Port and Wey: 8 Apr 23

Old Quarry Lane, Wakeham Meadows, The Windmills, Watery Lane, Weston Street Horse Paddock, Thumb Lane, Mermaid Track, The Cuttings, Bumpers Lane, Broadcroft Quarry Lane, Broadcroft Butterfly Reserve and Lower Horse Paddock

Well the weather couldn't have been better especially for early April. Lots of blue sky and more importantly warm sunshine for a change. So it was an extended walk to see if the Hoopoe was still about in Weston Street. It wasn't unfortunately, but there were still some good birds to seen along the walk.

Highlights today were:
Swallow - One over the Lower Horse Paddock
Meadow Pipit - Five over Weston Street Horse Paddock
Common Redstart - A male along Old Quarry Lane
4 Wheatear - One in the fields alongside Watery Lane, two in Weston Street Horse Paddock and one in Broadcroft Butterfly Reserve
Chiffchaff - Five along my walk with 3 singing
Willow Warbler - One singing along the Mermaid Track

Other highlights were six Slow-worms close to Wakeham Meadows, a Hummingbird Hawk-moth at Thumb Lane and Cowslips in flower in the butterfly reserve.

Birds Recorded:
2 Sparrowhawk
1 Buzzard
1 Peregrine Falcon
1 Kestrel
Herring Gull
Wood Pigeon
1 Swallow
5 Meadow Pipit
Pied Wagtail
Dunnock
Robin
1 Common Redstart
4 Wheatear
Blackbird
5 Chiffchaff
1 Willow Warbler
Great Tit
Blue Tit
Wren
Magpie
Carrion Crow
Jackdaw
Starling
House Sparrow
Chaffinch
Linnet
Goldfinch

A Peregrine flying over the Windmills

A male Common Redstart along Old Quarry Lane

A male Wheatear in Broadcroft Quarry Butterfly Reserve

Reptiles Recorded:
6 Slow-worm

The first Slow-worms I have seen this year.

Butterflies Recorded:
1 Red Admiral

Moths Recorded:
1 Hummingbird Hawk-moth (Macroglossum stellatarum)

Bees Recorded:
Honey Bees (Apis mellifera)
Buff-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus terrestris)
Red-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus lapidarius)
Yellow-legged Mining Bee (Andrena flavipe)
Red Mason Bee (Osmia bicornis)