Viewing page 30 of 191

This transcription has been completed. Contact us with corrections.

55.

15th March 1944. 
Anemone appenina in front garden flowered - the first flower for many years.

16th March. 
A beautiful day with very hot sun till 5 P.M. when some slight showers about.
Fergus O'Rourke reported seeing a Bumble Bee.
Honey Bees very busy on ♀︎ Salix cinerea in back garden & on Chionodoxa in front garden.

17th March. 
Another fine day, mild, with gentle SW. breeze & much hot sun in forenoon.  On duty in museum. 
Vespa (probably germanica!) ♀︎ seen in front garden searching at 1P.M.
Red Saxifrage in front garden with flowers practically open.  [Open on 19th! AWS.]

18th March 1944. 
A dull day with odd gleams of sun & strong wind varying from SE to SW; cooler;  with jam in evening as wind went more west & then rain & high wind at night.  At 5.15 PM I saw my first Bumble Bee of season - a ♀︎ Bombus lucorum - busily feeding at catkins of ♀︎ Salix cinerea in back garden & she was still at work at 7.30 P.M. when rain threatened & I came into house


56.

19th March 1944. 
A fine day, with cold N-NW breeze;  sunny in forenoon, but much cloud in afternoon.  
After lunch rode to Glenasmole & walked up nearly to head of upper lake on E. side & back.  Vegetation very backward, but a few willows out by lake & lower down, but no "growth" & nothing that one could sweep. 
Saw red ♀︎ cones on some larch trees at E. end of upper dam, but anemones not out & no Chippchaffs heard.  Sour one ♂︎ Andrena flying round ♂︎ willow in swamp opposite "the hermits" cottage, below lodge at lower dam, but no Andrena clarkella seen at bank by avenue just below this & no holes seen.  No other hymenoptera seen.  Upper lake about 3 ft. below overflow!

22nd March 1944. 
In afternoon rode to Lucan & back, but found demesne not yet open on week-days for the season & so did not attempt to collect.  Saw blackthorn well out along roadsides in several places.  A queer day, almost windless, but E. draught in Dublin & SW. from The Greenhills to Lucan, with heavy black clouds beyond & evidently rain, as train coming from S. wet on roofs of trucks.  Some misty rain later in Dublin.