Port and Wey: 4 Apr 25

Old Quarry Lane, Wakeham Meadows, Wakeham Railway Cuttings, Penns Wood, St Andrew's Church, Penn's Weare, Penn's Copse, Rufus Castle, The Cuttings Quarry. Silklake Quarry and Bumpers Lane.

After the early morning rain had cleared, it turned out to be another very sunny day. The only downer was that cold north-easterly which is still with us.

Highlights today were 2 Swallows, 2 Blackcaps, 4 Chiffchaff and my first 2 Willow Warblers for this Spring.

Birds Recorded:
2 Kestrel
Herring Gull
1 Great Black-backed Gull
1 Stock Dove
Wood Pigeon
2 Swallow
Dunnock
Robin
Blackbird
2 Blackcap
4 Chiffchaff
2 Willow Warbler
Great Tit
Blue Tit
Wren
Magpie
Carrion Crow
Jackdaw
2 Raven
Starling
House Sparrow
Chaffinch
Linnet
Goldfinch

A Kestrel hunting over Penns Weare.

A Stock Dove in Silklake Quarry

Escapees, Ferals, Possibles Etc.
Feral pigeon

Reptiles Recorded:
1 Wall Lizard
1 Slow-worm

A Wall Lizard

My first Slow-worm of the year under one of the corrugated metal sheet along my walk.

Butterflies Recorded:
1 Peacock
3 Comma
5 white sp.

A Comma

Bees Recorded:

Early Bumblebee (Bombus pratorum)
Hairy-footed Flower Bee (Anthophora plumipes)

Buff-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus terrestris)

An Early Bumblebee (Bombus pratorum)

A male Hairy-footed Flower Bee (Anthophora plumipes)

Hoverflies Recorded:
The Footballer (Helophilus pendulus)

Common Copperback Hoverfly (Ferdinandea cuprea)

Tapered Dronefly (Eristalis pertinax)

Syrphus sp.

The Footballer (Helophilus pendulus)

Common Copperback Hoverfly (Ferdinandea cuprea)

A Tapered Dronefly (Eristalis pertinax)

A Syrphus sp.

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

Face Fly (Musca autumnalis)

A fly sp.

A new species for my Portland List, Face Flies (Musca autumnalis) on an Alexanders in Penns Wood. This species breeds in cattle dung with the nearest cattle field a good mile away. More on this fly here.

Bugs and Beetles Recorded:
1 Common Green Shieldbug (Palomena prasina)
1 Dock Bug (Coreus marginatus)

My first Dock Bug (Coreus marginatus) of the year. I also found a Common Green Shieldbug (Palomena prasina), which "flew" off before I could photograph it.

Woodlice Crustaceans Recorded:
Common Rough Woodlouse (Porcellio scaber)

And another new beastie for my Portland List. This time a Common Rough Woodlouse (Porcellio scaber)

Plants in flower:
Alexanders (Smyrnium olusatrum)
Blackthorn (Prunus spinosa)
Bluebell (Hyacinthoides non-scripta)
Common Daisy (Bellis perennis)
Common Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale)
Common Nettle (Urtica dioica)
Herb Robert (Geranium robertianum)
Primrose (Primula vulgaris)
Russian Comfrey (Symphytum x uplandicum)
Wild Cherry (Prunus avium)

Russian Comfrey (Symphytum x uplandicum) in Penns Wood. It is a cross or hybrid of Common Comfrey (Symphytum officinale) and Rough Comfrey (Symphytum asperum)

Blackthorn (Prunus spinosa). Also known as Sloe

And this plant in..............

............flower is Herb Robert (Geranium robertianum). Also known as Red Robin, Death come quickly, Storksbill, Fox Geranium, Stinking Bob, Squinter-pip, Crow's Foot, or Roberts Geranium

Ted: