Port and Wey: 2 Mar 25

Old Quarry Lane, Wakeham Meadows, Wakeham Railway Cuttings, Penns Wood and St Andrew's Church

Yet another very sunny day, but that overnight frost and cold easterly did bring the temperature down a bit. Main highlight was a Great Spotted Woodpecker in Penns Wood, where I did wonder whether I heard the overwintering Firecrest calling. If it was it only called once and I didn't hear it again.

In the more sheltered spots the flowering Alexanders (Smyrnium olusatrum) were host to both Common Dronefly (Eristalis tenax), and Tapered Dronefly (Eristalis pertinax), several unidentified flies and a few female Yellow Dung Flies (Scathophaga stercoraria).

Despite it being decidedly chilly I did come across my first Honey Bee of the year on an Alexanders in Wakeham Meadow.

Other things of interest were two juvenile Wall Lizards in the grounds of St Andrew's Church where the Snowflakes (Leucojum Vernum) are still in flower.

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

With the sun out and wall to wall blue skies there were many birds singing like this Dunnock.

And it wasn't just the Dunnocks, but Robins as well.

Here's another

One more

And last one with a..........

........video of it singing in Penns Wood.

This male Blackbird was keeping an eye on his...........

.............nest in the middle of this Ivy.

Escapees, Ferals, Possibles Etc.
Feral pigeon

Reptiles Recorded:
2 Wall Lizard

Two juvenile.............

.............Wall Lizards in the grounds of St Andrew's Church. Both have had close shaves with a "predator" with the end of their tails missing. Having seen and photographed a Robin catch and eat a juvenile Lizard in the grounds here a few years back, I suspect these two have had a close encounter with the same bird possibly.

Bees Recorded:
1 Honey Bee (Apis mellifera)