9 Sep 24

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

It was a very late walk today and one that was very rewarding. I set off at 4:30pm and returned home 2 hours later with a fistful of highlights:

Swallow: Three over Penn's Weare
Meadow Pipit: One in the butterfly reserve.
Blackcap: Three between Silklake Quarry and Bumpers Lane
Chiffchaff/Willow Warbler at the following locations:
1 Lower Horse Paddock
3 Broadcroft Quarry Lane
3 Silklake Quarry
2 Bumpers Lane
1 The Cuttings
3 Wakeham Railway Cuttings (east)

Other highlights were the number of butterflies noted. Especially Red Admirals with well over 20 seen along my walk.


Birds Recorded:
Herring Gull
1 Great Black-backed Gull

Wood Pigeon
3 Swallow
1 Meadow Pipit
Dunnock
Robin
Blackbird
3 Blackcap
12+ Chiffchaff/Willow Warbler
Long-tailed Tit
Great Tit
Blue Tit
Wren
Magpie
Carrion Crow
Jackdaw
Starling
House Sparrow
Chaffinch
Linnet
Goldfinch

This Wood Pigeon was sat "firmly" on this Blackberry bush.........

............along the railway cuttings and wasn't budging for anyone.

And judging by the Blackberries on its beak I can see why.

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

............has ruffled this Meadow Pipits' feathers.

Here is a short video of the Meadow Pipit in Broadcroft Quarry Butterfly Reserve.

These Chiffchaffs..........

...............were playing..........

............hide and seek.......

...........in Broadcroft Quarry Lane.

Butterflies Recorded:
6 Large White

4 Small White
8 Green-veined White
4 Speckled Wood
3 Meadow Brown
20+ Red Admiral

A Small White

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

....................Green-veined Whites

A Speckled Wood

This female Meadow Brown...............................

..............has seen better days.

And this is a male Meadow Brown.

Below are a few photos of the 20+ Red Admirals seen today.

Bees Recorded:

Honey Bee (Apis mellifera)
Buff-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus terrestris)

Common Carder Bee (Bombus pascuorum)

A Common Carder Bee (Bombus pascuorum) on a Buddleia (Buddleja davidii)

Sawflies Recorded:

sawfly sp.

A fairly large sawfly on the Ivy at The Cuttings. To the right of it are 3 unidentified insects. Can you spot them?

Hoverflies Recorded:

5 Marmalade Hoverfly (Episyrphus balteatus)
5 Vagrant Hoverfly (Eupeodes corollae)

20+ Common Dronefly (Eristalis tenax)

1 The Footballer (Helophilus pendulus)

This is a Marmalade Hoverfly (Episyrphus balteatus)

A Vagrant Hoverfly (Eupeodes corollae)

A Common Dronefly (Eristalis tenax) also on a Buddleia (Buddleja davidii)

The Footballer (Helophilus pendulus). Also known as the Tiger Marsh Fly.

Flies, Craneflies, Gnats and Midges Recorded:

Twin-spot Centurion (Sargus bipunctatus)

Blue Blowfly (Calliphora vicina)

House Fly (Neomyia sp.)

2 Common Green Bottle Flies (Lucilia sericata)

I initially thought that this might be a Dull Four-spined Legionnaire (Chorisops tibialis). A soldier fly I have seen before, however this individual was a great deal larger and after a bit of investigative work I believe it is a Twin-spot Centurion (Sargus bipunctatus). More on this fly here, here and here.

Blue Blowfly (Calliphora vicina)

House Fly (Neomyia sp.)

After a bit of extensive searching, the best I could come up with this fly was a Common Green Bottle Fly (Lucilia sericata). AKA Sheep Blow Fly

Bottom left and centre Common Green Bottle Flies (Lucilia sericata). Bottom right the House Fly (Neomyia sp.) and at the top the Blue Blowfly (Calliphora vicina).

Bugs and Beetles Recorded:
Common Green Shieldbug (Palomena prasina)

Harlequin Ladybird (Harmonia axyridis)

Bloody-nosed Beetle (Timarcha tenebricosa)

A Common Green Shieldbug (Palomena prasina)

And a Harlequin Ladybird (Harmonia axyridis) - form succinea

And a Bloody-nosed Beetle (Timarcha tenebricosa) trundling along one of the tracks.

Crickets and Grasshoppers Recorded:
Meadow Grasshopper (Chorthippus parallelus)

Slugs and Snails Recorded:

White-lipped Banded Snail (Cepaea hortensis)

A White-lipped Banded Snail (Cepaea hortensis) on Common Nettle (Urtica dioica)

Ted:

Its been awhile since Ted has had a look into Silklake Quarry.

It is one his favourite spots on the island and a good place for foxes. Fortunately there weren't any at home, otherwise we would have heard Ted barking a good mile away


Ships Today:

This is the British Yacht "Meander" on its way from Brixham to Weymouth Bay. Not Plymouth as suggested on the Marine Traffic Site. More on this vessel here.

This is the British Yacht "Polar Bear II"..........

...........and just like Polar Bears........

.........it appears they can cross land from Plymouth to Weymouth Bay. More on this vessel here.

This is the Yacht "Mjollnir" flying the flag of the Czech Republic. It is on its way from Weymouth to Groningen Port (Holland). More on this vessel here and here.

This is the British Aircraft Carrier "HMS Queen Elizabeth" just off Portland Bill. More on this vessel here.

Aircraft Today.

This is the British Dassault Falcon 20 Registration "G-FRAD" heading east over Portland. More on this aircraft here.

Wakeham

This morning at 8:50am my neighbour contacted me to let me know a Nightjar had landed in his garden. He was hanging out his washing, when a Kestrel landed on the path next to him.

Within a couple of seconds he realised it wasn't a Kestrel, but in fact a Nightjar; which had flown over my garden and landed next to him. Unfortunately his dog came into the garden and it took off, landing a few more gardens down.

Hopefully without anymore disturbances, it was able to rest up, before carrying on its southwards journey across the English Channel tonight.