12 Sep 24

Lower Horse Paddock, Higher Horse Paddock, Broadcroft Butterfly Reserve, Broadcroft Quarry Lane, Bumpers Lane and The Cuttings

It was an early walk today, to avoid the showers forecast for mid morning. And yes we caught one right at the end of our walk. At least the Sycamore at The Cuttings was in full leaf, and Ted and I avoided the worst of it.

There were many birding highlights, plus an impressive count of 40 butterflies of 12 species.

Birds Recorded:
Herring Gull

Stock Dove

Wood Pigeon

Collared Dove

1 Skylark

500+ Sand Martin/House Martin/Swallow

30+ Meadow Pipit

5 Pied Wagtail

6 Yellow Wagtail

Dunnock

Robin

2 Common Redstart

Blackbird

1 Blackcap

9 Chiffchaff/Willow Warbler

Long-tailed Tit

Great Tit

Blue Tit

Wren

Magpie

Carrion Crow

Jackdaw

2 Raven

Starling

House Sparrow

Chaffinch

Linnet

Goldfinch

A very distant record shot of a Stock Dove in the Lower Horse Paddock

Just a few of the............................

...................... hirundines making their way along Penns Weare

On the left a House Martin and on the right Swallows.

And another Swallow.

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

.................very distant photos...........

...............of Yellow Wagtails in the Lower Horse Paddock.

And here is a short video of two of them following the horses about.

The stance of this bird really confused me. A Wryneck, a thin looking Wheatear......

In fact it was one of.........

...........two Common Redstarts moving up the old railway track. You can just about make out the red tail.

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

...........a Chiffchaff. One of three along Broadcroft Quarry Lane, where there was also a female Blackcap.

Escapees, Ferals, Possibles Etc.
15+ Feral pigeon

Butterflies Recorded:
5 Large White
4 Small White
5 Green-veined White
2 Wall Brown
4 Speckled Wood
1 Small Heath
2 Meadow Brown
10+ Red Admiral
2 Painted Lady
1 Small Copper
1 Common Blue
1 Chalk Hill Blue

These.................

............are................

...........all Small Whites

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

..............Wall Brown in Broadcroft Quarry Lane

A Speckled Wood.

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

..............Red Admiral on the blackberries.

One of two Painted Lady's seen this morning..................

...................This one was where I saw it yesterday in Broadcroft Quarry Lane. The second one was at The Cuttings. Both on Buddleia (Buddleja davidii).

This stunning looking butterfly is...............

.............a Small Copper.

Along Bumpers Lane was this Common Blue from a second brood. But with the weather as mild as it has been, could it possibly be a third brood!!

Just a few metres away from the Common Blue was this Chalkhill Blue.

Moths Recorded:
1 Silver Y (Autographa gamma)

A Silver Y which was also a few metres away from the Common Blue and Chalkhill Blue butterflies.

Bees Recorded:

Honey Bee (Apis mellifera)
Common Carder Bee (Bombus pascuorum)
Common Furrow-bee (Lasioglossum calceatum)

Furrow-bee sp.
Ivy Bee (Colletes hederae)

A Common Carder Bee (Bombus pascuorum) on Common Ragwort (Jacobaea vulgaris).

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

.................Common Furrow-bee (Lasioglossum calceatum) also on Common Ragwort.

Another species of Furrow-bee!!

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

............an Ivy Bee (Colletes hederae) fending off others trying to get to the Ivy flowers it is on.

This one above...........

..............appears to have a "bug" of some sort in its jaws....

.....Whatever it is, it has black and white legs!!!

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

Black Slip Wasp (Pimpla rufipes)

A Black Slip Wasp (Pimpla rufipes) in the butterfly reserve

Sawflies Recorded:
Turnip Sawfly (Athalia rosae)

This is a Turnip Sawfly (Athalia rosae)

Hoverflies Recorded:
Dead Head Hoverfly (Myathropa florea)
Marmalade Hoverfly (Episyrphus balteatus)
Vagrant Hoverfly (Eupeodes corollae)

Common Dronefly (Eristalis tenax)

A Common Dronefly (Eristalis tenax)

Flies, Craneflies, Gnats and Midges Recorded:
Many flies  on the Ivy. Non identified

Bugs and Beetles Recorded:
Dock Bug (Coreus marginatus)

Dock Bug (Coreus marginatus)

Crickets and Grasshoppers Recorded:
Meadow Grasshopper (Chorthippus parallelus)

The warm September sun saw many grasshoppers about, including this Meadow Grasshopper (Chorthippus parallelus)

Plants:

Large Bindweed (Calystegia silvatica)

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

............Large Bindweed (Calystegia silvatica)

General Shots:

Broadcroft Quarry Lane. Now a traffic free track.

Ted:

Is it something I said Ted!!

Ships Today:

This is the Liberian Container Ship "HMM Hanbada" on its way from Tanger Med (Morocco) to Southampton. More on this vessel here.

This is the Crude Oil Tanker "Navig8 Honor" flying the flag of the Marshall Islands. It is on its way from Rotterdam to Gibraltar, but is currently in a holding area just off Portland. More on this vessel here.

This is the Cypriot Container Ship "Elbfeeder" on its way from Rotterdam to Dublin. More on this vessel Here.

This is the Madeiran Container Ship "Atlantis A" on its way from Rotterdam to Belfast. More on this vessel here.