25 Apr 23

Old Quarry Lane, Wakeham Meadow, Easton Railway Cuttings, Higher Horse Paddock, Broadcroft Butterfly Reserve and Lower Horse Paddock

It was another sunny day, spoilt by a bitter south-easterly. A few highlights, but not as many as I would have expected at this time of the year.

Just two warbler species noted, with one male Whitethroat singing on the butterfly reserve and 4 Chiffchaffs (2 in Old Quarry Lane, 2 in the higher horse paddock and 1 in the butterfly reserve)

Other highlights were firsts for the year with: a Small Copper, a Gooden's Nomad Bee and a German Wasp


Mammals Recorded:
1 Grey Squirrel
2 Brown Rat

Birds Recorded:
1 Buzzard
Herring Gull
Wood Pigeon
Collared Dove
Dunnock
Robin
Blackbird
1 Song Thrush
1 Common Whitethroat (Heard only)
5 Chiffchaff
Great Tit
Blue Tit
Wren
Magpie
Carrion Crow
Jackdaw
Starling
House Sparrow
Chaffinch
Linnet
Goldfinch
Greenfinch (Not seen or heard)

A Robin singing its heart out on the butterfly reserve

A Chiffchaff

And another Chiffchaff

Butterflies Recorded:
2 Orange-tip (both females)
1 Small Copper

My first Small Copper...............

.............. of the year along the old Easton Railway Cutting.

Moths Recorded:
Light Brown Apple Moth (Epiphyas postvittana)

Light Brown Apple Moth

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

Grey-patched Mining Bee (Andrena nitida)

Early Mining Bee (Andrena haemorrhoa)

Gooden's Nomad Bee (Nomada goodeniana)

A Buff-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus terrestris)

Grey-patched Mining Bee (Andrena nitida)

Early Mining Bee (Andrena haemorrhoa)

A Gooden's Nomad Bee (Nomada goodeniana)

Wasps and Gall Wasps Recorded:
German Wasp (Vespula germanica)

My first............

..................German Wasp of the year

Hoverflies Recorded:
At least 5 species noted

Flies, Craneflies, Gnats and Midges Recorded:
Muscid Fly (Phaonia subventa)
Yellow Dung Fly (Scathophaga stercoraria)


Spiders Recorded:

spider sp.

A spider sp.

General Shots:

Looking north up the old Easton Railway Cuttings (Yes that's Ted photo-bombing my shot)

And the cuttings again looking south

Ted:

A thirsty Ted

Ships Today:

This is the French Ro-Ro Cargo Ship "MN Pelican" on its from Bilbao (Spain) to Poole. More on this vessel Here.

This is the Maltese Oil/Chemical Tanker "Monjasa Provider" on its way from Portland to Falmouth. More on this vessel Here.

This is the Cypriot General Cargo Ship "Lisa" on its way from Gdansk (Poland) to Waterford (Ireland). More on this vessel Here.

This is the Danish Container Ship "Maersk Brownsville" on its way from Bremerhaven (Denmark) to Ashdod (Israel). More on this vessel Here.

Aircraft Today:

This is the British Police Helicopter "G-CPAO" over Portland.