Heath Button, Coal Tits and Gorse Spider-mites

Snowdrops

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On Tuesday I visited Houghton Forest where I spotted a Buzzard perched in a tree eating its prey.

On Wednesday I joined the weekly Heyshott escarpment work party on a fine day. Two Red Kites were soaring high. Afterwards I headed to Iping Common and found another specialist heathland micromoth, a Heath Button. I also walked into Steadham Common where I saw Coal Tits. Near The Grange Community Centre in Midhurst I spotted a  large block of crocuses and Canada Geese by the pond.

At Rewell Wood on Thursday I saw snowdrops by the track and a deer skull.

On Friday I was back at Iping Common where I saw Dartford Warblers, Goldcrests and Coal tits. The Kestrel and Buzzards were seen overhead. I spotted webbing on a Gorse Bush and on closer investigation of a rusty coloured area with my magnifier, I saw hundreds of red mites. I later identified these as Gorse Spider-mites, which are a control agent for gorse. I also saw a Migrant Hoverfly on the gorse.

Houghton Forest:

female Blackbird, Turdus merula

Buzzard feeding, Buteo buteo

Chaffinch, Fringilla coelebs

Gorse, Ulex europaeus

Hazel, Corylus avellana

Houghton Forest

Norway Spruce cones, Picea abies

Traveller's-joy, Clematis vitalba

Heyshott:

 Nigel, John, Andy, Mike, Greg, Neil

The Grange, Midhurst:

Canada Geese, Branta canadensis

crocuses

Iping Common:

Coal Tit, Periparus ater

Sue has her eye on this seat

Heath Button, Acleris hyemana

fruiting bodies of Lichen, Cladonia polydactyla

Rewell Wood:

Artist's Bracket, Ganoderma applanatum

Fallow Deer skull, Dama dama

Iping Common:

Coal Tit, Periparus ater

web of Gorse Spider-mites, Tetranychus lintearius

Gorse Spider-mites, Tetranychus lintearius

Migrant Hoverfly, Meliscaeva auricollis

Galls of Oak Marble Gall Wasp, Andricus kollari

Oak Marble Galls

our Dwarf orchid which last flowed in September 2012