6 Apr 24

Old Quarry Lane, Wakeham Meadows, Wakeham Railway Cuttings, Wakeham Railway Cuttings (east), The Cuttings Quarry, Bumpers Lane, Silklake Quarry, Broadcroft Quarry Lane, Broadcroft Butterfly Reserve, Higher Horse Paddock and Lower Horse Paddock

After feeling quite lousy with covid for the past week, I did at least feel a bit better today and decided to get out and get some fresh air. However the strong winds of Storm Kathleen, gusting to over 40mph, really didn't help my ears. But I really did need to get out.

Unsurprisingly with that brisk south-westerly blowing, it was difficult to find any Spring migrants and the best I could do was 4 Swallows over the Lower Horse Paddock and 3 Chiffchaffs singing between Old Quarry Lane and Wakeham Railway Cuttings.

Other highlights though were: singles of Green-veined White and a Comma, both in Wakeham Railway Cuttings, a few bee species, a Dark-edged Bee-fly and two Harlequin Ladybirds.

Birds Recorded:
Herring Gull
Stock Dove
Wood Pigeon
4 Swallow
Dunnock
Robin
Blackbird
Song Thrush
3 Chiffchaff
Great Tit
Blue Tit
Wren
Magpie
Carrion Crow
Jackdaw
Starling
House Sparrow
Chaffinch
15+ Linnet
Siskin
Goldfinch
2 Greenfinch

A male Greenfinch in the butterfly reserve.

Reptiles Recorded:

1 Slow-worm

My first Slow-worm this Spring

Butterflies Recorded:
1 Green-veined White
1 Comma

Bees Recorded:
10+ Buff-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus terrestris)
5 Red-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus lapidarius)

2 Early Mining Bee (Andrena haemorrhoa)

1 Flavous Nomad Bee (Nomada flava)

A Buff-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus terrestris)

And a Red-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus lapidarius)

An Early Mining Bee (Andrena haemorrhoa) and............

...........another one. It also goes by the name of Orange-tailed Mining Bee, which you can just about make out in this photo.

I believe this is a Flavous Nomad Bee (Nomada flava) on Alexanders (Smyrnium olusatrum)

Hoverflies Recorded:
1 Common Dronefly (Eristalis tenax)


Flies, Craneflies, Gnats and Midges Recorded:
1 Dark-edged Bee-fly (Bombylius major)
12+ Yellow Dung Fly (Scathophaga stercoraria)

On this Alexanders (Smyrnium olusatrum) are two Yellow Dung Flies (Scathophaga stercoraria) and a Small Black Ant (Lasius niger).

Bugs and Beetles Recorded:
1 Bloody-nosed Beetle (Timarcha tenebricosa)
2 Harlequin Ladybird (Harmonia axyridis) - form succinea

A Bloody-nosed Beetle (Timarcha tenebricosa)

And two.......

 ............Harlequin Ladybirds (Harmonia axyridis) - Both form succinea

Ants Recorded:

Small Black Ant (Lasius niger)

Plants:

Portland Russet (Malus x domestica)

And the "Portland Russet" is not only in leaf, but a few flowering buds are beginning to appear.

General Shots:

Well the mess left by the Off-gridders has now been bagged up. I guess the problem now is getting them out of Silklake Quarry


Ted and Theo:

And more Theo than Ted!!