23 Sep 22

Old Quarry Lane, Wakeham Meadow, Bumpers Lane, The Cuttings Quarry and Mermaid Track

After a cloudy and wet start, it turned out to be a very warm and sunny afternoon, despite the fact the weather forecast was for cloud all day. But then we are on an island 7 miles out in the English Channel and appear to have our own microclimate.

Highlights were a lone Wheatear in Bumpers Lane, 2 Blackcaps, 4 Chiffchaffs and 2 Goldcrests around the meadows, a fly-past Grey Wagtail and at 30 or more Meadow Pipits overhead along my walk.

Mammals Recorded:
1 Brown Rat

Birds Recorded:
Herring Gull
1 Stock Dove
Wood Pigeon
Collared Dove
House Martin
Swallow
30+ Meadow Pipit
1 Grey Wagtail
Dunnock
Robin
1 Wheatear
Blackbird
2 Blackcap
6 Chiffchaff
2 Goldcrest
Great Tit
Blue Tit
Wren
Magpie
Carrion Crow
Jackdaw
Starling
House Sparrow
Chaffinch
Linnet
Goldfinch

A juvenile Stock Dove along Bumpers Lane again.

One of the six Chiffchaffs I came across on my walk.

As I was attempting the call of a "Chiffchaff" a male Great Tit popped its head out to see what was making a stupid sound. I might have to practice a bit more.

Butterflies Recorded:
Large White
Speckled Wood
4 Red Admiral
1 Painted Lady
5 Common Blue

Speckled Wood

Painted Lady

A female Common Blue

And a male Common Blue

Moths Recorded:
3 Rush Veneer (Nomophila noctuella)

Rush Veneer (Nomophila noctuella)

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

Honey Bee (Apis mellifera)

Honey Bee (Apis mellifera)

Ivy Bee (Colletes hederae)

Ivy Bee (Colletes hederae)

Ivy Bee (Colletes hederae)

Ivy Bee (Colletes hederae)

One of the many Ivy Bees on the Ivy

Wasps and Gall Wasps Recorded:
Common Wasp (Vespula vulgaris)

Gall Wasp (Dipoloepis rosaea)

A Common Wasp 

And another Common Wasp 

This Common Wasp  has caught a Crane Fly

A Robin's Pincushion on a Dog Rose. It is a gall caused by the larvae of a tiny gall wasp, Dipoloepis rosaea. More on this Here.

Hoverflies Recorded:
Marmalade Hoverfly (Episyrphus balteatus)
Tapered Dronefly (Eristalis pertinax)
Common Dronefly (Eristalis tenax)
4 Dead Head Hoverfly (Myathropa florea)
3 hoverfly sps.

Tapered Dronefly (Eristalis pertinax)

As above

A Dead Head Hoverfly (Myathropa florea)

A hoverfly sp.

And another hoverfly sp. Possibly the same species as the one above.

Flies, Craneflies, Gnats and Midges Recorded:
Cranefly (Tipula paludosa)

fly sp.

Cranefly (Tipula paludosa)

As above.

A fly sp.

As above

Bugs and Beetles Recorded:
Possibly a ladybird pupae sp.

Possibly a ladybird pupae sp.

As above

As above.

Crickets and Grasshoppers Recorded:
2 Dark Bush-cricket (Pholidoptera griseoaptera)
Meadow Grasshopper (Chorthippus parallelus)

A Dark Bush-cricket (Pholidoptera griseoaptera)

And another Dark Bush-cricket

Meadow Grasshopper (Chorthippus parallelus)

Ants Recorded:
Small Black Ant (Lasius niger)

Small Black Ant 

Leafhoppers Recorded:
Empoasca vitis

A leafhopper (Empoasca vitis)

General Shots:

Wakeham Meadow and the great news in that there will not be a housing estate here.

A Wildlife garden just south of Wakeham Meadow owned by a good friend of mine in Wakeham

Ted:

Something has stopped Ted in his tracks!!

Ships Today:

This is the Maltese Bulk Carrier "Apageon" on its way from St Petersburg (Russia) to Port Said (Egypt). More on this vessel here.

This is the British Cable Layer "CS Sovereign" on its way from Portland to Galmisdale (Scotland). More on this vessel Here.

This is the Liberian Vehicles Carrier "Morning Cornet" on its way from Zeebrugge to Bristol. More on this vessel Here.

This is the British Sailing Ship "Tenacious" on its way from Dartmouth to Swanage. More on this vessel Here.