24 Sep 23

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

It was a day that started off bright but ended up pretty cloudy with a few gaps of blue sky. Main highlight today was the incredible numbers of Red Admirals. On one Ivy bush alone I counted 25, and I probably had another 30+ along my walk. Just the one Painted Lady, which flew off before I could get a photo of it.

Mammals Recorded:
1 Grey Squirrel

I recognise that bushy tail. One of the local Grey Squirrels makes a hasty retreat from a bird feeder alongside Wakeham Railway Cuttings.

Birds Recorded:
1 Kestrel
Herring Gull
Great Black-backed Gull
Wood Pigeon
Collared Dove
1 Swallow
1 Pied Wagtail
1 Grey Wagtail
Dunnock
Robin
Blackbird
2 Chiffchaff
15 Long-tailed Tit
Great Tit
Blue Tit
Wren
Magpie
Carrion Crow
Jackdaw
Starling
House Sparrow
Chaffinch
Linnet
Goldfinch

Tagging along with 15 Long-tailed Tits was this Chiffchaff in Broadcroft Quarry Lane

Butterflies Recorded:
Large White
Small White
Green-veined White
2 Speckled Wood
55+ Red Admiral
1 Painted Lady

A Speckled Wood blends in with the leaf litter.

Here are a few photos and a video of the Red Admirals I came across this afternoon.

This Ivy had a least 25 Red Admirals on it. Here are a few of them.

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

Common Furrow-bee (Lasioglossum calceatum)

A Buff-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus terrestris) on Ivy

A Common Carder Bumblebee (Bombus pascuorum) on a Thistle

A Ivy Bee (Colletes hederae) on Ivy

Possibly a Common Furrow-bee (Lasioglossum calceatum)

Wasps, Ichneumon Wasps, Parasitic Wasps and Gall Wasps Recorded:
Common Wasp (Vespula vulgaris)
German Wasp (Vespula germanica)
wasp sp

This is a German Wasp.

A wasp sp...........

...............as above.

Hoverflies Recorded:
Common Dronefly (Eristalis tenax)
Dead Head Hoverfly (Myathropa florea)

Plain-faced Dronefly (Eristalis arbustorum) - possibly

A Common Dronefly (Eristalis tenax)

Another Common Dronefly (Eristalis tenax)

And one more Common Dronefly (Eristalis tenax)

A Dead Head Hoverfly (Myathropa florea)

Not a brilliant photo but I think this might be a Plain-faced Dronefly (Eristalis arbustorum)

Flies, Craneflies, Gnats and Midges Recorded:
fly sp

A fly sp

Bugs and Beetles Recorded:

1 Common Flower Bug (Anthocoris nemorum)
20+ Harlequin Ladybird (Harmonia axyridis) - form succinea

A Common Flower Bug (Anthocoris nemorum) on the leaf of a Common Nettle (Urtica dioica)

Below are a few photos of Harlequin Ladybirds (Harmonia axyridis) - form succinea

Spiders Recorded:
Garden Spider (Araneus diadematus)

A Garden Spider has one leg attached to its web, just waiting for the vibration of a fly or any other flying insect to set it off.

Ted:

I whistle and Ted obliges with a good run towards me so I can get a few shots.

Ships Today:

This is the British Fishing Boat NN7 "Saint George" on its way...........

..................... back to Portland Harbour. More on this vessel Here.