10 Oct 25

Ferrybridge Sandflats

On the way back from a shopping trip in Weymouth, I had a quick stop at Ferrybridge to see if there was anything of interest in The Fleet. It was on the bottom of the tide and just turning, so any waders on the sandbars were choosing not to land here other than 15+ Oystercatchers already feeding there. However they also decided not to stay either and eventually the only birds left were a Little Egret and a Grey Heron.

On the water were 2 Great Crested Grebes, a Cormorant and a handful of Mediterranean Gulls.

Birds Recorded:

2 Great Crested Grebe
1 Cormorant
1 Little Egret
1 Grey Heron
15+ Oystercatcher
Black-headed Gull
Mediterranean Gull
Herring Gull
Carrion Crow

One of the 2 Great Crested Grebes feeding fairly close-in to the shoreline.

A Grey Heron comes into land on the sandbar.

The last 2 Oystercatchers on the sandbar, head on south-east towards Portland Harbour.

9 Oct 25

Old Quarry Lane, Wakeham Wildlife Site and Wakeham Meadows

Its unlike me to get out of bed early and go for a walk, but today Ted and I set off fairly early for a walk around my local patch. Main highlights in the glorious sunshine were 2 Swallows, 4 Meadow Pipit, 2 Pied Wagtail, 2 Grey Wagtail, 20+ Chaffinch, 7+ Redpoll and 7+ Siskin. All of which were noted flying overhead.

At ground level however there were 5 Blackcap, 6 Chiffchaff and 2 Goldcrest in the lane and Meadows.

On the butterfly front there were just a few Speckled Woods and Red Admirals. There were no Large or Small Whites seen. And no moths seen either.

Even early in the morning there were a lot of insects on the sun-facing Ivy with a mixture of Honey Bees, Ivy Bees, Common Wasps, Common Droneflies, Dead Head Hoverflies and several unidentified flies.

The only other bees I came across were a Garden Bumblebee which was very interested in the Sycamore leaves!! And the other being another Plasterer Bee Hylaeus sp.

The only beetles I saw today were 20+ Harlequin Ladybird Harmonia axyridis. all of which were form succinea, with a majority of them on Sycamore leaves or on the bramble leaves below (fallen ones!)


Birds Recorded:
1 - Sparrowhawk
1 - Buzzard
Herring Gull
Wood Pigeon
Collared Dove
2 - Swallow
4 - Meadow Pipit
2 - Pied Wagtail
2 - Grey Wagtail
Dunnock
Robin
Blackbird
5 - Blackcap
6 - Chiffchaff
2 - Goldcrest
Great Tit
Blue Tit
Wren
Magpie
Carrion Crow
Jackdaw
Starling
House Sparrow
20+ Chaffinch
7+ Redpoll
Linnet
7+ Siskin
Goldfinch

A female Blackcap. Honest!!

A Chiffchaff feeding in amongst the Buddleia Buddleja davidii

Here are................

.............a few photos........

..........the two Goldcrests...............

.............in Old Quarry Lane

Escapees, Ferals, Possibles Etc.
Feral pigeon


Butterflies Recorded:
0 - Large White Pieris brassicae
0 - Small White Pieris rapae
3 - Speckled Wood Pararge aegeria
3 - Red Admiral Vanessa atalanta

A Speckled Wood Pararge aegeria

A Red Admiral Vanessa atalanta

Bees Recorded:
1 - Bumblebee Bombus sp.
20+ Honey Bee Apis mellifera
60+ Ivy Bee Colletes hederae
1 - Brassy Mining Bee Lasioglossum morio - Possibly

I can't make up my mind whether this is Garden Bumblebee Bombus hortorum or a Buff-tailed Bumblebee B. terrestris. There again it could be a White-tailed Bumblebee B. lucorum..... 

.....From this angle the head looks quite long suggesting Garden Bumblebee, but then there is a thin buff band between the white tail and the black of the abdomen, which might suggest Buff-tailed Bumblebee. Whatever species it is, why the interest in the Sycamore leaf.

A Honey Bee Apis mellifera on an Ivy Hedera helix

And when the bees aren't on the Ivy, they are resting on the bramble leaves like this Ivy Bee Colletes hederae.

Another Ivy Bee Colletes hederae.

This is possibly a Brassy Mining Bee Lasioglossum morio AKA Common Green Furrow Bee

Wasps, Ichneumon Wasps, Parasitic Wasps and Gall Wasps Recorded:
15+ Common Wasp Vespula vulgaris
1 - Black Slip Wasp Pimpla rufipes

What perfect timing for a great comparison between an Ivy Bee on the left and a Common Wasp Vespula vulgaris on the right.

And again with the Common Wasp below.

