Decided to do my monthly count of the Orange Ladybirds in the cemetery today. The total wasn’t quite as high as last month‘s but still very good: 1,736.
I only counted 366 on the tree where I counted 467 last time, which could be due to the light conditions and my neck getting too painful towards the end so I may have missed a few. 5 gravestones had more than 100 each.
There were also 14 Harlequins, 1 22-spot (Psyllobora vigintiduopunctata) and 1 10-spot (Adalia decempunctata) Ladybirds.
I started seeing and hearing Redwings in the cemetery a couple of weeks ago. For the past week I’d only seen 1 at once but, today, as I was walking through, I could hear some calling from the top of some trees around the round bed. Lovely! Listening to them always cheers me up.
They were spending their time between the Cotoneasters and various tall trees. I managed to count 7, there may have been more, but it’s hard to say as they are so mobile.
I was also lucky to stumble on one of our Jays foraging on the ground. I managed a few shots before it was chased off by a Magpie.
I also had nice views of our 2 Nuthatches but getting any decent shot proved impossible. One day…
Amazing count today of 2074 Orange Ladybirds (Halyzia sedecimguttata) and around the usual row of gravestones. That includes 467 in one tree alone, the most I have ever seen on one!
4 gravestones had more than 100 and a few more came close.
For reference last month’s count was 1011 and was already a record, it has now been smashed!
