25 Oct 25

Old Quarry Lane, Wakeham Wildlife Site, Wakeham Railway Cuttings and Wakeham Meadows

Weather-wise the only difference from yesterday was that the showers were replaced by "rainless" clouds, which was a blessing. However that wind is still pretty relentless, but in sheltered sunny spots, it was actually very warm.

The Autumn sunshine was certainly appreciated by many Red Admirals, bees, hoverflies, flies, and bugs & beetles.

There was a slightly better return on Chiffchaffs today with 3 noted.

Birds Recorded:
Herring Gull
Wood Pigeon
Collared Dove
Dunnock
Robin
3 Chiffchaff
Wren
Magpie
Carrion Crow
Jackdaw
House Sparrow
Chaffinch
Goldfinch

Two male House Sparrows and a female below, sat in the brambles in the main meadow

And above the House Sparrows was this Goldfinch


Escapees, Ferals, Possibles Etc.
Feral pigeon


Butterflies Recorded:
7+ Red Admiral Vanessa atalanta

A tatty looking Red Admiral Vanessa atalanta


Bees Recorded
:
1 Common Carder Bee Bombus pascuorum
1 Buff-tailed Bumblebee Bombus terrestris
3 Honey Bee Apis mellifera

A Buff-tailed Bumblebee Bombus terrestris

Honey Bee Apis mellifera


Wasps, Ichneumon Wasps, Parasitic Wasps and Gall Wasps Recorded:
50+ Common Wasp Vespula vulgaris

Common Wasp Vespula vulgaris head on.


Hoverflies Recorded:
1 Marmalade Hoverfly Episyrphus balteatus
8 Common Dronefly Eristalis tenax
1 Dead Head Hoverfly Myathropa florea
1 The Footballer Helophilus pendulus
1 Common Banded Hoverfly Syrphus ribesii

On this Hawkweed Oxtongue Picris hieracioides is a Common Dronefly Eristalis tenax

The Footballer Helophilus pendulus

Dead Head Hoverfly Myathropa florea

Common Banded Hoverfly Syrphus ribesii


Flies, Craneflies, Gnats and Midges Recorded:
A few unidentified flies
# 1 - fly sp.
Root-maggot fly Anthomyiidae family
House Fly Muscidae family
Blue Blowfly Calliphora vicina

I only just managed to photograph this #1 - fly. It had alluded me twice as I tried to photograph it. Each time I pressed the shutter, it flew off. This was my third and best attempt. I'm still non the wiser.

This a Root-maggot fly and one of the Anthomyiidae family

And this House Fly is one of Muscidae family

Blue Blowfly Calliphora vicina


Bugs and Beetles Recorded
:
8 Common Green Shieldbug Palomena prasina
1 Hairy Shieldbug Dolycoris baccarum
2 7-spot Ladybird Coccinella septempunctata
6 Harlequin Ladybird Harmonia axyridis - form succinea
3 Harlequin Ladybird Harmonia axyridis - form spectabilis
1 Harlequin Ladybird Harmonia axyridis - form conspicua

Common Green Shieldbug Palomena prasina

And another.

And two more.

A different shieldbug this time. A Hairy Shieldbug Dolycoris baccarum

7-spot Ladybird Coccinella septempunctata

And another 7-spot Ladybird

Harlequin Ladybird Harmonia axyridis - form succinea

Harlequin Ladybird Harmonia axyridis - form succinea

Harlequin Ladybird Harmonia axyridis - form succinea

Harlequin Ladybird Harmonia axyridis - form succinea

Harlequin Ladybird Harmonia axyridis - form succinea

The second form of a Harlequin Ladybird Harmonia axyridis - form spectabilis

And the third form of Harlequin Ladybird Harmonia axyridis - form conspicua


Crickets and Grasshoppers Recorded:
3 Dark Bush-cricket Pholidoptera griseoaptera

Dark Bush-cricket Pholidoptera griseoaptera

And another Dark Bush-cricket

And one more


Spiders Recorded:
2 Nurseryweb Spider Pisaura mirabilis

In one corner of the smaller meadow there is a nettle patch, where.......

..........the Nurseryweb Spiders Pisaura mirabilis like to hang out.


Froghoppers Recorded:
Common Froghopper Philaenus spumarius

Common Froghopper Philaenus spumarius. More on Froghoppers here.