A Black Slip Wasp Pimpla rufipes

Hoverflies Recorded:
20+ Common Dronefly Eristalis tenax
4 - Dead Head Hoverfly Myathropa florea
1 - Common Banded Hoverfly Syrphus ribesii

2 - Hoverfly Syrphus sp.

A Common Dronefly Eristalis tenax resting on an Ivy leaf

And also resting on the Ivy leaf a Dead Head Hoverfly Myathropa florea

A Common Banded Hoverfly Syrphus ribesii

 Hoverfly Syrphus sp.

Flies, Craneflies, Gnats and Midges Recorded:
Many unidentified flies
15+ Cranefly Tipula paludosa
Greenbottle Lucilia sp.


Bugs and Beetles Recorded:

20+ Harlequin Ladybird Harmonia axyridis

Below are a few of the 20+ Harlequin Ladybird Harmonia axyridis - form succinea seen this morning

Crickets and Grasshoppers Recorded:
1 - Meadow Grasshopper Chorthippus parallelus
1 - Dark Bush-cricket Pholidoptera griseoaptera

A Dark Bush-cricket Pholidoptera griseoaptera minus a hind leg.

Spiders Recorded:
4 - Nurseryweb Spider Pisaura mirabilis

A Nurseryweb Spider Pisaura mirabilis

Plants:
Ash Fraxinus excelsior
Blackthorn Prunus spinosa
Bramble Rubus fruticosusa
Buddleia Buddleja davidii
Common Knapweed Centaurea nigra
Common Ragwort Jacobaea vulgaris
Cotoneaster Cotoneaster sp.
Dog Rose Rosa canina
Elder Sambucus nigra
Hawkweed Oxtongue Picris hieracioides
Hawthorn Crataegus monogyna
Honeysuckle Lonicera periclymenum
Ivy Hedera helix
Large Bindweed Calystegia silvatica
Scarlet Firethorn Pyracantha coccinea
Sycamore Acer pseudoplatanus
Wild Clematis Clematis vitalba

Aircraft today:

This is the Norse UK...........

..........Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner.........

.......on its way from Los Angeles to London. More on this aircraft here.

8 Oct 25

High Angle Battery and Fancy's Farm

This afternoon, it was a trip to the Recycling centre followed by a walk around High Angle Battery and Fancy's Farm. Main highlights were: 5 Skylark, 2 Swallow, 60+ Meadow Pipit, several Stonechat, 4 Chiffchaff, 2 Redpoll and 2 Siskin.

Birds Recorded:
2 Kestrel
Herring Gull
Wood Pigeon
5 Skylark
2 Swallow
60+ Meadow Pipit
Dunnock
Robin
7+ Stonechat
Blackbird
4 Chiffchaff
Great Tit
Blue Tit
Wren
Magpie
Carrion Crow
Jackdaw
Raven
House Sparrow
Chaffinch
2 Redpoll
Linnet
2 Siskin
Goldfinch

A male Kestrel

Below are a few images and videos of a Meadow Pipit which landed in this Bramble Bush next to me.

One of several Stonechats seen around the Farm and Battery

As I was photographing the Meadow Pipit, so this Wren decided to take centre stage. You can just make out the Meadow Pipit behind.

Butterflies Recorded:
2 Red Admiral Vanessa atalanta


Bees Recorded:
1 Buff-tailed Bumblebee Bombus terrestris

Wasps, Ichneumon Wasps, Parasitic Wasps and Gall Wasps Recorded:
wasp sp.


Hoverflies Recorded:
2 Common Dronefly Eristalis tenax


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

Plants:

Blackthorn Prunus spinosa

Whilst the Blackthorn Prunus spinosa is in berry on the mainland............

...........here on Portland they have begun flowering again.

Ships today:

This is the Royal Navy's new uncrewed Boat...........

.............. "RNMB Ariadne" being operated..........

............... just off Portland's east coast in Balaclava Bay. More on this vessel here, here and here.

This is the Liberian Bulk Carrier "Green K-Max 6" on its way from Portland Harbour to Port of Kamsar (Guinea). More on this vessel here. 

This is the British Bulk Carrier "Berge Yotei" on its way from Amsterdam to Charlestown (USA). More on this vessel here.

7 Oct 25

Old Quarry Lane, Wakeham Wildlife Site and Wakeham Meadows

A shorter walk today, but still quite interesting with the main highlights being 3 Swallows, 1 Meadow Pipit, 2 Blackcap and 9 Chiffchaff.

Other highlights were a Painted Lady, 2 Rush Veneers and a Common Carder Bee (the first I have seen since 27 Sep), 

Birds Recorded:
1 Sparrowhawk
3 Buzzard
Herring Gull
Wood Pigeon
Collared Dove
3 Swallow
1 Meadow Pipit
Dunnock
Robin
Blackbird
2 Blackcap
9 Chiffchaff
Great Tit
Blue Tit
Wren
Magpie
Carrion Crow
Jackdaw
Starling
House Sparrow
Chaffinch
Goldfinch

In the larger meadow are these two small Sycamores surrounded by a bramble thicket.

