So what is happening after the Equinox?
So what is happening now? What's happening now that we have passed the Spring Equinox, the days are longer than the nights and Spring should be due any day?
Bee-flyWell, perhaps Spring has arrived - certainly the birders are reporting early signs of courting behaviour, and that has been my perception too. I'm noticing that what are more usually Winter visitors in our area are decreasing; these include Redwing (definitely a winter visitor) Gadwall and Shoveller. Numbers of these are down a lot on just a week or two ago. As as a substitute, Chiffchaff's are singing, there has been a pair of Blackcaps in and out of my garden, chasing each other around, and Song Thrushes and Blackbirds are singing - always a good sign. Of course, the Great Tits have been at it (there "teacher, teacher", that is) for a long time. Also, it's nice to see that Long-tailed Tits have built their lovely nests in a number of places - whilst Coots are inevitably doing the same.
Two-spot LadybirdsInsects are increasing; I've seen a few butterflies - some unidentified but also Comma, a White and a Brimstone. Bees in the form of Bumbles have been bumbling about for a while now, and there were Honey-bees on the Heather in the City of London Cemetery today - probably not for the first time. Indeed, one of the earliest bumble-bee sightings was a new species for the area - Bombus hypnorum or the Tree Bee. (see here) Another nice sighting in the cemetery were a few Bee-flies - not bees but looking a bit like them, apart from the pinocchio proboscis. Lots of Ladybirds as well - some of the Harlequins, but also some native Two-spot. Interesting that so many of those ladybirds have tended to be the more melanistic versions, as well.
Daffodils at Warley PlaceSome of the early flowers have come and gone - these include Winter Aconite and the Early Crocus, which just for a short while looked so nice in Wanstead Park. The few patches of Snowdrops are finished, too. Daffodils are well into flower, but of course all of these are introduced from gardens. Our nearest big show of wild ones - to my knowledge - are at Lesnes Abbey Wood - I've missed those this year but did get to see the glorious show of Daffodils at Warley Place. Bit outside of Wanstead Wildlife's remit that, but haven't missed them for a few years now! Some of the flowers are well known and bright - like the daffodil - but some are tiny and almost un-noticed, like the Whitlow Grass that adorns some sparse bits of the Exchange Lands. In the City of London Cemetery, Good-Friday Grass is just flowering - and it's not even Easter yet!
I find that after waiting through the dark months for things to really start happening - when it does it does so so fast that I miss a lot of it...
Paul Ferris, 22nd March 2011
Bombus terrestris on Wanstead Flats, 14th March
Good-Friday Grass on 25th March
Winter Aconites after flowering, 25th March