[Halo]

Have been coming across quite a few toads at night just lately along a stretch of the slip road. Last night I picked up a courting couple off the pavement onto the grass where at least they could be hidden. The sound they made was like a squeaky toy.

This post has been edited by Halo: 13 March 2012 - 15:38

[Andy Mayhew]

Saw - and killed - my first wasp of the year this morning. Killed in case it was a queen looking to build a nest in my shop!

[Dave K]

Flowering on a sunny south facing slope today the first few wild primroses, and masses of sweet violet.

Also just a few small patches of hawthorn in leaf though the large majority still only in bud, and just a few white flowers open on what I think was blackthorn.

This post has been edited by Big Dave's Gusset: 14 March 2012 - 11:10

[Nigel Bolton]

Andy Mayhew, on 13 March 2012 - 16:41, said:

Saw - and killed - my first wasp of the year this morning. Killed in case it was a queen looking to build a nest in my shop!

Seen lots of queen wasps this year, even more than last year, and last year was for me, over waspipherous. Had two in the shed yesterday.

Still seen no ladybirds this year, despite many people reporting almost plague type numbers. Even my next door neighbour said yesterday, that she has had dozens in her house.

Too many bloody pigeons around for my liking.

N.

[Dave K]

A local blackbird giving it full vocal in the twilight - first time I've heard him singing this year (though I haven't always had a window open admittedly...).

[Paul Corfield]

Our female Blackbird has been sat tight on the nest for the last few days. It's in a bush less about 3m from our kitchen door and I can just make her out. Blue Tits still nest building on the sunnier days but not in any real hurry, probably not enough caterpillars about yet until the trees sprout some leaves.

Paul.

This post has been edited by Paul Corfield: 15 March 2012 - 12:27

[Dave K]

Paul Corfield, on 15 March 2012 - 12:27, said:

Our female Blackbird has been sat tight on the nest for the last few days. It's in a bush less about 3m from our kitchen door and I can just make her out. Blue Tits still nest building on the sunnier days but not in any real hurry, probably not enough caterpillars about yet until the trees sprout some leaves.

Paul.

Identifying trees before leafburst can be really tricky unless you know what they are from previous knowledge, but willow (white, grey, crack or osier I can't tell) and birch seem to have the most advanced budding round our way. Nothing but weeping willow actual opening leaf buds yet.

However, the mystery non-native trees with odd large fruit that the council planted along our residential roads are starting to sprout leaves and have quite a lot of white blossom on them too.

[Dave K]

Just seen my first wasp of 2012...trying to get in.

[diddy12345]

Big Dave, on 15 March 2012 - 16:32, said:

Just seen my first wasp of 2012...trying to get in.

Same here.
Also a Bumble bee making a nest in a drilled out hole at the side of the office.

Lots of frog spawn in the pond as well

[Flatlander]

Frogspawn in just about every puddle on the Atholl hills.

Oystercatchers have moved up the glens and are claiming territories - Curlew also. Golden Plover heard near the summit of Carn a' Chlamain at 900m.

It is a bit early for that!


A couple of pictures from today - one of the earliest flowering plants, and also the most northerly growing plant in the world. Here seen in Glen Tilt.

Saxifraga oppositifolia

Attached thumbnail(s)

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This post has been edited by Tim Prosser: 15 March 2012 - 18:30

[skanky]

Rescued a frog crossing a local road a week or two ago - so I'd expect frog spawn in local ponds now.
Hawthorn in full leaf burst.
Magpies nesting in the garden.

[akkan]

Violets out here, and a peacock butterfly in the garden last week

[skanky]

First garden cowslips out on Friday.

[Halo]

Frogspawn has become tadpoles - 19 March 2012

Chiff Chaff first heard - 21 March 2012

[Dave K]

Halo, on 21 March 2012 - 07:03, said:

Chiff Chaff first heard - 21 March 2012

Heard chiff chaffs singing in two different places this morning.

Also saw quite a few Cuckoo flower / Lady's smock by the riverbank and Lesser periwinkle on a sunny slope in flower which seems quite early. Also some speedwell.

This post has been edited by Big Dave's Gusset: 21 March 2012 - 11:26

[akkan]

Much to my surprise I saw some bluebells out in south facing woods, the ones in the north facing woods are still just leaves, with no sign of any buds.

[scrapemedic]

Found a butterfly in my car yesterday, my first this spring, and I took it into see the office guy who knows about these things. He said it was a undamaged speckled wood butterfly (Pararge aergeria), but that they normally come out later in the year.
So I found this rather useful quote

Quote

This species is unique among the butterflies of the British Isles in that it can overwinter in 2 stages, as both a larva and pupa. As a result, there is a mixed emergence with adult butterflies on the wing from April through to September, with a few adults being seen as early as March or as late as October, especially at southern sites. There are 2 or 3 generations, depending on location and weather conditions and adults of later generations are generally darker than those emerging earlier in the year.

http://www.ukbutterf...species=aegeria

So I guess it was a pupa that overwintered possibly in my car! I just hope there is enough food sources out there for it.

[Dave K]

I saw a thin green caterpillar like larva today in the garden about 1cm long - absolutely no idea what it was, squidged it in case it was a pest

[Halo]

Observed my first butterfly of the year - a small tortoiseshell - 23 March 2012

[Halo]

Red-tailed bumblebee first observed - 23 March 2012