3 May 23

Old Quarry Lane, Wakeham Meadows, Lower Horse Paddock, Higher Horse Paddock, Broadcroft Butterfly Reserve, Broadcroft Quarry Lane, Bumpers Lane, The Cuttings, The Mermaid Track and Wakeham Railway Cuttings.

I was another early morning walk with some excellent highlights.

They were:
House Martin: Two over the butterfly reserve
Swallow: Three over the butterfly reserve
Tree Pipit: One over the butterfly reserve
Common Whitethroat: Four in the butterfly reserve, two along the Mermaid Track and one close to Wakeham Railway Cuttings
Lesser Whitethroat: One in the butterfly reserve and one in Bumpers Lane (again)
Blackcap: One along Wakeham Railway Cuttings
Chiffchaff: One along Old Quarry Lane and one Wakeham Railway Cuttings
Willow Warbler: One singing along Old Quarry Lane

Plus:
A large black/dark brown unidentified raptor over the butterfly reserve. Photos below, plus an update on what it is:

NOTE:

My mystery bird is apparently a Marsh Harrier

Birds Recorded:
1 Buzzard

1 Marsh Harrier
1 Kestrel
Herring Gull
2 Stock Dove
Wood Pigeon
Collared Dove
2 House Martin
3 Swallow
1 Tree Pipit
Dunnock
Robin
Blackbird
Song Thrush
7 Common Whitethroat
2 Lesser Whitethroat
1 Blackcap
2 Chiffchaff
1 Willow Warbler
Great Tit
Blue Tit
Wren
Magpie
Carrion Crow
Jackdaw
Starling
House Sparrow
Chaffinch
Linnet
Goldfinch

A Common Buzzard.

These Herring Gulls were spooked by the mystery raptor, which we now know was a Marsh Harrier

A Common Whitethroat

Bird songs along Wakeham Railway Cuttings. In the order they were singing with Herring Gulls in the background: Blackcap, Chiffchaff, Blackcap, Wren, Goldfinch, Chiffchaff, Wren and Blackcap.

A Chiffchaff feeding and singing along Wakeham Railway Cuttings

A male Linnet

And a Goldfinch

Reptiles Recorded

Slow-worms

A metal sheet lying on the ground often reveals....

.............Slow-worms

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

Slugs and Snails Recorded:
Black Slug (Arion ater)

A Black Slug

Plants:
Dames Rocket (Hesperis matronalis)
Herb Robert (Geranium robertianum)

Sycamore (Acer pseudoplatanus)

Dames Rocket

Herb Robert. Also known as Red Robin, Death come quickly, Storksbill, Fox Geranium, Stinking Bob, Squinter-pip, Crow's Foot or Roberts Geranium

Young Sycamore leaves. More on the Sycamore Tree Here.

General Shots:

Looking south from the "Bump" on the butterfly reserve.

Ted:

Ted wondering whether he can have a swim!!

Ships Today:

This is the German Pleasure Craft "Polaris" on its way from Cowes to Torquay. More on this vessel Here.

This is the Swedish Oil/Chemical Tanker "Wisby Atlantic" on its way from Ijmuiden (Holland) to Weymouth Bay. More on this vessel Here.