16 Sep 24

Old Quarry Lane, Wakeham Meadows and Wakeham Wildlife Site

It was another late afternoon walk, this time after a busy day at the Doctors, waiting for a very important letter , followed by a trip to the post office where I posted a birthday card, a next day delivery of a letter, a recorded letter and then finally a parcel return.

Back to the walk and the highlights this afternoon were 2 House Martins over Wakeham and 3 Chiffchaffs calling around the meadow.

Birds Recorded:
Herring Gull
Wood Pigeon
Collared Dove
2 House Martin
Dunnock
Robin
Blackbird
3 Chiffchaff
5 Long-tailed Tit
Great Tit
Blue Tit
Wren
Magpie
Carrion Crow
Jackdaw
Starling
House Sparrow
Chaffinch
Linnet
Goldfinch

A Blue Tit

Escapees, Ferals, Possibles Etc.
Feral pigeon

Butterflies Recorded:
8 Large White
2 Speckled Wood
5 Red Admiral

This is a Large White on Old Man’s Beard (Clematis vitalba). A plant that is also known as Travellers’ Joy and Wild Clematis.

Sat on the leaves of this Sycamore was.......

......this Speckled Wood and...........

........Red Admiral.

Moths Recorded:
1 Rush Veneer (Nomophila noctuella)

This Rush Veneer (Nomophila noctuella) was.........

........well hidden in the grass.

Bees Recorded:
Common Carder Bee (Bombus pascuorum)
Honey Bee (Apis mellifera)

Common Furrow-bee (Lasioglossum calceatum)
Ivy Bee (Colletes hederae)

These 3 Common Furrow-bees are on the seed of a Common Knapweed (Centaurea nigra). And I have no idea why!!!

Well the main focus here was the Ivy Bee (Colletes hederae), which I achieved with a Red Admiral above and a Common Dronefly (Eristalis tenax) to the left.

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

The Common Wasp nest in the meadow is still very active.....

...I suspect this one is from that very nest.

Hoverflies Recorded:
Common Dronefly (Eristalis tenax)
Marmalade Hoverfly (Episyrphus balteatus)

Vagrant Hoverfly (Eupeodes corollae)

Hornet Plumehorn (Volucella zonaria)

Dead Head Hoverfly (Myathropa florea)

hoverfly sp.

A Hornet Plumehorn (Volucella zonaria). What a stunning hoverfly!!

Dead Head Hoverfly (Myathropa florea)

A hoverfly sp. I will try and find out what it is!

Flies, Craneflies, Gnats and Midges Recorded:
Many unidentified flies

Slugs and Snails Recorded:
Black Slug (Arion ater)
Large Red Slug (Arion ater)

A Large Red Slug (Arion ater)

Ants Recorded:
Small Black Ant (Lasius niger)

A Small Black Ant (Lasius niger)

Ted:

I think the cooler afternoons are suiting Ted. He's certainly motoring here.

Aircraft Today:

This privately owned Van's RV-14 Registration G-OGAL flew over Portland heading towards Shawbury (Shropshire) this evening.

It originally left Angouleme Cognac International airport here at 4:02pm and landed at Dinard Pleurtuit Saint-Malo Airport here at 5:28pm, presumably to refuel, before departing for Shawbury at 5:56pm.

It landed at Shawbury at 6:44pm.

More on this aircraft here, photos here, and info on the aircraft and owner here.

15 Sep 24

Wakeham

It was another day spent in the back garden, this time sowing the following seeds for the new meadow:

1. Borage (Borage officinalis)
2. Common Knapweed (Centaurea nigra)
3. Cornflower (Centaurea cyanus)
4. Cow Parsley (Anthriscus sylvestris)
5. Ox-Eye Daisy (Leucanthemum vulgare)
6. Yellow Rattle (Rhinanthus minor)
7. Common Poppy (Papaver rhoeas)
8. Hemp Agrimony (Eupatorium cannabinum)
9. Alexanders (Smyrnium olusatrum)
10. Common Ragwort (Jacobaea vulgaris)

11. Lesser Burdock (Arctium minus)


Birds Recorded in and around the garden:
Herring Gull
Wood Pigeon
Collared Dove
1 Grey Wagtail - heading north
Dunnock
1 Robin
1 Chiffchaff - one two gardens down.
Magpie
Carrion Crow
Jackdaw
Starling
House Sparrow
Goldfinch

Both this Dunnock and...............

...........the resident Robin, were very interested in the seeds I had just sown.

Escapees, Ferals, Possibles Etc.
Feral pigeon


Butterflies Recorded:
2 Large White
3 Red Admiral

A Large White

One of the three Red Admirals seen in the garden this afternoon.

Here is another one on the Buddleia (Buddleja davidii)

Bees Recorded:

Honey Bee (Apis mellifera)
Buff-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus terrestris)
Common Carder Bee (Bombus pascuorum)
Common Furrow-bee (Lasioglossum calceatum)

A Common Carder Bee (Bombus pascuorum) on the last remaining flowers on the Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia).

A Common Furrow-bee (Lasioglossum calceatum) comes............

.............into land on this Common Cosmos (Cosmos bipinnatus), a flower that is also known as Mexican Aster.

