20 Oct 23

Old Quarry Lane, Wakeham Wildlife Site, Wakeham Railway Cuttings, Penns Wood, St Andrew's Church, Church Ope Cove, Penn's Weare, Penn's Copse, Rufus Castle, Bumpers Lane, Broadcroft Quarry Lane, Broadcroft Butterfly Reserve, Higher Horse Paddock, Lower Horse Paddock and Wakeham Meadows.

It was a much better day weatherwise with light winds, sunshine and a bit of warmth.

There were some really good highlights today:
Skylark - Several passing overhead along the walk
Swallow - Two parties of 6 and 7 heading south over Bumpers Lane
Meadow Pipit - Three in the butterfly reserve
Rock Pipit - Eight at the cove including the double-ringed individual
Pied Wagtail - Two at the cove again

Stonechat - A pair in the butterfly reserve.
Fieldfare - One heading north! over Wakeham Railway Cutting
Chiffchaff - Three along Old Quarry Lane and one along Broadcroft Quarry Lane
Yellow-browed Warbler - One along Wakeham Railway Cutting
Goldcrest - Four along Old Quarry Lane and one in Penns Wood
Redpoll - Four overhead along my walk
Siskin - At least 20 Siskins overhead in small flocks along my walk and 3 again in Penns Wood


Mammals Recorded:
Grey Squirrel
Fox

Well yesterday I managed to photograph the tail of a Grey Squirrel. And today I photographed the tail of a Fox (just below the centre of the frame)

Birds Recorded:
1 Kestrel
1 Black-headed Gull
Herring Gull
Stock Dove
Wood Pigeon
Collared Dove
7+ Skylark
13 Swallow
3 Meadow Pipit
8 Rock Pipit
2 Pied Wagtail
Dunnock
Robin
2 Stonechat
Blackbird
1 Fieldfare
4 Chiffchaff
1 Yellow-browed Warbler
5 Goldcrest
Long-tailed Tit
Great Tit
Blue Tit
Wren
Magpie
Carrion Crow
Jackdaw
Starling
House Sparrow
Chaffinch
4 Redpoll
Linnet
20+ Siskin
Goldfinch

Adult Herring Gulls in the Lower Horse paddock

A juvenile Swallow.

Today there were 8 Rock Pipits on the beach and the..........

.............double-ringed individual was still present.

Just the adult male Pied Wagtail seen on the beach today.

It was a bit of a Robin fest this morning with.........

.............dozens seen.........

...........and heard along my walk.

I didn't see the Stonechats yesterday, but they are still about. This is the male on one of the electric fence posts, which are keeping the ponies enclosed in butterfly reserve.

And here is the female close by.

These are..........

.............the three Chiffchaffs........

..............I came across along Old Quarry Lane

This lone Chiffchaff was along Broadcroft Quarry Lane

No photos unfortunately of the Yellow-browed Warbler, but this is what its call sounds like and.......

....................here is a photo of one I took a few years back in Penns Wood.

Below are a few photos of the Goldcrests seen along Old Quarry Lane

One of the three Siskins at the top of Penns Wood this morning.

Reptiles Recorded:
2 Wall Lizards

3 Slow-worms

Be careful when you sit down........

..........there might be a Wall Lizard basking on it.

And another one enjoying the warm October sun

Under one of the metal sheets along my walk were these two adult Slow-worms and....

...........this juvenile.

Butterflies Recorded:
3 Small White
4 Red Admiral

There are still a few Red Admirals about, plus a couple of Small Whites as well.

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

A Honey Bee (Apis mellifera)

And an Ivy Bee (Colletes hederae)

Wasps, Ichneumon Wasps, Parasitic Wasps and Gall Wasps Recorded:
Common Wasp (Vespula vulgaris)

A Common Wasp (Vespula vulgaris)

Hoverflies Recorded:
Common Dronefly (Eristalis tenax)
Dead Head Hoverfly (Myathropa florea)
Long Hoverfly (Sphaerophoria scripta)
Marmalade Hoverfly (Episyrphus balteatus)

1 Hornet Plumehorn (Volucella zonaria)

Common Dronefly (Eristalis tenax)

Dead Head Hoverfly (Myathropa florea)

Marmalade Hoverfly (Episyrphus balteatus)

And another Marmalade Hoverfly (Episyrphus balteatus)

And a very poor shot of a Hornet Plumehorn (Volucella zonaria)

Flies, Craneflies, Gnats and Midges Recorded:
10,000's Kelp Fly (Coelopa frigida)


Bugs and Beetles Recorded:
4 Harlequin Ladybird (Harmonia axyridis) - form succinea
Harlequin Ladybird (Harmonia axyridis) - form spectabilis

Below are a few photos of Harlequin Ladybirds form succinea

Below are a few photos of Harlequin Ladybirds form spectabilis

Spiders Recorded:
5 Nurseryweb Spiders (Pisaura mirabilis)

With the sun out there were quite a few..........

............Nurseryweb Spiders (Pisaura mirabilis) about.

Leafhoppers Recorded:
Leafhopper (Empoasca vitis)

A Leafhopper (Empoasca vitis)

General Shots:

There was quite a swell out to see and some big waves crashing onto the beach

Ted:

A good run through the woods

And a big yawn at the end of it.

Oh my goodness you've been in the seaweed again haven't you!!

Ships Today:

This is the British Fishing Boat PH 37 "Loyal Friend" fishing just off Church Ope Cove. More on this vessel Here.

This is the Norwegian Vehicles Carrier "Hoegh Jeddah" on its way from Antwerp to an unknown destination. More on this vessel here.

This is the British High Speed Craft "Channel Chieftain 6" just off Portland Bill. More on this vessel here.

This is the Vehicles Carrier "Violet Ace" flying the flag of the Bahamas. It is on its way from Emden (Germany) to Baltimore (USA). More on this vessel here.

This is the Liberian General Cargo Ship "Allseas Pioneer" on its way from Saint Petersburg (Russia) to El Dekheila (Egypt). More on this vessel here.

This is the Liberian Bulk Carrier "Pirrihios" on its way from Skagen (Denmark) to Gresik (Indonesia). More on this vessel here.