1 Aug 25

Wakeham

What a lovely day, even better when the rain which was forecast never materialised. Granted the forecast was for showers, but I guess when you are stuck 6 miles out to sea, there's a fair chance you're going to miss them.

Main highlights were a lone Swift heading south and a Gatekeeper which landed by the "bath" pond briefly.

Birds Recorded:
Herring Gull
Wood Pigeon
Collared Dove
1 Swift
Magpie
House Sparrow
Linnet
Goldfinch


Escapees, Ferals, Possibles Etc.
Feral pigeon


Butterflies Recorded:
3 Large White Pieris brassicae
1 Gatekeeper Pyronia tithonus

A Gatekeeper Pyronia tithonus

Bees Recorded:
Common Carder Bee Bombus pascuorum

Red-tailed Bumblebee Bombus lapidarius

Buff-tailed Bumblebee Bombus terrestris

Honey Bee Apis mellifera
Common Furrow-bee Lasioglossum calceatum

Sharp-collared Furrow Bee Lasioglossum malachurum - possibly

Sweat Bee sp.

Patchwork Leafcutter Bee Megachile centuncularis

A Common Carder Bee Bombus pascuorum heading towards the flowers on this Perennial Sweet Pea Lathyrus latifolius

A male Red-tailed Bumblebee Bombus lapidarius on.................

.....................Lavender Lavandula sp.

And another male Red-tailed Bumblebee looking head on.

And a Buff-tailed Bumblebee Bombus terrestris also on Lavender.

And another Common Carder Bee

On the Lavender are Buff-tailed Bumblebees Bombus terrestris, Common Carder Bees Bombus pascuorum, Red-tailed Bumblebees Bombus lapidarius and Honey Bees Apis mellifera

A Common Furrow-bee Lasioglossum calceatum on............

.......Common Ragwort Jacobaea vulgaris

A Sweat Bee possibly a Sharp-collared Furrow Bee Lasioglossum malachurum.

 A Sweat Bee sp.

A Patchwork Leafcutter Bee Megachile centuncularis on a Perennial Sweet Pea

Hoverflies Recorded:
5 Marmalade Hoverfly Episyrphus balteatus
1 Pied Hoverfly Scaeva pyrastri

A Marmalade Hoverfly Episyrphus balteatus

A Pied Hoverfly Scaeva pyrastri

Flies, Craneflies, Gnats and Midges Recorded:
Ragwort Fly Sphenella marginata

It should come as no surprise that the fly..........

...........on this Common Ragwort is called the Ragwort Fly Sphenella marginata and a new fly for my P&W list. More on this fly here.

Aircraft Today:

This is the Piper Archer II Reg. G-BRXD on............

.............. its way from Shobdon to Alderney

This is the Lufthansa Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner..........

........ on its way from..........

......................Frankfurt to Bogota (Colombia)

31 Jul 25

Tramway Track and Tout Quarry

After a trip to the local Recycling Centre, Ted and I had our usual walk down the old Tramway Track to Tout Quarry, and then back again.

My last walk here was ten days ago when I was hoping to see a few Silver-studded Blue butterflies. I blanked that day and also today, though to be fair it is a bit late in the season to see them on the wing.

I did see quite a few "blue" butterflies though. The majority were Chalk Hill Blues again with a few Common Blues about.

Two Hummingbird Hawk-moths were good to see, though it was a bit strange not to see a single Six-Spot Burnet moth.

What wasn't surprising was seeing a few dragonflies about. Though watching one being chased by a Red Admiral was a bit bizarre!!

Other highlights were a Willow Warbler flying across the track in front of me and a lizard which moved so quick I couldn't see if it was a Wall Lizard or Common Lizard.

Birds Recorded:
Herring Gull
Wood Pigeon
1 Willow Warbler
Great Tit
Blue Tit
Wren
Magpie
Carrion Crow
House Sparrow
Linnet
Goldfinch
Greenfinch

I'm pretty sure this............

............is a Willow Warbler.

A male Linnet sat on a Buddleia Buddleja davidii

Escapees, Ferals, Possibles Etc.
Feral pigeon


Reptiles Recorded:
1 Lizard sp.


Dragonflies and Damselflies Recorded:
Migrant Hawker Aeshna mixta

A female Migrant Hawker Aeshna mixta. Glad to be corrected if wrong.

Butterflies Recorded:
10 Large White Pieris brassicae
10 Small White Pieris rapae
3 Wall Brown Lasiommata megera
8 Meadow Brown Maniola jurtina
3 Gatekeeper Pyronia tithonus
1 Grayling Hipparchia semele
6 Red Admiral Vanessa atalanta
1 Painted Lady Vanessa cardui
1 Small Copper Lycaena phlaeas
20+ Common Blue Polyommatus icarus
40+ Chalk Hill Blue Polyommatus coridon

This Wall Brown Lasiommata megera has seen better days.

A Gatekeeper Pyronia tithonus

Unlike my last visit, this Grayling Pyronia tithonus was on........................

........................ the Tout Quarry side of the tunnel and not along the old Tramway Track.

