Time to bow out

A lack of recent posts together with the lack of time / inclination marks the end of this blog. There are better, more frequently updated weblogs (see list on the right)that make much more interesting reading than this. See ya

Tipula maxima

Another welcome visitor today in the shape of Tipula maxima which with a legspan of around 100mm makes it Britain's largest Crane Fly. Fabulous.......

Lunchtime

Plenty of bits and bobs around the Conkers Circuit this lunchtime including good numbers of Common Blue, Cinnabar and Burnet Companion. Also of interest were very large numbers of what appear to be the beetle Oedemera luridia feeding on pollen. Pretty sure thats what they are. They have a strong southerly bias but there is a good scattering of records from the Midlands, although I suspect that they, with many other species, are greatly under recorded.

Panorpa communis

A very attractive, but very common, Scorpion Fly at work today. An interesting genus that feed largely on carrion which is frequently taken from spider's webs. Dangerous game if you ask me...............

Leucozona leucorum

Very little to report of late. Little or no mothing and very busy settling in to my new job. However, a colleague did today draw my attention to a very striking hoverfly which turned out to be Leucozona leucorum. Common but very smart. More info on them can be found here

First Migrants

Well, first migrants plural but species singular with Chiffchaff at Hill Hole Quarry and Belgrave this morning. I leave the confines of Belgrave tomorrow to start my new job in sunny South Derbyshire, just around the corner from Albert Village Lakes. I'll quite miss the urban birding around here that I've been doing for the last three or so years but hopefully my new local patch of Albert Village and Oakthorpe flashes will offer up some good pre and post work birding......

Big(ish) Bird Race

I hatched a plan a few weeks ago of a Big Bird Race with a view to having a serious assualt at the county (excluding Rutland) record of 110 set by Messrs Fray and Gray back in 2007. However after several beers in the Steam Trumpet (Thornton's new pub) last Wednesday, Dave and Andy came up with a twist to the original plan. We would only visit sites within walking distance of the village. This will give us time at Thornton Reservoir, Browns Wood and surrounding National Forest land and Bagworth Heath. We are also hoping to take in the pits at Brascote. We have set outselves an ambitious target of 90 species and we are planning May 1st as the day