Y.E.T.I : Daydreaming

It's been a very long, very cold winter, but now thankfully we have a bit of sun and warmth I can stop daydreaming, get out there and cause some damage to the YETI list. Today I spent the best part of 12 hours in the field, got within centimetres from adders, watched deer, viewed migrant birds returning to their breeding grounds, found two new badger setts, a new great crested newt population and observed numerous invertebrates (amongst other things). Here are some highlights (Sorry to zonked to write much of a blog, enjoy the photographs).

Although common species, its great to hear the dawn chorus at this time of year, with robins a personal favourite and one of the first species to start singing.

Woodpigeons breed for most of the year, this pair were participating in a little allopreening.

Chiffchaffs continue to trickle in along the coast, gorse bushes offer an important supply of small insects and spiders for these small warblers to top up their fat reserves.

Willow warblers are also starting to become numerous, a species which usually arrives slightly later than chiffchaffs. Both species have distinctive songs and calls.

Spring remains a good time to see roe deer before the vegetation gets too overgrown. These two were browsing above a badger sett.

May represents the time of year that most roe deer give birth, one or two females are starting to look about ready to burst. This species usually gives birth to twins.

There's plenty going on in the ponds too, with the toads spawning.

This poor female is trying to fight off these two males.

Palmate newt numbers (as well as Great crested and smooth) are continuing to increase within ponds.

A poor quality image of a female Dytiscus marginalis (a species of great diving beetle). These chaps will be getting ready to dine on tadpoles and newts.

Another pond predator Notonecta glauca the common backswimmer, a water bug which often hunts on insects which have fallen into the pond

There's plenty of primrose in flower dotted around the region, particularly in open woodland.

Plenty of adders on show today also, mainly in areas sheltered from the breeze, unfortunately none of them wanted to have their photo taken and chose to sit behind vegetation. Both of these males are getting ready to shed their skin, hence the milky eyes.

Large numbers of common lizards also seem to be everywhere at the moment. This green male has quite interesting markings.

It was good to see plenty of the beefly Bombylius major around, in heathland, woodland edge, coastal cliffs and even in the back garden.

Drinker moth larvae are starting to wake up in good numbers, I often find them along the cliff tops often where bramble grows.

Green Tiger Cicinela campestris beetles are an ultimate heathland predator, there were large numbers of them around the moors today. Quite stunning insects.