A Red Admiral Vanessa atalanta on a Buddleia

A Small Copper Lycaena phlaeas

A male Common Blue Polyommatus icarus

A male Chalk Hill Blue Polyommatus coridon

A pair of Chalk Hill Blues

Moths Recorded:
2 Hummingbird Hawk-moth Macroglossum stellatarum

One of the two Hummingbird Hawk-moths Macroglossum stellatarum seen this afternoon.

Bees Recorded:
Common Carder Bee Bombus pascuorum
Honey Bee Apis mellifera
Red-tailed Bumblebee Bombus lapidarius

A worker Red-tailed Bumblebee Bombus lapidarius

Hoverflies Recorded:
10+ Common Dronefly Eristalis tenax
1 Long Hoverfly Sphaerophoria scripta

On this Hemp Agrimony Eupatorium cannabinum are two Common Droneflies Eristalis tenax. Note the difference in colour and pattern. The following is an extract from iNaturalist here, which explains why:

' The amount of orange on the abdomen depends on the temperature during pupation (warmer => more orange). Eristalis tenax is particularly variable in this respect with dark specimens being entirely black, and some specimens from warmer climates being almost entirely orange! '

A Long Hoverfly Sphaerophoria scripta

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


Bugs and Beetles Recorded:
1 Swollen-thighed Beetle Oedemera nobilis

A female Swollen-thighed Beetle Oedemera nobilis

Crickets and Grasshoppers Recorded:
Common Field Grasshopper Chorthippus brunneus

A Common Field Grasshopper Chorthippus brunneus

Caterpillars Recorded:

Cinnabar moth Tyria jacobaeae

A caterpillar of the Cinnabar moth Tyria jacobaeae on this Common Ragwort Jacobaea vulgaris

Plants:
Bramble Rubus fruticosusa
Buddleia Buddleja davidii
Carline Thistle Carlina vulgaris
Common Knapweed Centaurea nigra
Common Ragwort Jacobaea vulgaris
Field Scabious Knautia arvensis
Hemp Agrimony Eupatorium cannabinum
Red Valerian Centranthus ruber
Sycamore Acer pseudoplatanus
Wild Marjoram Origanum vulgare
Pyramidal Orchid Anacamptis pyramidalis

And the...............

...............Pyramidal Orchids Anacamptis pyramidalis..................

............are still in flower.

General Shots:

In the distance the tunnel as seen from Tout Quarry.

On the otherside of the tunnel is the old Tramway Track. The tunnel is directly behind me.

Ted:

We didn't stay out long as Ted was feeling it a bit. He did appreciate the bowl of water I brought along. Plus............

.........keeping cool in the tunnel.

30 Jul 25

Wakeham

No walk today, just a day in the back garden watching the world go by.

A few highlights with two House Martins drifting south, a possible Silver Y moth which I disturbed in the arbour and a very small caterpillar feeding on one of the lavender flowers.

Birds Recorded:
Herring Gull
Wood Pigeon
Collared Dove
2 House Martin
Magpie
Carrion Crow
Jackdaw
Starling
House Sparrow
Chaffinch
Goldfinch


Escapees, Ferals, Possibles Etc.
Feral pigeon


Butterflies Recorded:
3 Large White Pieris brassicae
2 Small White Pieris rapae


Moths Recorded:
Silver Y Autographa gamma - possibly


Bees Recorded:
bees sp.
Common Carder Bee Bombus pascuorum
Buff-tailed Bumblebee Bombus terrestris

Red-tailed Bumblebee Bombus lapidarius

Furrow bees sp.

Furrow bee sp.

Furrow bees sp.

Furrow bee sp.

On this Common Ragwort Jacobaea vulgaris are Furrow Bees and a Hoverfly

A Common Carder Bee Bombus pascuorum on Purple Loosestrife Lythrum salicaria

I'm pretty sure this is a Buff-tailed Bumblebee Bombus terrestris. It is the thin buff band between the white tail and the black of the abdomen................

 .....that separates this from the White-tailed Bumblebee B. lucorum. I'm pretty sure there is a thin buff line!!

A male Red-tailed Bumblebee Bombus lapidarius and a.............

..................worker.

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

In this over-ripe Fig Ficus carica ....................................

....................are two Common Wasps Vespula vulgaris

Sawflies Recorded:
1 Ringed Tigress Athalia circularis - possibly

Possibly a Ringed Tigress Athalia circularis

Hoverflies Recorded:
5 Marmalade Hoverfly Episyrphus balteatus

A Marmalade Hoverfly Episyrphus balteatus

Flies, Craneflies, Gnats and Midges Recorded:
Many unidentified flies
Greenbottle Lucilia sp.
Face Fly Musca autumnalis

A Greenbottle Lucilia sp.

A Face Fly Musca autumnalis

Bugs and Beetles Recorded:
1 Common Nettle Flower Bug Plagiognathus arbustorum

A Common Nettle Flower Bug Plagiognathus arbustorum in one of the last remaining Oxeye Daisies Leucanthemum vulgare

Caterpillars Recorded:
Large White Pieris brassicae
caterpillar sp.

The caterpillar on this Lavender Lavandula sp.................................. 

............................could be one of the sawfly species.

Today I came across another Oak leaf which has been eaten. But by what!!