13 Jun 24

Old Quarry Lane, Wakeham Meadows and Wakeham Wildlife Site

The weather forecast was spot on today, with rain expected by 1:00pm. So it was a case of getting out for a walk before it arrived.

Highlight today was a Lesser Whitethroat singing from the Buddleias, where I had the Reed Warbler a couple of days ago. Also "back" were both the Song Thrush and Chiffchaff singing from around the meadow.


Birds Recorded:
Herring Gull
Wood Pigeon
Collared Dove
Dunnock
Blackbird
1 Song Thrush
1 Lesser Whitethroat
1 Chiffchaff
Great Tit
Blue Tit
Wren
Magpie
Carrion Crow
Jackdaw
Starling
House Sparrow
Chaffinch
Goldfinch

A short "rattle" from a Lesser Whitethroat next to the meadow.

An interesting song by the "resident" Chiffchaff in Wakeham meadow

Butterflies Recorded:
1 Meadow Brown

The only butterfly I came across today was this Meadow Brown.

Moths Recorded:
1 Silver Y (Autographa gamma)


Bees Recorded:

Honey Bee (Apis mellifera)
Garden Bumblebee (Bombus hortorum)

Buff-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus terrestris)

Here are a couple of............

.............Honey Bees (Apis mellifera) collecting pollen from a Cow Parsley (Anthriscus sylvestris)

A Buff-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus terrestris) on a Bramble flower (Rubus fruticosusa)

Hoverflies Recorded:
6 Long Hoverfly (Sphaerophoria scripta)

The only hoverflies I came across today were six Long Hoverflies (Sphaerophoria scripta). And funnily enough my first ones this year.

Flies, Craneflies, Gnats and Midges Recorded:
Yellow Dung Fly (Scathophaga stercoraria)

fly sp.

A male Yellow Dung Fly (Scathophaga stercoraria)

And my mystery fly today.

Bugs and Beetles Recorded:
Swollen-thighed Beetle (Oedemera nobilis)

A male Swollen-thighed Beetle (Oedemera nobilis) on a Bristly Oxtongue (Helminthotheca echioides)

Spiders Recorded:
Crab Spider (Misumena vatia)

Nurseryweb Spider (Pisaura mirabilis)

And my Crab Spider (Misumena vatia) in its favourite Dog Rose (Rosa canina).

A very brown coloured Nurseryweb Spider (Pisaura mirabilis)

Plants:

St John's Wort (Hypericum perforatum)

Bristly Oxtongue (Helminthotheca echioides)

This is St John's Wort (Hypericum perforatum). It also goes.........

............by the name of Perforate St John's-wort or Common St John's Wort

This is............

....................Bristly Oxtongue (Helminthotheca echioides), and another new species for my Portland Plant List. More on this plant here and here.

Ted:

I'm not surprised that..........

............after all this running, that Ted..........

..............is now fast asleep.

Ships Today:

This is the American Chemical/Oil Products Tanker "Shenandoah Trader" on its way from Portland Harbour to Rota (Spain). More on this vessel here.