And in amongst the brambles was this male Blackcap, whilst..........

..........in one of the Sycamore trees was this female Blackcap eating.........

...........a Harlequin Ladybird Harmonia axyridis - form succinea. Which I would have thought, would have been pretty distasteful.

Also in the same Sycamore were 5 Chiffchaffs.

A male Chaffinch.

Escapees, Ferals, Possibles Etc.
Feral pigeon

Butterflies Recorded:
5 Large White Pieris brassicae
3 Small White Pieris rapae
3 Speckled Wood Pararge aegeria
4 Red Admiral Vanessa atalanta
1 Painted Lady Vanessa cardui

A Speckled Wood Pararge aegeria resting on an Ivy leaf.

A Red Admiral Vanessa atalanta resting on a fence post.

Other than a slightly damaged back right wing this Painted Lady Vanessa cardui is in pretty good condition.

Moths Recorded:
2 Rush Veneer Nomophila noctuella

This has been an excellent year for Rush Veneers Nomophila noctuella. I think the first one I saw this year was on 28 Jul. Recently I have..............

...........only seen individuals daily, but I doubled that today.

Bees Recorded:
Honey Bee Apis mellifera

1 Common Carder Bee Bombus pascuorum
Ivy Bee Colletes hederae
Plasterer Bee Hylaeus sp.

This has to be one of the smallest Common Carder Bees Bombus pascuorum, I have ever come across. As a comparison in size it was about the same size as the Hairy Shieldbug Dolycoris baccarum further down this page.

Ivy Bee Colletes hederae and................

..........another.

Plus one in flight.

Possibly one of the Plasterer Bees Hylaeus sp.

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

A Common Wasp Vespula vulgaris

Hoverflies Recorded:
30+ Common Dronefly Eristalis tenax
1 Interrupted Globetail Sphaerophoria interrupta

A Common Dronefly Eristalis tenax

On this Hawkweed Oxtongue Picris hieracioides is what I thought was a Long Hoverfly Sphaerophoria scripta. It turns out that it is actually an Interrupted Globetail Sphaerophoria interrupta. Not a hoverfly I have heard of before. Thank you to Ed Wilson, for pointing it out to me. Another new hoverfly for my P&W list.

Flies, Craneflies, Gnats and Midges Recorded:
Many unidentified flies
1 Twin-spot Centurion Sargus bipunctatus
20+ Cranefly Tipula paludosa

1 Locust Blowfly Stomorhina lunata

Having found my first Twin-spot Centurion Sargus bipunctatus for the year yesterday, I have followed it up with one today in the meadow.

One of many Craneflies Tipula paludosa around at the moment.

This is only my second Locust Blowfly Stomorhina lunata I have come across. The first was in my garden this year here.

Bugs and Beetles Recorded:

1 Dock Bug Coreus marginatus

1 Hairy Shieldbug Dolycoris baccarum
1 Common Green Shieldbug Palomena prasina
5 Harlequin Ladybird Harmonia axyridis

A Hairy Shieldbug Dolycoris baccarum

Whatever I was trying to photograph, I missed. However looking back through the images I realised I had inadvertently photographed this Common Green Shieldbug Palomena prasina

 Harlequin Ladybird Harmonia axyridis - form succinea

 Harlequin Ladybird Harmonia axyridis - form succinea

 Harlequin Ladybird Harmonia axyridis - form succinea

 Harlequin Ladybird Harmonia axyridis - form succinea. All of them were on Sycamore leaves.

Crickets and Grasshoppers Recorded:
1 Speckled Bush-cricket Leptophyes punctatissima

This is a Speckled Bush-cricket Leptophyes punctatissima

Spiders Recorded:
Garden Spider Araneus diadematus
Nurseryweb Spider Pisaura mirabilis


Plants:
Ash Fraxinus excelsior
Blackthorn Prunus spinosa
Bramble Rubus fruticosusa
Buddleia Buddleja davidii
Common Knapweed Centaurea nigra
Common Ragwort Jacobaea vulgaris
Cotoneaster Cotoneaster sp.
Dog Rose Rosa canina
Elder Sambucus nigra
Hawkweed Oxtongue Picris hieracioides

Hawthorn Crataegus monogyna
Honeysuckle Lonicera periclymenum
Ivy Hedera helix
Large Bindweed Calystegia silvatica
Scarlet Firethorn Pyracantha coccinea
Sycamore Acer pseudoplatanus
Wild Clematis Clematis vitalba

This plant is.............

................Hawkweed Oxtongue Picris hieracioides