16 Oct 21

Old Quarry Lane, Wakeham Meadow, Wakeham Railway Cuttings, Bumpers Lane, Broadcroft Quarry Lane and Lower Horse Paddock

The weather is still pretty good here and it was great to get out for a walk again, especially for Ted, who has been cooped up at home for a few days.

Main highlights were 20+ Swallows moving slowly south over the horse paddock, 2 Stonechats in the reserve, at least 5 Song Thrush at various locations along our walk, a Lesser Whitethroat close the railway cuttings, 2 Blackcaps, 8 Chiffchaff and 5 Siskin overhead.

Mammals Recorded:
3 Grey Squirrel
6 Bunnies

Birds Recorded:
1 Buzzard
1 Kestrel
Herring Gull
Wood Pigeon
Collared Dove
20+ Swallow
Meadow Pipit
1 Pied Wagtail
1 Grey Wagtail
Dunnock
Robin
2 Stonechat
Blackbird
5 Song Thrush
1 Lesser Whitethroat
2 Blackcap
8 Chiffchaff
Long-tailed Tit
Great Tit
Blue Tit
Wren
Magpie
Carrion Crow
Jackdaw
Starling
House Sparrow
Chaffinch
Linnet
5 Siskin
Goldfinch

A male Stonechat in the butterfly reserve.

And this is the female.

This Blackbird was fairly tucking into these Cotoneaster berries.

And making short work of them before flying off.

Not my best photos of Chiffchaffs

Here is another.

The large flock of Linnets are still in the field adjacent to Broadcroft Quarry Lane. This is one of the females on "lookout".

Reptiles Recorded:
2 Slow-worm

It is still warm enough for these.......

.............Slow-worms to be out and about. This one here is only around 12cm long.

Butterflies Recorded:
Large White
Small White
1 Speckled Wood
1 Red Admiral

A female Small White

Bees Recorded:
Honey Bees (Apis mellifera)
Buff-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus terrestris)
Common Carder (Bombus pascuorum)
Ivy Bee (Colletes hederae)

This was the only Common Carder Bumblebee I came across today

Wasps Recorded:
Common Wasp (Vespula vulgaris)

Well this is a wasp and at long last I can tell what it is.

It is a Common Wasp and one of the distinguishing features to tell it apart from the very similar German Wasp, are those yellow bands on the sides of the thorax, which are always parallel-sided. The yellow bands on a German Wasp are sub triangular. Here is a bit more ID info Here and Here.

Hoverflies Recorded:
Common Dronefly (Eristalis tenax)


Caterpillars Recorded:

Turnip Sawfly (Athalia rosae)

Well this is the food plant and.........

............ this is one of the caterpillars feeding on one of the flowerheads.

And here are the caterpillars close-up. 

The food plant is one of the Brassicaceae family and the caterpillars are those of the Turnip Sawfly. More on this Sawfly Here.

General Shots:

Looking south and the Lighthouse at the Portland Bird Observatory. In the top left hand corner is the Passenger Ship "Queen Mary 2"


Ted:

Its great to have Ted joining me on my walks

Ships Today:

This is the Bermudan Passenger Ship "Queen Mary 2" just off Portland. More on this vessel Here.