11 Nov 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.

It was an early afternoon walk today, in very calm windless conditions.

Main highlights were:
Stock Dove - Two in the temporary horse paddock (Butterfly Reserve)
Meadow Pipit - One in the temporary horse paddock (Butterfly Reserve)
Blackcap - Two along Wakeham Railway Cuttings
Chiffchaff - Two along Wakeham Railway Cuttings (east)
Goldcrest - Two along Wakeham Railway Cuttings
Long-tailed Tit - Eight along Wakeham Railway Cuttings
Siskin - Two over Wakeham
Goldfinch - Thirty plus along Wakeham Railway Cuttings (east)
Greenfinch - Four in the Butterfly Reserve


Other highlights were a Red Admiral in Old Quarry Lane and 6 Harlequin Ladybirds along Wakeham Railway Cuttings

Birds Recorded:
2 Kestrel
Herring Gull
2 Stock Dove
Wood Pigeon
1 Meadow Pipit
2 Pied Wagtail
Dunnock
Robin
Blackbird
2 Blackcap
2 Chiffchaff
2 Goldcrest
8 Long-tailed Tit
Great Tit
Blue Tit
Wren
Magpie
Carrion Crow
Jackdaw
Starling
House Sparrow
Chaffinch
Linnet
2 Siskin
30+ Goldfinch
4 Greenfinch

A Kestrel sat in an Ash Tree in Wakeham Meadow.

After a failed attempt at catching something in the grass, it struggled to hang on to its next perch on the otherside of the meadow.

And another Kestrel, this time on the butterfly reserve.

here it is having a good preen and then.....

..............gave me the biggest scowl I've ever seen!!!

There was no sign of the male Pheasant in the temporary Horse Paddock today, instead where these....

...........two Stock Doves. This one shot off as soon as it saw me and Ted.

The Wakeham Railway Cutting to the east of the road bridge was absolutely buzzing with birds. Other than at least 5 Blackbirds, 5 Great Tit, 4 Blue Tit, 2 Wren, several Chaffinch and 30+ Goldfinch, there was also this Chiffchaff and another close-by.

Along the Wakeham Railway Cutting to the west of the bridge were these two Goldcrests, ..........

...........eight Long-tailed Tits, plus two Blackcaps

One of the pristine looking Great Tits along Wakeham Railway Cutting to the east of the road bridge, where........

...........there were a couple of Wrens as well.

A male Greenfinch............

.........on top of one of the Sycamores on the reserve. Another three birds were flying around the reserve before heading off towards Broadcroft Quarry Lane.

Butterflies Recorded:
1 Red Admiral

Moths Recorded:
None

Bees Recorded:
None

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

And the end of the Common Wasp nest in Wakeham Meadow. All that remains is a deceased individual to the left of the Sycamore seed.


Hoverflies Recorded:
None


Flies, Craneflies, Gnats and Midges Recorded:
fly sp.

A fly sp. on Common Ragwort (Jacobaea vulgaris)

Bugs and Beetles Recorded:
6 Harlequin Ladybird (Harmonia axyridis) all form succinea

Harlequin Ladybird number #1

Harlequin Ladybird number #2

Harlequin Ladybird number #3, 4 & 5........

..........ah that should be Harlequin Ladybird numbers #3, 4, 5 & 6

Ted:

Go Ted go.

Ships Today:

This is the Panamanian Bulk Carrier "Navios Gem" on its way from Tubarao (Brazil) to Dunkirk (France). More on this vessel here.

This is the Madeiran Container Ship "CT Pachuca" on its way from Antwerp to Belfast. More on this vessel here.

This is the British Tug "Ocean Battler" towing a platform from Ramsgate to Portland. More on this Tug here.

On the left is the Maltese Ro-Ro Cargo Ship "Celine" on its way from Zeebrugge to Dublin. More on Celine here. Unfortunately I have no details of the vessel on the right.

This is the Panamanian Container Ship "One Milano" on its way from As Suways (Egypt) to Rotterdam. More on this vessel here.