Natural History Diary : April 2024
Tuesday 16th April
Another day which wasn't quite warm enough for butterflies. However, one female and two male Orange-tips were in the garden in the early afternoon.
Orange-tip ♀, Aston, Oxon, 16th Apr
    
Orange-tip ♀ | Aston, Oxon    
Monday 15th April
Despite the chilly wind this morning a hardy male Orange-tip came to the garden to feed on Honesty flowers. Birds seen today were Great Spotted Woodpecker, Green Woodpecker, Stock Dove and Kestrel.
Orange-tip ♂, Aston, Oxon, 15th Apr
    
Orange-tip ♂ | Aston, Oxon    
Sunday 14th April
Made my first visit to Hackpen Hill of the year this morning. I failed to find any migrants other than a solitary Swallow. There were lots of Skylarks singing, also two pairs of Stonechats and Linnets, and a few Meadow Pipits. it wasn't quite warm enough for most butterflies, but I saw an Orange-tip in the punchbowl, and another one and a Peacock up on the Ridgeway. In the afternoon there was one Peacock at the allotment.
Skylark ♂, Hackpen Hill, Oxon, 14th Apr
Stonechat ♂, Hackpen Hill, Oxon, 14th Apr
  
Skylark ♂ | Hackpen Hill, Oxon Stonechat ♂ | Hackpen Hill, Oxon  
Friday 12th April
This morning there were 18 moths from 9 species in the trap. Powdered Quaker was a new species for me. Brimstone Moth, Brindled Beauty, Muslin Moth and Red Twin-spot Carpet were firsts of the year.
At the allotment I saw Peacock, Small Tortoiseshell, Small White, Orange-tip (m) and Holly Blue. In the garden I saw Peacock, Holly Blue, Brimstone (1m,1f) and Orange-tip (f). Surprise of the day was finding a Humming-bird Hawk-moth feeding on Honesty.
A trip down to the lock cut at Chimney in the afternoon produced my first Green-veined White and Speckled Wood of the year. I saw nine Orange-tips and five Brimstones. Three Great White Egrets were on the Duxford Old River.
Brimstone Moth ♂, Aston, Oxon, 12th Apr
Brindled Beauty ♂, Aston, Oxon, 12th Apr
Humming-bird Hawk-moth, Aston, Oxon, 12th Apr
Brimstone Moth ♂ | Aston, Oxon Brindled Beauty ♂ | Aston, Oxon Humming-bird Hawk-moth | Aston, Oxon
Muslin Moth ♂, Aston, Oxon, 12th Apr
Powdered Quaker, Aston, Oxon, 12th Apr
Red Twin-spot Carpet, Aston, Oxon, 12th Apr
Muslin Moth ♂ | Aston, Oxon Powdered Quaker | Aston, Oxon Red Twin-spot Carpet | Aston, Oxon
Green-veined White ♂, Chimney Meadows, Oxon, 12th Apr
Orange-tip ♀, Chimney Meadows, Oxon, 12th Apr
Speckled Wood ♂, Chimney Meadows, Oxon, 12th Apr
Green-veined White ♂ | Chimney Meadows, Oxon Orange-tip ♀ | Chimney Meadows, Oxon Speckled Wood ♂ | Chimney Meadows, Oxon
Thursday 11th April
Another pretty unexciting morning at Farmoor today. There was again nothing on/over the reservoirs. However I did pick up a new species at this site: a pair of Ravens flew north along the river. With trees now in leaf, spotting warblers has become more difficult. I heard two Reed Warblers, one at Pinkhill and the other near the Shrike Meadow hide. Other species heard were Chiffchaff, Blackcap, Willow Warbler and Cetti's Warbler.
At home, sunshine in the early afternoon brought out my first Holly Blue (surprisingly, a female), male Orange-tip and male Small White of the year. The Holly Blue spent a long time nectaring on Cuckoo-flower. Other species seen were two Brimstones and two Peacocks. In the evening the Barn Owl was out of the box at 19:40, but it flew off south.
Holly Blue ♀, Aston, Oxon, 11th Apr
Peacock, Aston, Oxon, 11th Apr
Small White ♂, Aston, Oxon, 11th Apr
Holly Blue ♀ | Aston, Oxon Peacock | Aston, Oxon Small White ♂ | Aston, Oxon
Tuesday 9th April
The Barn Owl was out and about at dusk this evening.
Monday 8th April
Just one Peacock at the allotment this afternoon, in cloudy conditions. In the garden the male Great Spotted Woodpecker came twice to drink at the birds' water bowl. I had never seen a GSW do that before. A Stock Dove was on the bird table until forced off by a Wood Pigeon.
Sunday 7th April
A very windy and mostly cloudy day. However, I saw a Peacock and a Small Tortoiseshell at the allotment during a sunny spell in the afternoon. There was no sign of the Barn Owl at dusk.
Saturday 6th April
Despite the night being very mild, there were only 11 moths in the trap this morning. A Nut-tree Tussock was the first of the year. Also caught were a Black Sexton Beetle, two Lace-wings and various caddis-flies.
At the allotment in the afternoon I saw two Peacocks and a Comma.
The Barn Owl emerged from the box at 20:05 - 15 minutes later than last night. It flew off westwards.
Black Sexton Beetle ♂, Aston, Oxon, 6th Apr
Nut-tree Tussock ♂, Aston, Oxon, 6th Apr
  
