A walk round the pond - week 17

After a couple of warm days last week the weather has reverted to what the forecasters call "normal for this time of year", which means cold and windy.  I had a thick coat on to visit the pond and still needed wellies, although the water level has dropped in the past week.  When I arrived a grey heron was fishing and a roe deer was browsing but both vanished when they saw me.  The little grebes have built a nest and one of them was sitting on eggs.

Mrs C-G is still incubating.  Incubation of Canada goose eggs takes 28-30 days so they should hatch within the next week.

Also on the pond were two pairs of tufted ducks

plus a pair of coots and a pair of moorhens.  Here is one moorhen exploring the abandoned swan's nest.

The willows have now all gone over but there are now plenty of dandelions so the bumblebees have moved onto those.

I saw a reed bunting, a swallow, and house martins flying over the pond and two linnets on the hedge.  Singing nearby were a willow warbler

and a shy sedge warbler (it's right in the centre).  I don't take a very long lens with me as it would be too much to carry.

The find of the week was this beautiful female tawny mining bee (Andrena fulva) foraging on blackthorn.

I also completed my April BeeWalk for the Bumblebee Conservation Trust.  Because of the weather there were fewer about than last week but I did see four species, which was four more than last month.