Old Quarry Lane, Wakeham Meadows and Wakeham Wildlife Site
It was a pretty humid day and unsurprisingly it actually rained later in the day, despite the forecast for dry weather until tomorrow morning.
Highlights today were a few Swifts and House Martins heading south, plus a Blackcap singing close to the wildlife site.
Birds Recorded: Herring Gull Wood Pigeon Collared Dove 4 Swift 6 House Martin Dunnock Song Thrush 1 Blackcap Great Tit Blue Tit Wren Magpie Carrion Crow Jackdaw Starling House Sparrow Chaffinch Goldfinch
A Goldfinch sat on a Budleia and........
.......this odd looking photo is it taking off.
Inverted it looks more like an owl.
Butterflies Recorded: 3 Small Skipper 10+ Large White 5 Small White 2 Green-veined White 1 Ringlet 10+ Meadow Brown 20+ Gatekeeper 2 Marbled White 2 Red Admiral 1 Common Blue
Below are are few photos and a video Cinnabar moth caterpillars.
Having seen just one caterpillar of the Cinnabar moth a few days ago. Today there were at least eight in Wakeham Meadow.
Ants Recorded: Small Black Ant (Lasius niger)
Ahh. I did wonder what the tickling sensation was around my feet when I was photographing the Marbled White. Fortunately these are Small Black Ants (Lasius niger) and not the stinging Red Ant (Myrmica rubra). More on red ants here.
Plants:
Pale Flax (Linum bienne) Common Ragwort (Jacobaea vulgaris)
Common Orange Lichen (Xanthoria parietina)
This delicate flower is............
...................Pale Flax (Linum bienne)
These Common Ragworts (Jacobaea vulgaris) are home to at least eight Cinnabar moth caterpillars
This lichen.............
...........is Common Orange Lichen (Xanthoria parietina). More on this lichen here.