Having had quite a bit of success on this walk yesterday, I decided to walk it again today. And what a walk it turned out to be again, with some really good birds noted.
In the Lower Horse Paddock were 6 Wheatears and a Yellow Wagtail, whilst flying through were at least 8 lone Swallows heading north.
In the butterfly reserve there was a Common Whitethroat and in the Sycamore copse on the "bump" were at least 3 Chiffchaff and 2 Willow Warblers. As I was peering into the copse I spotted a male Pied Flycatcher on one of the Sycamore branches. Also here was a very tuneful bird, which flew out of the trees along with the Pied Flycatcher and dropped into the other copse to my right.
In the distance the bump in Broadcroft Quarry Butterfly Reserve
I could see the Chiffchaffs and Willow Warblers, but not the Pied Flycatcher. However the bird which really caught my ears was what I can only presume was a Wood Warbler. In their breeding grounds, Wood Warblers have an unmistakable song. This one however sounded like an abbreviated version. Maybe this is a song they sing on migration!!
It now transpires that the song I was listening to was that of a male Chaffinch. Not a warbler at all. I know Great Tits can have a repertoire of songs and calls, but a Chaffinch. Definitely a first!!
And the male Chaffinch and its peculiar song.
Mammals Recorded:
8 Bunnies
Birds Recorded:
Kestrel
Herring Gull
1 Stock Dove
Wood Pigeon
Collared Dove
8 Swallow
1 Yellow Wagtail
Dunnock
Robin
6 Wheatear
Blackbird
1 Song Thrush
1 Common Whitethroat
2 Blackcap
3 Chiffchaff
2 Willow Warbler
1 Pied Flycatcher
Great Tit
Blue Tit
Wren
Magpie
Carrion Crow
Jackdaw
Starling
House Sparrow
Chaffinch
Linnet
Goldfinch
Greenfinch
On the ground a Woodpigeon and a Stock Dove coming into land.
The Robin's are still in good voice
One of the 6 Wheatears hiding in amongst the daisies in the Lower Horse Paddock
A male Wheatear which landed right next to me.
A very distant shot of a Song Thrush
A Common Whitethroat skulking in the bushes.
A Chiffchaff at the "bump"
A Chiffchaff calling in the butterfly reserve on a very windy day.
A Wren.
Large White
Small White
Peacock
A male Small White
And a female Small White laying an egg.
Moths Recorded:
moth sp.
moth sp.
Bees Recorded:
Honey Bees (Apis mellifera)
Buff-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus terrestris)
Common Carder (Bombus pascuorum)
Grey-patched Mining Bee (Andrena nitida)
nomad sp.
A Honey Bee
A Common Carder Bumblebee
Wasps Recorded:
Common Wasp (Vespula vulgaris)
Hoverflies Recorded:
Marmalade Hoverfly (Episyrphus balteatus)
A Marmalade hoverfly
Yellow Dung Fly (Scathophaga stercoraria)
Bugs and Beetles Recorded:
Harlequin Ladybird (Harmonia axyridis)
Harlequin Ladybird, form - succinea
Harlequin Ladybird, form - succinea
And another Harlequin Ladybird, form - succinea
Spiders Recorded:
spider sp.
spider sp.
Possibly a Cream-spot Tiger Moth (Arctia villica)
Possibly the caterpillar of a Cream-spot Tiger Moth
Ted
Not obvious I know, but Ted was playing hide and seek. One minute he was behind this fence and then.........
............... appeared here a few minutes later 30 metres down the track. He certainly knows his way around Wakeham.