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59.

2nd. March 1943. 

A dull day, with scarcely a trace of wind from W.; very mild.  In afternoon we rode on bikes to Knockmaroon & up Liffey Valley to Lucan & home via Clondalkin.  Many ♂︎ willows in full flower along rim bank.  Saw nothing of interest in insect line & made no attempt to collect.

In ditch beside the "cascade" at Lutbrelstown gate saw several plants of a large leaved sedge which looked possibly Carex strigosa, formerly abundant by same stream further inside the demesne.  Saw a small bird on willow catkins at Knockmaroon awfully like a Chiff-chaff, but could not see colour properly & it did not sing:  the only other bird I could think it could have been was a Goldcrest, but it was too big & wrong shape for this I feel sure.


6th March 1943. 

A most perfect day, after slight frost on previous night, all sunny, &, like the 5th, with no appreciable wind. Saturday!  Left museum at 1 P.M. & after lunch we rode to Glenasmole & spent the afternoon in the coombs on east- side of lower reservoir in very hot sun.


60.

6.3.43, cont. Glenasmole, DU., cont. 

Bombus lucorum, 1♀︎ seen searching in 3rd coomb;  another in 2nd coomb by its sizw & hum was I think B. jonellus but not certain, 7 or 8 more heard by either Daisy or myself but not recognized.
Andrena clarkella ♂︎♂︎ on bank by road, where this damaged by flood of 1931 below lower dam & lodge;  ♀︎♀︎ in 3rd coomb, & several ♂︎♂︎ also;  1♀︎ still flying at 5 P.M.
A. apicata  2♀︎♀︎ in 2nd coomb & probably ♂︎♂︎ in both this & 3rd coomb but none actually caught & examined.
Halictus rubicundus 3♀︎♀︎ carrying pollen!! at flowers of coltsfoot by road below lower dam with A. clarkella.
H. freygessneri several ♀︎♀︎ seen & one captured in 2nd coomb, at bee- bank. 
[5 labelled 31.12.1944!]

For all the above except B. lucorum this is my earliest date & the working ♀︎♀︎ must have been out for some days. Only a few willows really out but many nearly so.

6.3.43 At 1.30 P.M. 
A small Tortoiseshell Butterfly seen on Aubretia flowers in front garden of 10 Clareville Rd., Dublin.  And first catkin of ♂︎ Salix between tub & motor house yellow with pollen

Transcription Notes:
possibly Luttrelstown rather than Lutbrelstown