20 Apr 24

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

We are liking this weather, however with the ground now dried out, it does mean I can work in the back garden without leaving muddy trails. On the minus side though my walks with Ted and Theo are a bit shorter time wise.

Only highlights today were 6 Swallows passing over the butterfly reserve and a lone Chiffchaff in Broadcroft Quarry Lane.

Birds Recorded:
Herring Gull
Wood Pigeon
6 Swallow
1 Pied Wagtail
Dunnock
Robin
Blackbird
1 Chiffchaff
Great Tit
Blue Tit
Wren
Magpie
Carrion Crow
Jackdaw
Starling
House Sparrow
Chaffinch
Linnet
Goldfinch
Greenfinch

This Carrion Crow............

............has just blinked and appears to have a blue eye. In fact it is a third eye-lid and helps protect the eyes and moistens them. It is called a nictitating membrane. More on this here.

Butterflies Recorded:
1 Large White
5 Speckled Wood


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

Both this Buff-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus terrestris) and........

.................Honey Bee (Apis mellifera) are on Wall Cotoneaster (Cotoneaster horizontalis).

Flies, Craneflies, Gnats and Midges Recorded:

Fever-fly (Dilophus febrilis)

A not very good photograph of a Fever-fly (Dilophus febrilis)

Bugs and Beetles Recorded:
1 Harlequin Ladybird (Harmonia axyridis)

A  Harlequin Ladybird (Harmonia axyridis) - form succinea

Spiders Recorded:
Nurseryweb Spider (Pisaura mirabilis)

Plants:
Wild Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare)

Mediterranean Cypress (Cupressus sempervirens)

Wild Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare)

Ted photo-bombing my shot of the Mediterranean Cypress trees (Cupressus sempervirens) on the butterfly reserve. This tree also goes by the name of Italian Cypress, Tuscan Cypress, Persian Cypress or Pencil Pine. More on this tree Here.


Ships Today:

This is the Japanese Vehicles Carrier "Hamburg Highway" on its way from Altamira (Mexico) to Southampton. More on this vessel here.

On the right is the Platform "Excalibur" flying the flag of Vanuata. It is being towed from Holyhead to Esbjerg (Denmark) by the British Tug "Fortitude". 

Here's a close-up shot of the platform. More on "Excalibur" here and "Fortitude" here.

This is the Singaporean Bulk Carrier "Benjamas Nare" on its way from Antwerpen (Belgium) to Rouen (France). More on this vessel here.