SPRING FLOWERS, INSECTS AND BIRDS.

Every morning  after I have had my mid morning coffee I take a stroll around the garden, camera in hand, and then I make my way down to the garage where the Pyracantha hedge is now in flower. These photos were taken this week.  

Santa Teresa Rose

Red Admiral butterfly.

Coal Tit

All the above photos were taken in the garden

Now that the leaves are on the trees it is not so easy to see the Jays. 

I saw the Jays as I walked down the driveway.

At the hedge my first sighting was of a Marsh Fritillary a gem of a butterfly.                     

These yellow flowers grow near the hedge, and more often than not have bugs or other kind of insects on them, ideal for photographs. 

Some flowers are still in bud, whilst others are fully open, on which dozens of different insects flew from flower to flower in frenzied activity.

My second sighting of a butterfly was of a Short-tailed Blue 

These tiny yellow flowers unknown to me,made a carpet underfoot so I had to be careful where I walked to avoid the bees and other insects as they were busy flying from one flower to another just doing what comes naturally. It was difficult to focus on one, but there were many to chose from.     

A micro moth was also flitting around, but I managed to get a shot.

These bees were also tiny.

A wild flower caught my eye.

Same wild flower.

Hover Fly

A Scorpion Fly, a little out of focus, as it alighted on the flower just for an instance and fearing it would fly away, I quickly took a shot. 

Another interesting insect.

Brush Beetle.

Banded Brush Beetle.

Wild Periwinkle.

Hover Fly.

This insect looked scary.

Small Bee.

A Flesh fly unfortunately only the back end, as it quickly moved away.

Hover Fly.

On my way back to the house I saw this Common Sand Wasp.

WILL THE WOODPECKER ON MY BALCONY.

• On the tenth of March Will came on to my balcony and ate from the wooden feeder, and I took loads of photos to share. Please forgive the fact that they are all very similar, I just kept clicking away, enjoying the spectacle of Will at the wooden box feeder for the very first time. Will likes the cake I fill it with, and so do the birds and squirrels.This cake does not have walnuts, it is flavoured with orange juice, but the birds and squirrels love it. As you know oranges are a great source of vitamin C, and the juice can help the birds stay healthy during the months when bugs and other insects are scarce

As I have mentioned before, my balcony is in deep shade in the morning and that is when Will is most likely to appear. It is always so delightful to see his adorable face, and watch his movements. This is another unforgettable experience.

A WALK IN THE PARK.

In February we had a few fine days.Eva suggested going for a walk  to Sara Morreira Park on the newly surfaced  pathways, which made walking much easier on the level ground. Sara Morreira Park is not known for it's wildlife, quite the contrary, it's a pleasant park with shady trees near the river, but I always take my camera with me for now and again common species of birds can be seen which might still be of interest. 

On the bottom left you can see the water flowing over on to the rocks below. 

The water at this end of the river is turbulent, until it becomes calm further downriver. 

Can you see the pig?

Hybrid Geese.

These tree trunks are submerged in the swollen river water.

 

There was an abundance of wild flowers to photograph.

Wall lizard

The Crane Fly

As you probably already know if you have ever tried to get nearer to a Pied Wagtail on foot, they just run further away with every step you take, so these shots were taken at a distance, this accounts for the poor images. These bird shots were very far away and cropped as much as I dared.

The female Blackbird.

The Wingless House-cricket  Gryllomrpha dalmatina

The Blackbird and the Thrush were hunting for their next meal.

Although they are common species, they are actually lovely birds

when photographed in focus and at close range.

The Heron and the ducks were captured on a previous visit, but I'm including them here.

Approaching the cafe I noticed some pretty pink wild flowers.

Before heading home we called at the cafe, a perfectly situated  location which faces the parks new paths and trees one way, and at the other side faces the river. I bought two ice cream Cornetos and we ate them in the car,  they were the perfect ending to our afternoon's outing.