Trees and Shrubs:
Ash Fraxinus excelsior
Hawthorn Crataegus monogyna
Sycamore Acer pseudoplatanus
Blackthorn Prunus spinosa
Buddleia Buddleja davidii
Scarlet Firethorn Pyracantha coccinea
Cotoneaster Cotoneaster sp.
Dog Rose Rosa canina
Bramble Rubus fruticosusa

Other Plants:
Brown Knapweed Centaurea jacea
Hawkweed Oxtongue Picris hieracioides
Honeysuckle Lonicera periclymenum
Ivy Hedera helix
Large Bindweed Calystegia silvatica
Wild Clematis Clematis vitalba
Red Clover Trifolium pratense
White Clover Trifolium repens

Red Clover Trifolium pratense

And White Clover Trifolium repens

The berries on a Honeysuckle Lonicera periclymenum


Ted:

It must be something in the water. Ted acting like a Pointer again!!

24 Oct 25

Old Quarry Lane, Wakeham Wildlife Site, Wakeham Railway Cuttings and Wakeham Meadows

It was a very breezy day with a mixture of sunshine and showers, which had an adverse effect on what I recorded, especially with the numbers of Chiffchaff and Goldcrests. Today I came across just one Chiffchaff and I didn't even see it, I just heard it.

And with the insects, I came across just one Red Admiral, 1 Honey Bee, 3 Common Droneflies, 1 Marmalade Hoverfly and 1 Syrphus sp.

Daily I have noted Common Green ShieldbugsDock Bugs and a few Harlequin Ladybirds. But today I also had a Cinnamon Bug, which was totally unexpected.

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

It's been awhile since I have seen a Stock Dove. This one flew up into the tree in front of me and was off again, when it realised I was stood under it.


Escapees, Ferals, Possibles Etc.
Feral pigeon


Butterflies Recorded:
1 Red Admiral Vanessa atalanta

A Red Admiral Vanessa atalanta. The only butterfly seen today.


Bees Recorded
:
1 Honey Bee Apis mellifera


Wasps, Ichneumon Wasps, Parasitic Wasps and Gall Wasps Recorded:
10+ Common Wasp Vespula vulgaris

Common Wasp Vespula vulgaris

Another Common Wasp in flight.

And another Common Wasp with its anchor-shaped mark on its face.


Hoverflies Recorded
:
3 Common Dronefly Eristalis tenax
1 Marmalade Hoverfly Episyrphus balteatus
1 Hoverfly Syrphus sp.

Common Dronefly Eristalis tenax

Common Dronefly Eristalis tenax

Common Dronefly Eristalis tenax

Marmalade Hoverfly Episyrphus balteatus

Hoverfly Syrphus sp.


Flies, Craneflies, Gnats and Midges Recorded
:
A few unidentified flies
1 Locust Blowfly Stomorhina lunata
#1 - fly sp.
#2 - fly sp.
#3 - fly sp.
#4 - fly sp.

On this Hawkweed Oxtongue Picris hieracioides is a Locust Blowfly Stomorhina lunata.

#1 - fly sp.

#2 - fly sp.

#3 - fly sp.

#4 - fly sp.


Bugs and Beetles Recorded
:
3 Common Green Shieldbug Palomena prasina
1 Dock Bug Coreus marginatus
1 Cinnamon Bug Corizus hyoscyami
1 Harlequin Ladybird Harmonia axyridis - form succinea
1 Harlequin Ladybird Harmonia axyridis - form spectabilis

Common Green Shieldbug Palomena prasina

Common Green Shieldbug Palomena prasina

Common Green Shieldbug Palomena prasina

Dock Bug Coreus marginatus

Cinnamon Bug Corizus hyoscyami

Harlequin Ladybird Harmonia axyridis - form succinea

Harlequin Ladybird Harmonia axyridis - form spectabilis


Crickets and Grasshoppers Recorded
:
Speckled Bush-cricket Leptophyes punctatissima

A Speckled Bush-cricket Leptophyes punctatissima


Trees and Shrubs:
Ash Fraxinus excelsior
Hawthorn Crataegus monogyna
Sycamore Acer pseudoplatanus
Blackthorn Prunus spinosa
Buddleia Buddleja davidii
Scarlet Firethorn Pyracantha coccinea
Cotoneaster Cotoneaster sp.
Dog Rose Rosa canina
Bramble Rubus fruticosusa

A few Buddleia Buddleja davidii are still in flower. Though not many.


Other Plants:
Brown Knapweed Centaurea jacea
Hawkweed Oxtongue Picris hieracioides
Honeysuckle Lonicera periclymenum
Ivy Hedera helix
Large Bindweed Calystegia silvatica
Wild Clematis Clematis vitalba


Fungi:
Fungi sp.
Fungi sp.


Ted:

Today Ted is............

............a Pointer. Something has certainly got his attention!!