5 Oct 23

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

I hadn't planned a long walk today as I was hoping to take my time checking the Trail camera I set up in a local wood last night for Badgers. Quite a few of the locals have told me there are a few in Wakeham and even Dawn saw one waddling down Old Quarry Lane last year.

I found what I thought was a good trail, and having checked the camera this morning there were two videos triggered by moths!! I think I'm going to have to change the sensitivity of the camera and find another spot. So tonight its set up in the back garden, not for Badgers but perhaps a Fox.

So after drawing a blank I set off on a pretty decent walk with the main highlights being:

Wakeham Meadow: 2 Swallow over, 5 Blackcap, 2 Chiffchaff, 8 Long-tailed Tit, 2 Great Tit and a Blue Tit.

Broadcroft Quarry Lane: 3 Chiffchaff, 2 Great Tit and a Blue Tit

Broadcroft Butterfly Reserve: 2 Swallow, 5 Meadow Pipit, 2 Stonechat and 2 Siskin heading north

Also about was another huge haul of Red Admirals with well over 30 seen on the Ivy Bushes (Hedera helix) I passed along my walk. And I just managed a shot of a Clouded Yellow by the railway cuttings.

A bit of a surprise was finding 2 juvenile Slow-worms under one of the corrugated sheets along Bumpers Lane, plus a Common Darter along Wakeham Railway Cuttings (east).

Mammals Recorded:
Grey Squirrel

Oh dear it looks like this Grey Squirrel has found the bird feeders in the wildlife site!!

Birds Recorded:
Herring Gull
1 Great Black-backed Gull
Wood Pigeon
Collared Dove
4 Swallow
5 Meadow Pipit
2 Pied Wagtail
Dunnock
Robin
2 Stonechat
Blackbird
5 Blackcap
5 Chiffchaff
Long-tailed Tit
Great Tit
Blue Tit
Wren
Magpie
Carrion Crow
Jackdaw
Starling
House Sparrow
Chaffinch
Linnet
2 Siskin
Goldfinch

In the butterfly reserve was this male Stonechat and his.....

.........mate. Hopefully they will remain here for the Autumn/Winter.

I've been amazed by the number of Blackcaps that have passed through Wakeham Meadow this Autumn. This is a male.

And another male Blackcap feeding on the Blackberries with a male House Sparrow below.

These three Chiffchaffs were..........

................together in.........

...............Broadcroft Quarry Lane. They just need a Firecrest, Yellow-browed Warbler and a Pallas's Warbler to join them.

Reptiles Recorded:
2 Slow-worm

And the two juvenile Slow-worms I came across today.

Both slithered into........

.............the undergrowth, but.........

...........rest assured they will back.

Dragonflies and Damselflies Recorded:
1 Common Darter

A Common Darter

Butterflies Recorded:
Large White
Small White
Green-veined White
1 Clouded Yellow
1 Speckled Wood
30+ Red Admiral

I managed three shots of this male Clouded Yellow, as flew past me upside down along the railway cuttings

Here's a test for your eyesight, there are 7 Red Admirals in amongst this Ivy bush. Honest!!

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

A very large Buff-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus terrestris)

And a smaller Buff-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus terrestris), which managed to fly straight into this spiders web. It escaped unharmed.

And an obligatory photo of an Ivy Bee (Colletes hederae)

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

The Common Wasp nest is still going strong in Wakeham Meadow

Here is a close-up of one of its inhabitants

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

Thick-legged hoverfly (Syritta pipiens)

A Common Dronefly (Eristalis tenax)

I think I've got this right as a Thick-legged hoverfly (Syritta pipiens)

Flies, Craneflies, Gnats and Midges Recorded:
Blue Blowfly (Calliphora vicina) - possibly
Fruit Fly (Tephritis divisa)

A Blue Blowfly (Calliphora vicina) I think!!

I was photographing this Ivy Bee, not very well I might add, when I noticed there was a small fly below it.

It turns out it is the Fruit Fly - Tephritis divisa and another new species of fly for my Portland List. Which reminds me I need to update it again!!

Bugs and Beetles Recorded:

Red-legged Shieldbug (Pentatoma rufipes)
Harlequin Ladybird (Harmonia axyridis) - form succinea
Harlequin Ladybird (Harmonia axyridis) - form spectabilis

A Red-legged Shieldbug (Pentatoma rufipes) which was wandering along Bumpers Lane.

And a close up view before.......

..........I gave it a lift up onto a big rock.

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

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

Plants:
Common Poppy (Papaver rhoeas)

Hollyberry Cotoneaster (Cotoneaster bullatus)

Common Poppy (Papaver rhoeas)

Well my plant app suggests (75%) that this Hollyberry Cotoneaster (Cotoneaster bullatus)

Ted:

Well pleased with this. Trust me it wasn't easy to edit. Good old Ted.

Ships Today:

This is the British fishing boat (NN733) "Le Belhara" on its way back to Portland Harbour. More on this vessel here.

This is the British Fishing Boat NN7 "Saint George" on its way back to Portland Harbour again. More on this vessel Here.

This is the Lithuanian Passenger/Ro-Ro Cargo Ship "Optima Seaways" on its way from Dunkirk to Rosslare. More on this vessel here.

This is the Container Ship "YM Wreath" flying the flag of Hong Kong. It is on its way from the Thames to As Suways/Suez Port (Egypt). More on this vessel here

This is the Royal Navy Frigate (F234) "HMS Iron Duke" on its way out of Portland Harbour.........

................ to an unknown destination..................

 More on "HMS Iron Duke here and here.

This is the Panamanian LPG Tanker "Louis" on its way from Portland Harbour to an unknown destination. More on this vessel here.

This is the Chemical/Oil Products Tanker "Mersey" flying the flag of the Marshall Islands.................

..............It is on its way from Antwerpen to Buenos Aires (Argentina). More on this vessel here.