It was a quick walk around my local patch with Ted, before I headed off to see the Audiologist in Weymouth. There wasn't much about in that biting cold easterly and the best I could find were 5 Meadow Pipits and a single Chiffchaff.
Other than that the more notable sightings were 3 Peacock Butterflies and several bee and hoverfly species.
Birds Recorded:
1 Cormorant
1 Sparrowhawk
Herring Gull
Wood Pigeon
5 Meadow Pipit
1 Pied Wagtail
Dunnock
Robin
Blackbird
1 Chiffchaff
Great Tit
Blue Tit
Wren
Magpie
Carrion Crow
Starling
House Sparrow
Chaffinch
Linnet
Goldfinch
Greenfinch
Escapees, Ferals, Possibles Etc.
Feral pigeon
Butterflies Recorded:
3 Peacock
A Peacock soaking up the morning sun.
Bees Recorded:
Buff-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus terrestris)
Furrow-bee sp.
Nomad Bee sp.
Honey Bee (Apis mellifera)
Yellow-legged Mining Bee (Andrena flavipe)
Buff-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus terrestris)
Furrow-bee sp.
Nomad Bee sp.
Honey Bee (Apis mellifera)
Yellow-legged Mining Bee (Andrena flavipe)
A Buff-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus terrestris)
Two nomad bees sp. on this Common Dandelion flower (Taraxacum officinale)
A possible Furrow-bee sp.
And this is............
............a Yellow-legged Mining Bee (Andrena flavipe).
Here is a short video of it on an Alexanders (Smyrnium olusatrum)
Hoverflies Recorded:
Common Dronefly (Eristalis tenax)
Plain-faced Dronefly (Eristalis arbustorum)
Tapered Dronefly (Eristalis pertinax)
Common Dronefly (Eristalis tenax)
Plain-faced Dronefly (Eristalis arbustorum)
Tapered Dronefly (Eristalis pertinax)
Hairy-eyed Flower Fly (Syrphus torvus)
Cheilosia sp.
Cheilosia sp.
A Hairy-eyed Flower Fly (Syrphus torvus)
Top left a possible Cheilosia sp. along with two bees sp.
Flies, Craneflies, Gnats and Midges Recorded:
Many unidentified flies
Many unidentified flies
Flowering Plants:
Alexanders (Smyrnium olusatrum)
Blackthorn (Prunus spinosa). Also known as Sloe
Bluebell (Hyacinthoides non-scripta)
Common Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale)
Lesser Celandine (Ficaria verna)
Primrose (Primula vulgaris)
Red Dead-nettle (Lamium purpureum)
Weeping Willow (Salix alba x babylonica = Salix x sepulcralis agg.)
Wild Cherry (Prunus avium)
Alexanders (Smyrnium olusatrum)
Blackthorn (Prunus spinosa). Also known as Sloe
Bluebell (Hyacinthoides non-scripta)
Common Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale)
Lesser Celandine (Ficaria verna)
Primrose (Primula vulgaris)
Red Dead-nettle (Lamium purpureum)
Weeping Willow (Salix alba x babylonica = Salix x sepulcralis agg.)
Wild Cherry (Prunus avium)
The first flowers appearing on these Bluebell (Hyacinthoides non-scripta) along the Wakeham Railway Cutting
Lots of white horses with that brisk easterly wind
Ted:
Ted disappearing into the distance
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After having my ears seen to I spent a good hour walking around Radipole Lake. And I can tell you it was good to hear properly again. A useful tip, don't wait over 10 years to have them seen to!
Highlights here were 2 Marsh Harriers north of the North Hide Screen, a Lesser Black-backed Gull and 5 singing Chiffchaff. Still no Blackcaps or Willow Warblers.
Other highlights were 10+ Peacock butterflies seen along my walk. No other species were seen.
Birds Recorded:
2 Great Crested Grebe
1 Grey Heron
6 Mute Swan
Canada Goose
1 Shelduck
Mallard
Gadwall
Teal
Tufted Duck
2 Marsh Harrier
Water Rail
Moorhen
Coot
Black-headed Gull
Mediterranean Gull
50+ Herring Gull
1 Lesser Black-backed Gull
4 Great Black-backed Gull
Wood Pigeon
Dunnock
Robin
Blackbird
5 Chiffchaff
Great Tit
Blue Tit
Wren
Magpie
Carrion Crow
Starling
House Sparrow
Chaffinch
Goldfinch
Greenfinch
5 Reed Bunting
A Great Crested Grebe..................
........fishing in the River Wey on the reserve.
I'm glad I'm on the right side of the platform from this cob Mute Swan. He didn't seem that happy that I stopped to take his photo.
When you've been sat around for a long time...............
................its good to have a stretch. A drake Mallard, with his mate close by on a nest.
Here another pair of Mallard are in flight.
A drake Tufted Duck doing the backstroke.
A male Marsh Harrier over the north end of the reserve.
Just the one Lesser Black-backed Gull in amongst the many Herring Gulls
A male Reed Bunting
Escapees, Ferals, Possibles Etc.
Feral pigeon
Butterflies Recorded:
10+ Peacock
10+ Peacock
So many Peacock butterflies about today. This one landed by my feet.
Buff-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus terrestris)
Honey Bee (Apis mellifera)
Hoverflies Recorded:
Common Dronefly (Eristalis tenax)
Tapered Dronefly (Eristalis pertinax)
Plain-faced Dronefly (Eristalis arbustorum)
A Tapered Dronefly (Eristalis pertinax)
And another "hovering"
Possibly a Plain-faced Dronefly (Eristalis arbustorum)
Many unidentified flies
Plants:
Alexanders (Smyrnium olusatrum)
Blackthorn (Prunus spinosa). Also known as Sloe
Bluebell (Hyacinthoides non-scripta)
Common Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale)
Lesser Celandine (Ficaria verna)
Cuckooflower (Cardamine pratensis)
Primrose (Primula vulgaris)
Cuckooflowers (Cardamine pratensis)
Whoops, it looks like someone left the door open at the back of the man-made Sand Martins nest site.