12 Mar 25

Lower Horse Paddock, Higher Horse Paddock, Broadcroft Butterfly Reserve, Broadcroft Quarry Lane, Bumpers Lane

With a dentist appointment this afternoon, I opted for an hours walk around the "block". Unfortunately there was a block in Bumpers Lane where a digger was either dealing with a rockfall or was building defences to stop one occurring. Either way the lane was impassable so I did an about turn and headed home.

Main highlight was a pair of Stonechats in the butterfly reserve. Also noted were at least 10 Robins singing along my walk, plus a male Pheasant in the Lower Horse Paddock.

Despite that chilly north-easterly, the Spring sun was just warm enough for a few Common Droneflies and a Vagrant Hoverfly to be out on the Alexanders and Wild Cherry flowers.

Birds Recorded:
1 Pheasant
Herring Gull
Wood Pigeon
Dunnock
10 Robin
2 Stonechat
Blackbird
Great Tit
Blue Tit
Wren
Magpie
Carrion Crow
Jackdaw
Starling
House Sparrow
Chaffinch
Goldfinch

On the butterfly reserve there were at least 6 Robins singing from different advantage points. There were a further 3 down Broadcroft Quarry Lane and one alongside the Lower Horse paddock

Just the one pair of..........

..............Stonechats in the butterfly reserve.

This Starling and a few others were in good voice.

A Goldfinch sat on a branch of this Elder Tree overlooking the Lower Horse Paddock.

Escapees, Ferals, Possibles Etc.

Feral pigeon


Bees Recorded:
Bumblebee sp.


Hoverflies Recorded:
Common Dronefly (Eristalis tenax)
Vagrant Hoverfly (Eupeodes corollae)

Two Common Droneflies (Eristalis tenax) on..............

..........Alexanders (Smyrnium olusatrum)

And two more on...........

...............Wild Cherry (Prunus avium)

My first Vagrant Hoverfly (Eupeodes corollae) of the year also on the Wild Cherry.

Flies, Craneflies, Gnats and Midges Recorded:
Many unidentified flies
Yellow Dung Fly (Scathophaga stercoraria)

A Yellow Dung Fly (Scathophaga stercoraria) on an Alexanders

Plants:
Alexanders (Smyrnium olusatrum)
Lesser Celandine (Ficaria verna)
Wild Cherry (Prunus avium)

Lesser Celandine (Ficaria verna)

Wild Cherry (Prunus avium)

Ted:

Yes Ted I've noticed it as well. One of the two big stone blocks has been in Broadcroft Quarry Lane.

General Shots:

Ahh that would be why. There is a bit of work on the loose rocks in Bumpers lane.

Ships Today:

This is the Maltese Ro-Ro Cargo Ship "Victorine" on its way from Zeebrugge to Cork. More on this vessel here.