According to my Surgeon, I am allowed to drive and walk. However I have strict orders from Dawn that walking is fine, but only for short distances, but as for driving that is a big no no.
So today I had very slow and stress free walk along Old Quarry Lane to the Railway Cuttings via the meadow and wildlife site.
And what an amazing walk it was, with one Sycamore tree, next to the Cuttings, that was adorned with an impressive 30+ Chiffchaffs, 3 Blackcaps, 6 Long-tailed Tits and 2 Great Tits hanging from its branches. Plus 4 Chaffinches. They only reason I know how many there were was that over a 5 minute period, they all flew out of the tree to another Sycamore and a Buddleia on the embankment.
Try as I could I didn't manage to see or hear any Yellow-browed Warblers, despite the fact there are quite a few on the island. Maybe tomorrow!!
Other highlights were a Sparrowhawk which missed my head by inches as it flew straight into a Buddleia bush down Old Quarry Lane. Its prey would have been one of the 10 or so House Sparrows sat in the bush. Whether it caught one or not, I have no idea, but it nearly had my ear off.
Also noted was just one House Martin heading up the island!!, lots of Meadow Pipits, Pied Wagtails (one flock of 9 seen heading northeast), a Redpoll, 5 Siskins and 2 Greenfinch.
Birds Recorded:
1 Sparrowhawk
Herring Gull
Wood Pigeon
1 House Martin
20+ Meadow Pipit
12 Pied Wagtail
Dunnock
Robin
Blackbird
6 Blackcap
30+ Chiffchaff
6 Long-tailed Tit
Great Tit
Blue Tit
Wren
Magpie
Carrion Crow
Jackdaw
Starling
House Sparrow
Chaffinch
1 Redpoll
Linnet
5 Siskin
Goldfinch
2 Greenfinch
Chiffchaff
Chiffchaff
Chiffchaff
Chiffchaff
Long-tailed Tit
Long-tailed Tit
Long-tailed Tit
A female Chaffinch.
Escapees, Ferals, Possibles Etc.
Feral pigeon
Butterflies Recorded:
4 Small White
1 Speckled Wood
2 Red Admiral
Feral pigeon
Butterflies Recorded:
4 Small White
1 Speckled Wood
2 Red Admiral
A male Small White.
And another male Small White.
And this is a very worn female Small White
A Speckled Wood
This is a Red Admiral which has also seen better days.
Honey Bee (Apis mellifera)
Buff-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus terrestris)
Common Carder Bee (Bombus pascuorum)
Ivy Bee (Colletes hederae)
Buff-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus terrestris)
Common Carder Bee (Bombus pascuorum)
Ivy Bee (Colletes hederae)
A Honey Bee (Apis mellifera) in flight
A Common Carder Bee (Bombus pascuorum) on Common Knapweed (Centaurea nigra)
And another Common Carder Bee (Bombus pascuorum)............
............... this time on a Common Teasel (Dipsacus fullonum).
An Ivy Bee (Colletes hederae) along Old Quarry Lane and.......
..........another one in Wakeham Meadow.
Common Wasp (Vespula vulgaris)
A Common Wasp (Vespula vulgaris) on Ivy (Hedera helix)
Marmalade Hoverfly (Episyrphus balteatus)
Long Hoverfly (Sphaerophoria scripta)
The Footballer (Helophilus pendulus)
Common Dronefly (Eristalis tenax)
Dead Head Hoverfly (Myathropa florea)
hoverfly sp.
A Marmalade Hoverfly (Episyrphus balteatus) in flight.
A Long Hoverfly (Sphaerophoria scripta)
The Footballer (Helophilus pendulus)
Also in flight was this Common Dronefly (Eristalis tenax)
A Dead Head Hoverfly (Myathropa florea)
hoverfly sp.
Flies, Craneflies, Gnats and Midges Recorded:
Many unidentified flies
Blue Blowfly (Calliphora vicina)
A Blue Blowfly (Calliphora vicina)
Bugs and Beetles Recorded:
Common Green Shieldbug (Palomena prasina)
A Common Green Shieldbug (Palomena prasina)
White-lipped Banded Snail (Cepaea hortensis)
Garden Snail (Cornu aspersa)
A White-lipped Banded Snail (Cepaea hortensis)
And Garden Snail (Cornu aspersa)
Spiders Recorded:
spider sp.
I'm not sure what species of.........
.....spider this is, but these flies were certainly keeping their distance.
Buddleia (Buddleja davidii)
Wild Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare)
Ted:
Waterproofs on, just in case!!