Donington and Albrighton Nature Reserve and Humphreston Farm area, Albrighton, Shropshire.

A walk out over the reserve and later the fields.

Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus).

Today I was walking alone as I did not want to take Harry in to the Nature reserve but I need not have worried as dogs by far out numbered people there as did the amount of dog crap and discarded black, pink and green poo bags, NICE.

Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus).

I reached the pool and walked along the path at the side, the first thing I found was a female Beautiful Demoiselle (Calopteryx virgo) but it played hard to get and disappeared straight up one of the Common Lime (Tilia x europaea) trees and did not reappear.

Cinnabar Moth (Tyria jacobaeae).

On the water there were several Mallards (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos), a couple of Common Moorhens (Gallineta Común / Gallinulas chloropus) as well as a couple of chicks.

Narcissus Bulb Fly (Merodon equestris).

As I walked across to the meadow a Jay (Arrendajo / Garrulus glandarius) flew through the trees, a Robin (Petirrojo Europeo / Erithacus rubecula) was singing from the surrounding stone wall and a couple of Blackbirds (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula) which were feeding on the verge.

Small White (Pieris rapae).

By the gate into the reserve meadow there was a good show of wild flowers including Agimony (Agrimonia eupatoria), Common Bluebell (Hyacinthoides non-scripta), Common Daisy (Bellis perennis), Common Nettle (Urtica dioica), Garlic Mustard (Alliaria petiolata), Cow Parsley (Anthriscus sylvestris), Greater Stitchwort (Stellaria holostea), Green Alkanet (Pentaglottis sempervirens), Red Campion (Silene dioica) and White Dead Nettle (Lamium album).

Common Wasp (Vespula vulgaris).

I entered the reserve and dropped down to the pool by St Cuthberts well where I found Three-cornered Leek (Allium triquetrum), Hart's Tongue Fern (Asplenium scolopendrium), Pendulous Sedge (Carex pendula), Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus), Song Thrush (Zorzal Común / Turdus philomelos), Nuthatch (Trepador Azul / Sitta europaea), Great Tit (Carbonera Común / Parus major) and Dunnock (Acentor Común / Prunella modularis).

Tutsan (Hypericum androsaemum).

I walked out on to the meadow and along to the small pool where I saw a Cinnabar Moth (Tyria jacobaeae), a Common Wasp (Vespula vulgaris) stripping wood off a post for its nest and a Narcissus Bulb Fly (Merodon equestris) but the Pool was quiet so I continued on through the woods seeing several butterfly species including Brimstone (Gonepteryx rhamni), Green-veined (Pieris napi), Large (Pieris brassicae) and Small White (Pieris rapae). 

Common Cleavers (Galium aparine).

Wren (Chochin / Troglodytes troglodytes), Stock Dove (Paloma Zurita / Columba oenas), Mistle Thrush (Zorzal Charlo / Turdus viscivorus), Long-tailed Tit (Mito / Aegithalos caudatus), Jackdaw (Grajilla / Corvus monedula), Goldfinch (Jilguero / Carduelis carduelis), Common Starling (Estornino Pinto / Sturnus vulgaris) and Blue Tit (Herrerillo Común / Parus caeruleus).

Foxglove (Digitalis purpurea).

I crossed over to the far side and followed the track along the hedgerow back up to the top of the reserve, on the way I met and chatted to James and Michelle before finding Blackcap (Curruca Capirotada / Sylvia atricailla), Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs), Common Chiffchaff (Mosquitero Común / Phylloscopus collybita), Common Whitethroat (Curruca Zarcera / Sylvia communis), Dock Bug (Coreus marginatus), Tree Bumblebee (Bombus hypnorum), Hedge Woundwort (Stachys sylvatica), Herb Robert (Geranium robertianum), Foxglove (Digitalis purpurea), Common Cleavers (Galium aparine) and Tutsan (Hypericum androsaemum).

Hoverfly Species.

I continued on up Rectory finding Maidenhair Spleenwort (Asplenium trichomanes) and Wall Rue (Asplenium ruta-muraria) in the wall of the school, a nice male Greenfinch (Verderón Común / Carduelis chloris) and in the air Barn Swallow (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica), House Martin (Avión Común / Delichon urbica) and Common Swift (Vencejo Común / Apus apus).

Greenfinch (Verderón Común / Carduelis chloris).

I crossed the A41 and walked on down to the first public footpath on the right in Shackerley Lane, on the wy I could hear Skylarks (Alondra Común / Alauda arvensis) singing over head, Western Yellow Wagtail (Lavandera Boyera / Motacilla flava flavissima), a male Lesser Whitethroat (Curruca Zarcerilla / Sylvia curruca) ticking at me from the Hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna) hedge but with a bit of patiance i did get a view, Common Comfrey (Symphytum officinale), a female Common Orange-tip (Anthocharis cardamines) and a European Brown Hare (Lepus europaeus) which bolted away as I climbed the stile into the field of Rapeseed (Brassica napus).

Red-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus lapidarius).

The Rape flowers were covered in insects including Red-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus lapidarius), Common Carder Bee (Bombus pascuorum) and lots of Hoverfly Species.

Wall Speedwell (Veronica arvensis).

I crossed Donington Lane and went into the fallowed field opposite which still had quite a few arable weeds growing in it despite there being quite a few sheep in there, these included Field Pansy (Viola arvensis), Wall (Veronica arvensis) and Common Field-speedwell (Veronica persica), Cut-leaved Cranesbill (Geranium dissectum), Lesser Stitchwort (Stellaria graminea), Red Clover (Trifolium pratense), Shepherds Purse (Capsella bursa-pastoris) and Red Dead-nettle (Lamium purpureum).

Lesser Stitchwort (Stellaria graminea).

Down by the pools at the far end of these fields I could see both Canada (Barnacla Canadiense /Branta canadensis) and Greylag Geese (Ansar Común / Anser anser), the latter with Goslings.

Ground Elder (Aegopodium podagraria).

I cut back towards the moat project and out on to the road and walked towards Humphreston Farm adding Great Spotted Woodpecker (Pico Picapinos / Dendrocopos major), Yellowhammer (Escribano Cerillo / Emberiza citronella), Pied Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla yarrellii) and a family party of Long-tailed Tits (Mito / Aegithalos caudatus).

Common Orange-tip (Anthocharis cardamines).

I continued on around to the woods where I heard and then had views of a couple of the Raven (Cuervo / Corvus corax), got buzzed and slightly freaked out by a more attentive European Hornet (Vespa crabro) than I would have liked and saw the tiny but smart wasp type thing Tenthredo temula. On the verge there was lots of Ground Elder (Aegopodium podagraria) and Meadow Buttercup (Ranunculus acris) with several Early Bumblebees (Bombus pratorum) on them collecting nectar.

Tenthredo temula.

I made my way back along the lane to the A41 but apart from Tree Bumblebee (Bombus hypnorum) and a pair of soaring Common Buzzards (Busardo Ratonero / Buteo buteo) I did not see anything new.

Long-tailed Tit (Mito / Aegithalos caudatus).

Early Bumblebee (Bombus pratorum).

Early Bumblebee (Bombus pratorum).

Tree Bumblebee (Bombus hypnorum).