Port and Wey: 22 May 19

Wakeham Wood, The Windmills, Thumb Lane, Avalanche Road Copse and return journey Thumb Lane, The Windmills and Wakeham Wood.

Wow if only the weather could remain like this indefinitely. This morning was very warm with wall to wall blue skies.

This morning I headed off to Avalanche Road just on the off chance that yesterdays Golden Oriole was still about, and as I crossed over the Windmills a tweet came through that a male was singing at Culverwell. Most of the orioles that have come up through the island this year, have at one time or another reached Avalanche Road. So having got there I waited a good 40 minutes or so, just in case it found its way there. Sadly not, but I'm the ever optimist and I'm pretty sure I will get a good view of one before long.

So no Golden Oriole but I did have a Reed Warbler singing away by the railway cuttings at Wakeham, 6 Swifts over Southwell, 2 House Martins and 4 Swallows over The Windmills.

Quite a few butterflies seen today with what I think was an Adonis Blue. It was certainly the most vivid blue I have seen of any of the blue butterflies this year and was seen on the hump between Thumb Lane and Avalanche Road copse. Also in this area were Dingy Skipper, Holly Blue and Speckled Wood.

At Bottom Combe Quarry there were at least 3 Small Blues.

Here are a few images from this morning.

Just west of Wakeham Wood and the old railway bridge. To the right a Reed Warbler was singing away.

The Windmills and in the distance Avalanche Road.

In the Windmills a Common Whitethroat.

From the Windmills to Weston Street

En route still loads of Brown-tail Moth caterpillars.

On the umbellifers were these Ichneumon Wasps and..........

...........several micro moths.

Here is a close-up of one of the micros.

Along the track were these mallow-type plants which were covered in..........

Common Green Shieldbugs..........

..........shieldbugs.

And another

Also Dock Bugs

Bush-cricket nymphs

...........and 7-spot Ladybirds

A very worn female Orange-tip butterfly.

Thumb Lane copse.

Close-by a male Blackcap sticks his head up out of the brambles.

Hopefully I've got this right an Adonis Blue and those vivid blue upper wings

A slightly lighter shot to show the underwing pattern.

Another view of it.

A Holly Blue.

Common Blue

And finally a Small Blue

Birds Recorded: Kestrel, Herring Gull, Wood Pigeon, Collared Dove, 6 Swift, 2 House Martin, 8 Swallow, Pied Wagtail, Dunnock, Robin, Blackbird, 1 Reed Warbler, Common Whitethroat, Blackcap, Chiffchaff, 1 Spotted Flycatcher, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Wren, Magpie, Carrion Crow, Jackdaw, 3 Raven, Starling, House Sparrow, Chaffinch, Linnet and Goldfinch.

Reptiles Recorded: 2 Slow-worms

Butterflies Recorded: Adonis Blue, Common Blue, Small Blue, Holly Blue, Dingy Skipper, 2 Orange-tip, 1 Large White and Speckled Wood.

Moths Recorded: several micro moths sp. (To be ID'd)

Bees Recorded: Buff--tailed Bumblebee and Honey Bee

Bugs and Beetles Recorded: 7-spot Ladybirds, Dock Bugs, Common Green Shieldbugs

Wakeham

In the back garden this afternoon and as I was having a bit of a tidy up I came across a newly emerged Broad-bodied Chaser. Not one that has come from the garden pond, but certainly local judging by its colour and small size.

As I was taking a bit of blanket weed out of the pond a few Common Darter nymphs came to the surface and Palmate Newt climbed up onto the rock in the centre of the pond.

Around the rockery a few Blue Mason Bees (Osmia caerulescens) and sweat bees (species unknown).

A couple of hoverflies a Syrphus sp. and a Narcissus Bulb Fly (Merodon equestris form bulborum)