Rookery Pit is just a few miles up the road from where I live, and it's a wonderful site for wildlife. At the moment there is a battle going on with various groups trying to build either a 200,000 tonne rubbish burner, or a 600,000 tonne incinerator there. I wish I had a few £million to buy the pit and secure it for its wildlife. Late this afternoon I watched a Marsh Harrier, 2 Hobbys, 2 Buzzards and at least 4 Kestrels flying around. Rabbits were abundant, and a Chinese Water Deer walked across the bottom of the pit before clambering up the slope and into the fields beyond. On the way back to the car I disturbed a Snipe from the field manure heap - it launched itself into space with its characteristic
scaap call, said to resemble tearing cloth.
Only two Hoverfly species spotted this afternoon:
Eristalis pertinax, and this
Sphaerophoria scripta. This is a male, and the fact that the wings are shorter than the abdomen is a giveaway.
There were still good numbers of Common Darters around. The photo's a bit out of focus, but I've put it in because I confess that I've never noticed the little golden ring on the top-centre of the thorax before!
Rookery Pit is just a few miles up the road from where I live, and it's a wonderful site for wildlife. At the moment there is a battle going on with various groups trying to build either a 200,000 tonne rubbish burner, or a 600,000 tonne incinerator there. I wish I had a few £million to buy the pit and secure it for its wildlife. Late this afternoon I watched a Marsh Harrier, 2 Hobbys, 2 Buzzards and at least 4 Kestrels flying around. Rabbits were abundant, and a Chinese Water Deer walked across the bottom of the pit before clambering up the slope and into the fields beyond. On the way back to the car I disturbed a Snipe from the field manure heap - it launched itself into space with its characteristic scaap call, said to resemble tearing cloth.
Only two Hoverfly species spotted this afternoon: Eristalis pertinax, and this Sphaerophoria scripta. This is a male, and the fact that the wings are shorter than the abdomen is a giveaway.
There were still good numbers of Common Darters around. The photo's a bit out of focus, but I've put it in because I confess that I've never noticed the little golden ring on the top-centre of the thorax before!
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