Another trip to the Cemy.

Sunday 14th July 2024.

One of several Goldfinches seen on my walk around the Cemetery.

The weather was fine today with a light southerly wind and a lot more sunshine, especially in the afternoon. My family and I were out down Gunwharf this morning and on return, I took the dogs out for a walk around Highland Road Cemetery, seeing they never got their early morning walk. To be honest, the birdlife within the Cemy was rather quiet, but a few Goldfinches put in an appearance to liven things up. Again, I seemed to spend most of my time checking out the plants and insects and I came across a few nice sightings.

Above, a Yellow-legged Mining Bee on Cat's Ear plants. Below, Smooth Hawksbeard.

Above, a large clump of Creeping Thistle was growing in the southern half of the Cemetery and below, another Yellow-legged Mining Bee on a Yarrow plant.

Among the many plants seen here this afternoon, several stood out amongst the rest that included the likes of Borage, Creeping Thistle, Smooth Hawksbeard and Cat’s Ear; all species that are annual to the Cemetery and now are flowering. The Borage plant is an unusual plant and was first noted last year growing in a different spot than this year. Introduced by the Romans, it is a herb and can be used in cooking. Even the very tall Creeping Thistle was now flowering and growing in a large clump in the southern half of the Cemetery. Both Smooth Hawksbeard and Cat’s Ear were growing prolifically throughout the Cemy.

Above, the Hornet-mimic Hoverfly and below, one of several Meadow Brown butterflies noted.

Above, I only just managed to get a couple of decent photos of this Common Field Grasshopper that blended into its surroundings rather well. Below, eventually I found a Red Admiral feeding on the Buddleia trees.

With regards to insects, the Common Field Grasshoppers were in good voice (stridulate) and a few were found among the dry sticks on some of the graves. Yellow-legged Mining Bees were prominent among the smaller flowers with their banded abdomens clearly visible and yellow legs. Butterflies seen here were again far and few between with a handful of Meadow Browns and a few Red Admirals feeding on the Buddleia trees of which there were many around the Cemetery in bloom. This plant also attracted the Hornet-mimic Hoverfly where I found one over in the northern end of the Cemetery.

Above, the Borage plant I found in the Cemetery and below, a singing Goldfinch.

In Hampshire today, the young Roseate Terns were taking their first flight with the adult birds and a Glossy Ibis was again seen from the Canal Path at Titchfield. It was good to hear that a Kingfisher was seen at Woolmer Pond this morning, a species I rarely see at this site. A juvenile Kittiwake was seen by a fellow ‘Lazee Birder’ early this morning flying into the Solent from Sandy Point.