Well I don't know what happened to the forecast for today. Apparently it was supposed to be cloudy all day. Instead it was pretty warm and T-shirt weather. I certainly wasn't complaining, especially after my soaking yesterday.
No Ted today, he had a couple of good walks with David and as type this he is out for another walk.
Some really good highlights today with two interesting bird sightings. The first was what I initially thought were Tree Pipits in Broadcroft Quarry Lane, but were perhaps just Meadow Pipits. However that call as they flew away was more reminiscent of a Tree Pipit. There are a few photos and a video below, which I have labelled as Meadow Pipits, but I'm more than happy to change it to Tree Pipit!!
The second mystery were five birds flying north-east at altitude. Through my binoculars they were literally black winged & white bodied, and gull size. I attempted to photograph them, but couldn't relocate them when I looked back up at the sky again. Earlier in the day there had been 5 Avocets seen further west along the coast, plus about the time I was watching them, there had been a report of 5 raptors heading north-east. I guess we will never know!!
A Common Sandpiper was also a good tick for the island as one flew over me, calling as it did so.
It was also a good day for butterflies with eleven species recorded including a very confiding Clouded Yellow.
Mammals Recorded:
1 Grey Squirrel
Birds Recorded:
It was also a good day for butterflies with eleven species recorded including a very confiding Clouded Yellow.
Mammals Recorded:
1 Grey Squirrel
Birds Recorded:
3 Buzzard
5 Avocet (See notes above)
1 Common Sandpiper
Herring Gull
Wood Pigeon
2 Collared Dove
House Martin
Swallow
2 Tree/Meadow Pipit
Dunnock
Robin
Blackbird
2 Blackcap
5 Chiffchaff
Great Tit
Blue Tit
Wren
Magpie
Carrion Crow
Jackdaw
Starling
House Sparrow
Chaffinch
Linnet
Goldfinch
5 Avocet (See notes above)
1 Common Sandpiper
Herring Gull
Wood Pigeon
2 Collared Dove
House Martin
Swallow
2 Tree/Meadow Pipit
Dunnock
Robin
Blackbird
2 Blackcap
5 Chiffchaff
Great Tit
Blue Tit
Wren
Magpie
Carrion Crow
Jackdaw
Starling
House Sparrow
Chaffinch
Linnet
Goldfinch
Buzzards
Tree/Meadow Pipit
---------------
A Blackbird in amongst a good crop of Hawthorn Berries
Chiffchaff
Dunnock
A juvenile Magpie crash lands onto a Sycamore Tree.
A Jackdaw in the lower horse paddock
Dragonflies and Damselflies Recorded:
2 hawker sps.
Butterflies Recorded:
5 Large White
2 Small White
1 Clouded Yellow
3 Speckled Wood
1 Small Heath
2 Meadow Brown
8 Red Admiral
1 Painted Lady
1 Peacock
1 Small Copper
3 Common Blue
Clouded Yellow
Clouded Yellow
Clouded Yellow
Clouded Yellow
Small Heath
Red Admiral
A Small Copper
The same Small Copper as above with wings closed.
A Small Copper
A male Common Blue
And another rather worn Common Blue
5 Rush Veneer (Nomophila noctuella)
Two days ago there were "swarms" of Rush Veneers. Today in the same area around the pools I counted 5!!
Honey Bees (Apis mellifera)
Buff-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus terrestris)
Common Carder (Bombus pascuorum)
A Common Carder Bumblebee on Ragwort
Common Wasp (Vespula vulgaris)
A Common Wasp
Hoverflies Recorded:
Marmalade Hoverfly (Episyrphus balteatus)
Tapered Dronefly (Eristalis pertinax)
Common Dronefly (Eristalis tenax)
Pied Hoverfly (Scaeva pyrastri)
Marmalade Hoverfly (Episyrphus balteatus)
Tapered Dronefly (Eristalis pertinax)
Common Dronefly (Eristalis tenax)
Pied Hoverfly (Scaeva pyrastri)
One of two Pied Hoverflies around the pools.
fly sp.
What an amazing looking fly. I have......
..........absolutely no idea what it is. Yet!!!!!
Crickets and Grasshoppers Recorded:
Common Field Grasshopper (Chorthippus brunneus)
A Common Field Grasshopper
spider sp.
A spider maybe!!!
Pampas Grass (Cortaderia selloana)
Pampas Grass
Broadcroft Quarry Pools
Broadcroft Quarry Lane looking north
Broadcroft Quarry Lane again
Ted with David and Izzie
Ted watching the sun go down