16 Mar 25

Lower Horse Paddock, Higher Horse Paddock, Broadcroft Quarry Lane, Silklake Quarry, Bumpers Lane, Wakeham Railway Cuttings (east), Wakeham Railway Cuttings, Wakeham Meadows and Old Quarry Lane

It was another walk around my local patch this afternoon, and sadly no Spring migrants, not even a Chiffchaff like yesterdays bird.

The only highlights were seeing a lot more Bumblebees about with at least 5 Buff-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus terrestris), 2 Common Droneflies (Eristalis tenax) and a Vagrant Hoverfly (Eupeodes corollae)

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

On the left is a female Starling (pink around the base of the bill) and on the right a male (blue around the base of the bill).

A Goldfinch nibbling away on a freshly opened bud.

Escapees, Ferals, Possibles Etc.
Feral pigeon


Bees Recorded:

5 Buff-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus terrestris)

A Buff-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus terrestris) on a Sallow sp.

Hoverflies Recorded:

2 Common Droneflies (Eristalis tenax)

1 Hairy-eyed Flower Fly (Syrphus torvus)

A Common Dronefly (Eristalis tenax) and two unidentified flies on this Alexanders (Smyrnium olusatrum)

Obsidentify has this as a Hairy-eyed Flower Fly (Syrphus torvus). My first this year.

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

Plants:

sallow sp.

Red Dead-nettle (Lamium purpureum)

A Red Dead-nettle (Lamium purpureum) out in flower in the Lower Horse paddock.

Ted:

Ted exploring near the Wildlife Site.

Ships Today:

This is the Liberian Refrigerated Container Ship "Baltic Klipper" on its way Portsmouth to Bridgetown (Barbados). More on this vessel here.

This is the Liberian Container Ship "MSC China" on its way from Thames to Algeciras (Spain). More on this vessel here.

This is the Lithuanian Passenger/Ro-Ro Cargo Ship "Optima Seaways" on its way from Rosslare to Dunkirk. More on this vessel here.

Aircraft Today:

This is the privately owned Cirrus SR22 Registration N322CW, on its way from Gloucester to Jersey. More on this aircraft here.

This is the Boeing 747-47UF Registration N475MC on its way from Chicago to Frankfurt. The photograph was taken as it was flying east over Yeovil. More on this aircraft here.