Hoverflies Recorded:
Common Dronefly (Eristalis tenax)
Dead Head Hoverfly (Myathropa florea)
Marmalade Hoverfly (Episyrphus balteatus)
Slender Melanostoma (Melanostoma scalare)

A Dead Head Hoverfly (Myathropa florea) on one of the garden rubbish bags

Flies, Craneflies, Gnats and Midges Recorded:
Many unidentified flies

General Shots:

And here is the experimental Wildflower "Meadow" now seeded. All I've got to do know is wait until next Spring to see what if anything appears!

14 Sep 24

Old Quarry Lane, Wakeham Meadows and Wakeham Wildlife Site

It was a shorter walk today, with the main highlights being 2 Chiffchaffs along Old Quarry Lane and several Ivy Bees on the edge of the meadow.

Birds Recorded:
Herring Gull
Wood Pigeon
Collared Dove
Dunnock
Robin
Blackbird
2 Chiffchaff
Great Tit
Blue Tit
Wren
Magpie
Carrion Crow
Jackdaw
Starling
House Sparrow
Chaffinch
Goldfinch


Escapees, Ferals, Possibles Etc.
Feral pigeon


Butterflies Recorded:
5 Large White
5 Small White
4 Speckled Wood

1 Red Admiral
1 Small Copper
6 Common Blue

A Speckled Wood

This is a Small Copper

A Common Blue and...........

..........another one looking a bit worse for wear.

Moths Recorded:
1 Silver Y (Autographa gamma)


Bees Recorded:

1 Honey Bee (Apis mellifera)
5 Common Carder Bee (Bombus pascuorum)

3 Common Furrow-bee (Lasioglossum calceatum)
7+ Ivy Bee (Colletes hederae)

A Common Carder Bee (Bombus pascuorum) on the last remaining Common Knapweeds (Centaurea nigra) in the meadow.

 Common Furrow-bees (Lasioglossum calceatum) on Common Ragwort (Jacobaea vulgaris).

These are.............

.................Ivy Bees (Colletes hederae)

Wasps, Ichneumon Wasps, Parasitic Wasps and Gall Wasps Recorded:
Common Wasp (Vespula vulgaris)
Gall Wasp (Dipoloepis rosaea)

Two Common Wasps (Vespula vulgaris) leave their nest in the meadow.

This a Robin's Pincushion on a Dog Rose (Rosa canina). It is a gall caused by the larvae of a tiny Gall Wasp (Dipoloepis rosaea). More on this Here.


Hoverflies Recorded:
Long Hoverfly (Sphaerophoria scripta)
Marmalade Hoverfly (Episyrphus balteatus)

Common Dronefly (Eristalis tenax)

Vagrant Hoverfly (Eupeodes corollae)

A Common Dronefly (Eristalis tenax)

And this is a Vagrant Hoverfly (Eupeodes corollae)

Crickets and Grasshoppers Recorded:
5 Meadow Grasshopper (Chorthippus parallelus)

Spiders Recorded:

Garden Spider (Araneus diadematus)

A Garden Spider (Araneus diadematus)

Ted:

Ted really going for it. It's the fastest I have seen him run in quite awhile.

13 Sep 24

Wakeham

With settled weather, I took the opportunity to potter around the garden.

Birds Recorded in and around the garden:
Herring Gull
Wood Pigeon
Collared Dove
2 Meadow Pipit
1 Pied Wagtail
1 Dunnock
1 Robin
2 Chiffchaff
1 Great Tit
1 Blue Tit
Magpie
Carrion Crow
Jackdaw
Starling
House Sparrow
Chaffinch
Linnet
Goldfinch

When I'm in the garden, this Robin is never to far away, especially if I unearth a worm.

Escapees, Ferals, Possibles Etc.
Feral pigeon


Butterflies Recorded:
1 Large White
2 Small White
3 Red Admiral

These are.............

...............Red Admirals.

Moths Recorded:
Pellitory Beauty (Cosmopterix pulchrimella)

Lesser Yellow Underwing (Noctua comes)

A Pellitory Beauty (Cosmopterix pulchrimella).........................

................... on Pellitory-of-the-wall (Parietaria judaicais)

Lesser Yellow Underwing (Noctua comes)

Bees Recorded:

Honey Bee (Apis mellifera)
Buff-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus terrestris)
Common Carder Bee (Bombus pascuorum)
Garden Bumblebee (Bombus hortorum)
Red-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus lapidarius)
White-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus lucorum)
Yellow-legged Mining Bee (Andrena flavipe)

Common Furrow-bee (Lasioglossum calceatum)

This is a.........

..............Common Furrow-bee (Lasioglossum calceatum) on Common Ragwort (Jacobaea vulgaris)

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


Hoverflies Recorded:
4 Chequered Hoverfly (Melanostoma scalare)
8 Common Dronefly (Eristalis tenax)
5 Marmalade Hoverfly (Episyrphus balteatus)
1 Thick-legged hoverfly (Syritta pipiens)

A Thick-legged hoverfly (Syritta pipiens)

Flies, Craneflies, Gnats and Midges Recorded:
Many flies - Non identified


Spiders Recorded:
spider sp.


Ted:

It looks like.........

.............Ted has been helping me!!