31 May 23

Old Quarry Lane and Wakeham Meadows

It's that time of year when I like to visit the lane and meadows for the butterflies. Unfortunately it hasn't been that brilliant so far this Spring, but today's Large Skipper was a big surprise, as this is the first time I have seen one in this area since I moved here 6 years and 1 day ago.

Having said that there were 5 other butterfly species noted, including quite a few Small Blues, which are in greater numbers than I have seen before.

Birds Recorded:
Herring Gull
Wood Pigeon
Collared Dove
Dunnock
Blackbird
2 Common Whitethroat
1 Blackcap
1 Chiffchaff
Great Tit
Blue Tit
Wren
Magpie
Carrion Crow
Starling
House Sparrow
Chaffinch
Linnet
Goldfinch

Dragonflies and Damselflies Recorded:
Azure Damselfly

A female Azure Damselfly along Old Quarry Lane

Butterflies Recorded:
1 Large Skipper
2 Large White
1 Speckled Wood
4 Small Blue
8 Common Blue

Below are a few images of a male Large Skipper. The first one I have recorded in this area.

A Small Blue and.........

..........another one.

This is a female Common Blue.

And this is a male Common Blue

And the underwings of the male Common Blue

Moths Recorded:
Vetch Piercer (Grapholita jungiella)

veneer sp.

A Vetch Piercer (Grapholita jungiella)

And a veneer sp.

Bees Recorded:
Honey Bees (Apis mellifera)
Buff-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus terrestris)
Red-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus lapidarius)
Garden Bumblebee (Bombus hortorum)
Large Meadow Mining Bee (Andrena labialis)

A Honey Bee on Meadow Vetchling (Lathyrus pratensis)

A Garden Bumblebee coming into land on a Yellow-rattle (Rhinanthus minor)

A female Large Meadow Mining Bee (Andrena labialis) and.........

...........another shot of it on Meadow Vetchling. More photos of this bee Here.

Sawflies Recorded:
Bramble Sawfly (Arge cyanocrocea)

At long range I managed a record shot of this Bramble Sawfly.

Hoverflies Recorded:
Marmalade Hoverfly (Episyrphus balteatus)


Flies, Craneflies, Gnats and Midges Recorded:
Blue Blowfly (Calliphora vicina)
Red Spotted Parasite Fly (Eriothrix rufomaculata)

Below are a few photos of the Red Spotted Parasite Fly.

Bugs and Beetles Recorded:
Swollen-thighed Beetle (Oedemera nobilis)

A male Swollen-thighed Beetle and..........

...........a female.

Ted:

Ted feeling the heat. At least there are plenty shady places to keep cool.

30 May 23

Old Quarry Lane and Wakeham Meadows

It has been a bit too warm for afternoon walks for Ted, so today we had a a mid-morning walk down the lane and around the meadows.

Main highlights were six Swallows feeding over the meadows before heading north up the island.

Birds Recorded:
Herring Gull
Wood Pigeon
Collared Dove
6 Swallow
Dunnock
Blackbird
1 Common Whitethroat
1 Blackcap
Great Tit
Blue Tit
Wren
Magpie
Carrion Crow
Jackdaw
House Sparrow
Chaffinch
Linnet
Goldfinch

On the left a Hedge Sparrow and to the right a House Sparrow. Despite both having sparrow in their names, the Hedge Sparrow is also known as a Dunnock and belongs to the Accentor family. The House Sparrow on the other hand is a bird of the sparrow family Passeridae.

Butterflies Recorded:
4 Large White
2 Common Blue

Despite the blue colouration of the wings, this is in fact a female Common Blue. Not a colour I have seen that often, as females normally have brown upper wings. More on Common Blues Here.


Moths Recorded:

Vetch Piercer (Grapholita jungiella)
Mother Shipton moth (Callistege mi)

Vetch Piercer (Grapholita jungiella)

Mother Shipton moth (Callistege mi)

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

#1 - bee sp.

#2 - bee sp. - Possibly the same species as #1 - bee sp.

#1 - bee sp.

#1 - bee sp.

#2 - And another similar looking bee to the one above.

Wasps and Gall Wasps Recorded:
#1 - wasp sp.

A wasp sp. and unfortunately not one I will be able to ID.

Ichneumon Wasps Recorded:
Red-legged Wasp (Buathra laborator)

On the far left a Red-legged Wasp, centre a fly sp. and far right a Swollen-thighed Beetle (Oedemera nobilis).

Hoverflies Recorded:
10+ Marmalade Hoverfly (Episyrphus balteatus)
1 Dead Head Hoverfly (Myathropa florea)

#1 - hoverfly sp.

Below are a selection of photos and a video of Marmalade Hoverflies.

#1 - hoverfly sp.

Flies, Craneflies, Gnats and Midges Recorded:
#1 - 1 Tiger Cranefly (Nephrotoma flavescens)
#2 - 3 Dagger Flies (Empis tessellata)

#3 - fly sp.

#4 - fly sp.

#5 - fly sp.

#6 - fly sp.

#1 - A Tiger Cranefly (Nephrotoma flavescens)

#2 - Dagger Fly (Empis tessellata)

#2 - Another Dagger Fly (Empis tessellata)

#2 - And a third Dagger Fly (Empis tessellata)

#3 - fly sp.

#4 - fly sp.

#5 - fly sp.

#6 - fly sp.

Bugs and Beetles Recorded:
3 Common Green Shieldbug (Palomena prasina)
Swollen-thighed Beetle (Oedemera nobilis)
Lesser Thick-legged Flower Beetle (Ischnomera cyanea)

A Common Green Shieldbug

Crickets and Grasshoppers Recorded:
Common Field Grasshopper (Chorthippus brunneus) - possibly

I can't be 100% sure, but I think this is the nymph of a Common Field Grasshopper. 

Slugs and Snails Recorded:
White-lipped Banded Snail (Cepaea hortensis)
Garden Snail (Cornu aspersa)


Spiders Recorded:
Nurseryweb Spider (Pisaura mirabilis)

A Nurseryweb Spider (Pisaura mirabilis)

Plants:

Dog Rose (Rosa canina)

The first Dog Rose flowers are beginning to appear.

Ted:

It looks like Ted is enjoying this mornings run, as he flies through the air.