Port and Wey: June 2022

Out and About.

Creekmoor Ponds Nature Reserve

It was another trip to Poole today and my first stop was Creekmoor Ponds Nature Reserve Here. It is a 14 acre public open space consisting of 2 ponds and woodland and an abundance of wildlife.

All you need to know about Creekmoor Ponds

Main highlight was a Kingfisher calling, but sadly not seen. But with 32 species noted it was pretty good for birds.

As for Dragonflies and Damselflies, they were everywhere.

Mammals Recorded:
8 Grey Squirrel

Birds Recorded:
6 Mute Swan

Mallard

Moorhen

Coot

Black-headed Gull

Herring Gull

Wood Pigeon

Collared Dove

House Martin

Pied Wagtail

Dunnock

Robin

Blackbird

Song Thrush

Garden Warbler

Blackcap

Chiffchaff

Goldcrest

Long-tailed Tit

Coal Tit

Great Tit

Blue Tit

Nuthatch

Wren

Magpie

Carrion Crow

Jackdaw

Starling

House Sparrow

Chaffinch

Goldfinch

Greenfinch

The resident Mute Swans and their 4 cygnets

Talking to the locals there were originally 6 cygnets, but two were predated by Foxes

A bit unusual, one of the juvenile Mute Swans has white downy feathers, unlike the grey of its siblings. I don't recall ever seen one so white at this age.

Fish Recorded:

Common Carp

Just one of dozens of Common Carp in the main pool

Dragonflies and Damselflies Recorded:
Emperor Dragonfly
Common Darter
Azure Damselfly
Blue-tailed Damselfly

An Azure Damselfly

Butterflies Recorded:
Small Skipper
Large Skipper
Large White
Small White
Speckled Wood
Ringlet
Meadow Brown
Marbled White
Red Admiral
Peacock
Comma

Lots of butterflies on the reserve including this Comma

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

Wasps Recorded:
Common Wasp (Vespula vulgaris)

Sawflies Recorded:

Sawfly (Rhogogaster scalaris)

Sawfly (Rhogogaster scalaris)

Hoverflies Recorded:
Marmalade Hoverfly (Episyrphus balteatus)
Tapered Dronefly (Eristalis pertinax)

Pied Plumehorn (Volucella pellucens)

A Tapered Dronefly (Eristalis pertinax)

General Shots:

A view of the main pool

Ted:

Ted seems happy with this walk. Lots of shade which he appreciates when its sunny

-----------------------------------------------------

Upton Heath

My second walk was at Upton Heath Here and a very long one. I'm not sure Ted was too impressed, so there were occasions when he had a carry.

Lots of highlights here with my first Tree Pipit of the year, at least 8 Dartford Warblers seen and heard, Stonechats and even 2 Siskins.

And it wasn't just the birds noted, but also a Slow-worm and a Grass Snake. The latter the first I have seen in many years.

Mammals Recorded:
Grey Squirrel
Bunny

Birds Recorded:
1 Buzzard

1 Herring Gull

Wood Pigeon

Collared Dove

2 Swift

1 Great Spotted Woodpecker

1 Tree Pipit

Dunnock

Robin

5 Stonechat

Blackbird

2 Blackcap

8 Dartford Warbler

10+ Chiffchaff

2 Goldcrest

Long-tailed Tit

Coal Tit

Great Tit

Blue Tit

Wren

Magpie

Carrion Crow

Jackdaw

3 Raven

Starling

Chaffinch

Linnet

2 Siskin

Goldfinch

Greenfinch

An adult male Stonechat

A juvenile Stonechat

An adult Dartford Warbler

And a juvenile Dartford Warbler

Reptiles Recorded:
1 Grass Snake

1 Slow-worm

This Grass Snake is in the process of swallowing a Frog it's just caught.

And after a few minutes it was gone. The frog that is.

After the frog had been dispatched the Grass Snake laid on the log for a few minutes before heading off for another meal!!

A Slow-worm

Dragonflies and Damselflies Recorded:
Emperor Dragonfly

Broad-bodied Chaser

This is a female Emperor Dragonfly ovipositing.

A male Broad-bodied Chaser

Butterflies Recorded:
Dingy Skipper
Small Skipper
Lulworth Skipper
Large Skipper
Large White
Speckled Wood
Ringlet
Meadow Brown
Gatekeeper
Marbled White
Red Admiral
Peacock

2 Green Hairstreak

A very worn Red Admiral

My first ever Green Hairstreak albeit a little worn. More on this green butterfly Here.

