And we're off and weekly roundup

No wind today and temperatures pushing a balmy 14c, with clear skies. So a visit to Lletty Brongu sewage works woods produced quite a few spring flowers blooming including Lesser Celandine, Wood Anemone, Marsh Marigold, Groundsel, Primrose, Dandelion, Meadow Buttercup and Wood Spurge. Sallow is also now starting to blossom (18 days later than last year). All these flowers meant there was enough food base for hoverflies to start feeding, I recorded five species in 5 Platycheirus albimanus, 12 Eristalis pertinax and singles of Melangyna lasiophthalma (m), Eristalis intricaria (f) and Cheilosia pagana (f) and even managed a few photos.

Round up of birds over the last week included 4 Greylag Goose flying north over My Ty-Talwyn, 4 Sand Martin over Maesteg Rugby Ground, Goshawk and Red Kite almost daily now. 2 male Mallard at the sewage works. 2 Rookery have been built - the usual one at the Ranch, Garth (5 nests) and a new one found by Sid near the Railway Inn, Llangynwyd (6 nests). None of the woodland summer visitors like Chiffchaff, Willow Warbler and Blackcap have arrived yet, but Mynydd Ty-Talwyn had 8 Linnet and 2 Goldfinch returning. With all the wintering species having moved on.

I went to a family funeral in London the weekend and East Morden Crematorium, near Epsom, Surrey surprisingly held 25+ Rose-ringed Parakeet and on the journey back I had 20+ Red Kite between Windsor (J6) and Hungerford (J14) along the M4 motorway.

 Eristalis pertinax

 Melangyna lasiophthalma

Red Kite