16 Jun 21

Old Quarry Lane, Wakeham Meadow and Wakeham Paddock

An aquatic plant shopping trip was planned today, so it was a quick walk along the Old Quarry Lane, and both Wakeham Meadow & Paddock.

And what a walk it was with a Reed Warbler singing from a large clump of Buddleia along the lane, 2 Siskins (my first this year!!) calling as they headed north and my first Sicus ferrugineus (Thick-headed Fly) of the year.

In the meadow there were just 2 Common Blue butterflies and a few moths. The moths I managed to photograph were a Common Swift and a Garden Grass-veneer

Here are a few images and videos from today:

A Robin with food. There'll be a youngster close by.

This male Common Whitethroat is still singing at the top of his voice from the paddock area.

This Reed Warbler was singing away in a Buddleia Bush here in Wakeham. A late arrival or an early leaver!!

In the meadow I came across this Common Swift (Korscheltellus lupulina)

Here is a side profile of it.

This is a Garden Grass-veneer (Chrysoteuchia culmella)

Well this is one of the many male Swollen-legged Beetles about at the moment, however.......

..........is this the female. I don't think it is, but if it isn't then what is it!

And my first Thick-headed Fly (Sicus ferrugineus) of the year.

It has to be one of the oddest looking flies you will ever come across.

Here it is having a groom before flying off.

In the paddock, for the past few months, there have been reptile mats around the perimeter. Unfortunately they were never going to work as they were placed on top of grass that was 18in high. Needless to say, whoever was carrying out the census (I was told by a third party) they didn't find anything. I wonder why!! And today well there was this contraption tied to a tree in the same paddock. Monitoring what I wonder.
 
It was just as well it was a short walk. Ted is already feeling the heat.

Birds Recorded: Herring Gull, Wood Pigeon, Collared Dove, Swift, Dunnock, Robin, Blackbird, 1 Reed Warbler, 1 Common Whitethroat, 1 Chiffchaff, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Wren, Magpie, Carrion Crow, Jackdaw, House Sparrow, Chaffinch, Linnet, 2 Siskin and Goldfinch

Butterflies Recorded: Large White, Speckled Wood and Common Blue

Moths Recorded: A Common Swift (Korscheltellus lupulina) and a Garden Grass-veneer (Chrysoteuchia culmella)

Bees Recorded: Honey Bees (Apis mellifera), Buff-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus terrestris), Common Carder (Bombus pascuorum) and Red-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus lapidarius)

Hoverflies Recorded: Marmalade Hoverfly (Episyrphus balteatus) and Long Hoverfly (Sphaerophoria scripta)

Flies, Craneflies, Gnats and Midges Recorded: Thick-headed Fly (Sicus ferrugineus) 

Bugs and Beetles Recorded: Swollen-thighed Beetle (Oedemera nobilis), Lesser Thick-legged Flower Beetle (Ischnomera cyanea) and a beetle sp.

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On this day
2020
Today's Sightings Here

2019
Today's Sightings Here.

2018
Today' Sightings Here.

2017
Today's Sightings Here