Moths Recorded:
Hummingbird Hawk-moth (Macroglossum stellatarum)

Common Heath (Ematurga atomaria)

This is a Common Heath (Ematurga atomaria) and a moth I haven't come across before. Unfortunately I cant add it to my Portland Moth List, but you never know, one might get blown this way. More on this moth Here. I also came across a Hummingbird Hawk-moth which disappeared into a bramble patch.

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

Wasps Recorded:

Sand Tailed Digger Wasp (Cerceris arenaria)

Sand Tailed Digger Wasp (Cerceris arenaria)

Hoverflies Recorded:
Marmalade Hoverfly (Episyrphus balteatus)

Flies, Craneflies, Gnats and Midges Recorded:
fly sp.

Bugs and Beetles Recorded:
Common Pondskater (Gerris lacustris)

A Common Pondskater (Gerris lacustris)

Lacewings and Scorpionflies Recorded:
lacewing sp.

lacewing sp.

Ants Recorded:
Wood Ants

Plants:

Dodder (Cuscuta epithymum)

Common Cottongrass (Eriophorum angustifolium)

This Dodder (Cuscuta epithymum

And a member of the Bindweed Family. More on this plant Here.

Common Cottongrass (Eriophorum angustifolium)

General Shots:

Upton Pool

Upton Heath

Ted:

This is the second video I took of Ted attempting to cross this stream. The first one was with him on his lead, but he was having none of it. So I took the lead off him and well 90 seconds later and he was across. What a palaver.

Lynch Cove, Tidmoor Cove and Furzedown Farm

Another trip to the caravan and a nice walk afterwards with Dawn and Ted. It was lovely having Dawn leading the walk, as she spotted a lot of insects, which I'm pretty sure I would have missed.

Main highlight was a Lesser Whitethroat at Tidmoor Cove, plus 2 Chiffchaffs singing.

Key: - (D) spotted by Dawn

Birds Recorded:
1 Sparrowhawk
Black-headed Gull
Herring Gull
Wood Pigeon
Pied Wagtail
Dunnock
Robin
Blackbird
Song Thrush
1 Lesser Whitethroat
1 Blackcap
2 Chiffchaff
Long-tailed Tit
Great Tit
Blue Tit
Wren
Magpie
Carrion Crow
Jackdaw
Starling
House Sparrow
Chaffinch
Linnet
Goldfinch

Nothing exciting it's just a Black-headed Gull in Tidmoor Cove. The only bit of interest is that its the same Black-headed Gull that was here on Monday. A nest close-by maybe!!

Butterflies Recorded:
10+ Small Skipper
3 Large White
1 Speckled Wood
4 Ringlet
8 Meadow Brown
2 Gatekeeper
4 Marbled White
1 Peacock
1 Holly Blue

Small Skipper

A pristine Gatekeeper

And another Gatekeeper, which looks like it had the tips of its wings "bitten" off when its wings were folded up!! (D)

A Marbled White (D)

Peacock (D)

Holly Blue (D)

Moths Recorded:
#1 - Garden Grass-veneer (Chrysoteuchia culmella)
#2 - moth sp.

#3 - Yellow Shell (Camptogramma bilineata)

#1 - Garden Grass-veneer (Chrysoteuchia culmella) (D)

#1 - And another Garden Grass-veneer (Chrysoteuchia culmella)

#2 - moth sp.

#3 - Yellow Shell (Camptogramma bilineata)

Red-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus lapidarius) (D)

Large Meadow Mining Bee (Andrena labialis)

Hoverflies Recorded:
Tapered Dronefly (Eristalis pertinax)

Thank you to my good friend Ed Wilson, for pointing out to me that this is a Tapered Dronefly (Eristalis pertinax) and not a Common Dronefly (E. tenax) as I first thought. More on Tapered Droneflies Here and Here.

Flies, Craneflies, Gnats and Midges Recorded:
#1 - Semaphore Fly (Poecilobothrus nobilitatus)

#2 - fly sp

#3 - fly sps

#1 - A male Semaphore Fly (Poecilobothrus nobilitatus)

#1 - A female Semaphore Fly (Poecilobothrus nobilitatus)

#2 - fly sp

#3 - fly sps

Bugs and Beetles Recorded:
7-spot Ladybird (Coccinella septempunctata)
Common Red Soldier Beetles (Rhagonycha fulva)
Swollen-thighed Beetle (Oedemera nobilis)

Rough-Haired Lagria Beetle (Lagria hirta)

Devil's Coach Horse (Ocypus olens)