fields of the park were now cut short with margins of grass and wildflowers surrounding the ancient oak trees, left to grow wild to provide a refuge for insects and other wildlife. The sound of chirping crickets and grasshoppers were heard everywhere in these patches of grassland, but were incredibly difficult to locate. This is the sound that I associate with the end of summer. As August is replaced by September, the long days of summer is nearing to an end as signs of autumn are creeping in where ever you look. Blackberries, chestnuts and other kinds of fruit and nut are now ready for birds and other animals to harvest them as they prepare to fatten up for winter.

Field Scabious



Common Knapweed



Stock Dove

Walking along one of the pathways that lead you through the fields, I notice a large flock of woodpigeons feeding further up on the path. Amongst them were a couple of stock doves. They are much smaller than woodpigeons and lack the white markings that their bigger cousins possess. There was also a woodpigeon in the flock that too did not have some of these white markings. This was a juvenile bird. I sat on a bench to watch them. Behind me, several crows and magpies were making a commotion. Some of the magpies were fighting with each other, wrestling themselves down to the ground with bloodcurdling screeches. I don't remember what a group of magpies are called when there's so many of them, but it sounded like a murder!

Woodpigeons

Juvenile Woodpigeon

Magpie

Brown Rat

After watching the pigeons and magpies, I walked down to the pond and sat on another bench to wait to see if anything would turn up for a drink or a bath. The birds were hesitant to come down as if something was making them think twice before doing so. Blue tits and other birds were hiding away deep within the dense cover of the trees and shrubs around the pond, calling noisily. Then I noticed something move under the shadow of the branches by the edge of the pond. It was a rat! Most people do not like rats, but this encounter had its own magical charm as with any other creature that I have encountered in the past. Its scurried movements that can cause some people to scream in horror, just adds to its interesting character to me. I watch as it takes a few sips from the pond before it scurries away under a fence and out of sight into the woods. Though I have seen rats plenty of times, this was my first time seeing one here.

Goldcrest

Speckled Wood



In the woods, speckled wood butterflies fluttered by me and stalks of red poisonous berries of the lords and ladies lily brighten up sections of the path by my feet. I also found this parasol toadstool (I think) and this ichneumon wasp  (Amblyteles armatorius)  which sat on a leaf to clean itself.



Parasol toadstool (I think)

Lords and Ladies Lily berries

Ichneumon Wasp Amblyteles armatorius



Sep 4th Waterloo Park

Collard Dove

Today has been dull and grey, a very typical, boring Sunday. With nothing much to do, I decided to go to my local park for an hour or two to see what's about. Though there were groups of people either playing football or playing with their children or walking their dogs, the park was still very quiet. The birds were also silent with barely a song or call to break the silence. To my surprise, I didn't find that many small birds during my walk. It is as if they had all vanished. I did see a few pigeons and collard doves as well as the odd squirrel and magpie, but I did not see any robins or blue tits.

Grey Squirrel

Garden Spider

Common Gull

As I made my way around one of the two playing fields, I finally found something of interest. Standing alone on the field was a single gull. Looking at it through my binoculars, I could see that it was a common gull. The name is misleading as it isn't as common in England as other gull species, its other name describes it better; mew gull. They produce loud mewing screeches that can single them out from the crowd. 'Kee-ee-ya kee-ar-ar-ar!'

Black-headed Gull

As I walked further around the field, my view blocked by a hedge, more gulls were flying in to join it. I walked to some steps at the centre of the park with a clear view of the field and sat down to watch them. These were black-headed gulls, much smaller than the common gull with red legs and bill. In comparison, the common gull has yellow legs and bill. The black-headed gulls have now all but lost their chocolate brown hoods (not black as the name suggests), which are now reduced to a small dot behind the eyes, though some of them still have a smudgy patch around their heads instead. They were happy to mingle with the common gull as they chased flying insects and probed for worms on the field, while dodging children playing with bikes and balls at the same time.

Carrion Crow

Small White

Unlikely as it seemed, even on a cool dull day such as this, I managed to find quite a few butterflies on the wing this afternoon. They were mostly small and large whites, but they cheered me up nonetheless. There was even a dragonfly patrolling the shrubs bordering the paths, flying non-stop like a speedy helicopter, it was not willing enough to perch on a branch for a few photos for me. The flower displays at the park were attracting many pollinating insects, undeterred by a bluster wind springing the flower heads back and forth. A real challenge when it comes to photographing them, however. It all adds up in making a dull, not so exciting day into a more interesting one.

Large White

Some kind of tiny bee (sorry about the focus)

Common Carder Bee

Some kind of hoverfly

Not sure