30 May 24

Old Quarry Lane, Wakeham Meadows and Wakeham Wildlife Site

It was another lovely sunny day, but spoilt somewhat by a very cool blustery north-westerly. 

Highlights today were two Chiffchaffs at either end of the meadow competing against each with their "Chiff chaff chiff chaff" songs. I'm not sure who one!

Other highlights was filming a small family of Long-tailed Tits along the footpath adjacent to the meadow and some good close-up shots of a beautifully coloured male Orange-tip butterfly.

Birds Recorded:
Herring Gull
Wood Pigeon
Collared Dove
Dunnock
Robin
Blackbird
1 Song Thrush
2 Chiffchaff
7 Long-tailed Tit
Great Tit
Blue Tit
Wren
Magpie
Carrion Crow
Jackdaw
Starling
House Sparrow
Chaffinch
Goldfinch

One of the four juvenile Long-tailed Tits alongside the track adjacent to the meadow. And here.....

.....are all four together.

A Goldfinch

Butterflies Recorded:
1 Orange-tip

1 Green-veined White
2 Speckled Wood
7 Common Blue

This is a male Orange-tip on............

..............Herb Robert (Geranium robertianum).

This a Green-veined White

A Speckled Wood

This is a male Common Blue on.............

..............Red Clover (Trifolium pratense).

And another Common Blue in the meadow

Moths Recorded:
1 Common Nettle-tap (Anthophila fabriciana)

2 Cocksfoot Moth (Glyphipterix simpliciella)

Bees Recorded:
#1 - Honey Bee (Apis mellifera)

#2 - bee sp.

#3 - bee sp.

#1 - Honey Bee (Apis mellifera)

#2 - bee sp.

#2 - Another bee sp.

#2 - And a 3rd bee sp.

#3 - bee sp.

Wasps, Ichneumon Wasps, Parasitic Wasps and Gall Wasps Recorded:

Yellow-tipped Darwin Wasp (Ichneumon stramentor) - possibly

7+ Ichneumon Wasps

There were several different Ichneumon Wasps on the Cow Parsley. This one is possibly a Yellow-tipped Darwin Wasp (Ichneumon stramentor)

And another Ichneumon Wasp

Sawflies Recorded:
Bramble Sawfly (Arge cyanocrocea)

Also on the Cow Parsley was this Bramble Sawfly (Arge cyanocrocea)

Hoverflies Recorded:

Chequered Hoverfly (Melanostoma scalare)

A Chequered Hoverfly (Melanostoma scalare) with a Cocksfoot Moth (Glyphipterix simpliciella) on the right.

Flies, Craneflies, Gnats and Midges Recorded:
#1 - 7+ Dagger Fly (Empis tessellata)

#2 - fly sp.

#3 - Broad Centurian (Chloromyia formosa)

#4 -  Black-horned Gem (Microchrysa polita)

#5 - Tachinidae Fly (Thelaira nigripes)

#6 - fly sp.

#7 - Long-legged Fly sp.

#8 - fly sp.

#9 - fly sp.

#10 - fly sp.

#11 - fly sp.

#12 - fly sp.

#13 - Tiger Cranefly (Nephrotoma flavescens)

#1 - A Dagger Fly (Empis tessellata)

#1 - And another Dagger Fly (Empis tessellata)

#1 - And one more Dagger Fly (Empis tessellata)

#2 - Top left fly sp., far right is a Lesser Thick-legged Flower Beetle (Ischnomera cyanea) and bottom is #3 - a Broad Centurian (Chloromyia formosa)

#4 - A Black-horned Gem (Microchrysa polita)

#4 - And another Black-horned Gem (Microchrysa polita)

#5 - A Tachinidae Fly (Thelaira nigripes) and a.............

............short video of it.

#6 - fly sp.

#7 - A Long-legged Fly sp.

#8 - fly sp.

#9 - fly sp.

#10 - fly sp.

#11 - fly sp.

#12 - fly sp.

#13 -Tiger Cranefly (Nephrotoma flavescens)

Bugs and Beetles Recorded:

1 Dock Bug (Coreus marginatus)
10+ Swollen-thighed Beetle (Oedemera nobilis)

Miridae (Closterotomus trivialis)
3 Common Green Shieldbug (Palomena prasina)

A Swollen-thighed Beetle (Oedemera nobilis) and.........

..............a female.

Miridae (Closterotomus trivialis). It is native to the Mediterranean and was first reported from London in 2009. More on this miridae here.

A Common Green Shieldbug (Palomena prasina)

Spiders Recorded:
#1 - Crab Spider sp.

#2 - Spider sp.

#1 - In this Dog Rose is a Crab Spider..........

............with a Dagger Fly (Empis tessellata) it's just caught.

A spider sp. with a sack full of spiderlings.

Plants:
Cow Parsley (Anthriscus sylvestris).

This is Cow Parsley (Anthriscus sylvestris). It is also known as Wild Chervil, Wild Beaked Parsley, Queen Anne's lace or keck. More on Cow Parsley here.


General Videos:

Windy Portland

Ted:

He's a good lad.