Black Sexton Beetle ♂ | Aston, Oxon Nut-tree Tussock ♂ | Aston, Oxon  
Friday 5th April
An afternoon walk in the centre section of Bagley Wood turned up the two species I'd failed to find in the western section: Jay and Nuthatch. The latter was my 100th species seen this year. I also saw a Coal Tit and a couple of Peacocks.
The Barn Owl emerged from the box at 19:50, had a bit of a preen and then took off. I didn't see where it went.
Thursday 4th April
At Farmoor this morning there was nothing on the water (other than lots of Black-headed Gulls and a few Cormorants). Down near Pinkhill there were several Chiffchaffs, Blackcaps and Cetti's Warblers singing, and I found my first Willow Warbler of the year. There was a drake Gadwall and a pair of Moorhens on the Pinkhill lagoon.
Cormorant ♂, Farmoor, Oxon, 4th Apr
Moorhen, Farmoor, Oxon, 4th Apr
Willow Warbler, Farmoor, Oxon, 4th Apr
Cormorant ♂ | Farmoor, Oxon Moorhen | Farmoor, Oxon Willow Warbler | Farmoor, Oxon
Wednesday 3rd April
A Blackcap was singing in the scrub at the end of the garden this morning. In the afternoon there were five Stock Doves in the horse paddock. At dusk the Barn Owl appeared again. It was harassed by corvids and retreated to the box, but came out again, did a couple of circuits of the field and then disappeared south-westwards.
Tuesday 2nd April
Just five moths in the trap this morning: one Common Quaker, two Early Grey and two Hebrew Character. In a brief sunny spell in the late morning there were two Brimstones and a Small Tortoiseshell in the garden.
Brimstone ♂, Aston, Oxon, 2nd Apr
    
Brimstone ♂ | Aston, Oxon    
Monday 1st April
Quite sunny today, but it took a while to warm up. At least two male Brimstones visited the garden (they were present at the same time). Although Honesty and Cuckoo-flower are both in flower, no Orange-tips came to feed on them. Two Dark-edged Bee-flies were also around.
At dusk a Barn Owl was hunting over the field south of the house. It landed on the owl box which somebody has fixed to a tree on the far side of the field.
Dark-edged Bee-fly ♂, Aston, Oxon, 1st Apr
    
Dark-edged Bee-fly ♂ | Aston, Oxon