I'm afraid it had to be done. So after avoiding the fact that there was a long-staying Wryneck on top of the West Cliffs, which has been present for a good 4 days or so, I decided I would go and have a look.
Mind you when I arrived early afternoon, a couple of birders were sad to point out, that it hadn't been seen for a couple of hours, having been scared off by a biker and then a dog.
But as luck would have it, one of the birders called Mark, spotted it in the same area as he had two hours earlier. And it was showing well.
Other birds of interest were 50+ Swallow, 8 Meadow Pipit, 4 Pied Wagtail, 2 Yellow Wagtail, a Wheatear and 2 Chiffchaff. Plus a bird with a very sweet song, which could well have been a Woodlark, but proved very difficult to find.
Birds Recorded:
Buzzard
Kestrel
Herring Gull
Wood Pigeon
1 Wryneck
4 Skylark
50+ Swallow
8 Meadow Pipit
4 Pied Wagtail
2 Yellow Wagtail
Dunnock
Robin
1 Wheatear
Blackbird
2 Chiffchaff
Wren
Magpie
Carrion Crow
Jackdaw
Raven
Starling
House Sparrow
Chaffinch
20+ Linnet
Goldfinch
Below are a few photos and videos of the Wryneck along the top of the West Cliffs just north of Barleycrates Lane here.
A lone Wheatear along Barleycrates Lane
Feral pigeon
1 Woodlark - possibly
Butterflies Recorded:
5 Large White Pieris brassicae
3 Small White Pieris rapae
4 Speckled Wood Pararge aegeria
20+ Red Admiral Vanessa atalanta
1 Painted Lady Vanessa cardui
5 Large White Pieris brassicae
3 Small White Pieris rapae
4 Speckled Wood Pararge aegeria
20+ Red Admiral Vanessa atalanta
1 Painted Lady Vanessa cardui
A very worn Painted Lady Vanessa cardui
Honey Bee Apis mellifera
Ivy Bee Colletes hederae
An Ivy Bee Colletes hederae
Common Wasp Vespula vulgaris
German Wasp Vespula germanica
Hoverflies Recorded:
Common Dronefly Eristalis tenax
Dead Head Hoverfly Myathropa florea
Tapered Dronefly Eristalis pertinax
Flies, Craneflies, Gnats and Midges Recorded:
Many unidentified flies
Plants:
Alexanders Smyrnium olusatrum
Bramble Rubus fruticosusa
Hawthorn Crataegus monogyna
Ivy Hedera helix
Old Quarry Lane, Wakeham Wildlife Site and Wakeham Meadows
After my walk along the top cliffs, I headed back home and straight down Old Quarry Lane and the meadow, to see if there were any Chiffchaffs and possible Yellow-browed Warblers still hanging around from yesterday. The answer was no, and all that remained were 2 Chiffchaffs and a single Blackcap.
Birds Recorded:
Buzzard
Herring Gull
Wood Pigeon
Collared Dove
Dunnock
Robin
Blackbird
1 Blackcap
2 Chiffchaff
Long-tailed Tit
Great Tit
Blue Tit
Wren
Magpie
Carrion Crow
Jackdaw
1 Raven
Starling
House Sparrow
Chaffinch
Goldfinch
Escapees, Ferals, Possibles Etc.
Feral pigeon
Butterflies Recorded:
Large White Pieris brassicae
Small White Pieris rapae
Speckled Wood Pararge aegeria
Red Admiral Vanessa atalanta
Many unidentified flies
Plants:
Alexanders Smyrnium olusatrum
Bramble Rubus fruticosusa
Hawthorn Crataegus monogyna
Ivy Hedera helix
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Old Quarry Lane, Wakeham Wildlife Site and Wakeham Meadows
After my walk along the top cliffs, I headed back home and straight down Old Quarry Lane and the meadow, to see if there were any Chiffchaffs and possible Yellow-browed Warblers still hanging around from yesterday. The answer was no, and all that remained were 2 Chiffchaffs and a single Blackcap.
Birds Recorded:
Buzzard
Herring Gull
Wood Pigeon
Collared Dove
Dunnock
Robin
Blackbird
1 Blackcap
2 Chiffchaff
Long-tailed Tit
Great Tit
Blue Tit
Wren
Magpie
Carrion Crow
Jackdaw
1 Raven
Starling
House Sparrow
Chaffinch
Goldfinch
Escapees, Ferals, Possibles Etc.
Feral pigeon
Butterflies Recorded:
Large White Pieris brassicae
Small White Pieris rapae
Speckled Wood Pararge aegeria
Red Admiral Vanessa atalanta
Moths Recorded:
1 Rush Veneer Nomophila noctuella
Bees Recorded:
1 Buff-tailed Bumblebee Bombus terrestris
Honey Bee Apis mellifera
Ivy Bee Colletes hederae
Wasps, Ichneumon Wasps, Parasitic Wasps and Gall Wasps Recorded:
Common Wasp Vespula vulgaris
German Wasp Vespula germanica
Hoverflies Recorded:
Common Dronefly Eristalis tenax
Dead Head Hoverfly Myathropa florea
1 Rush Veneer Nomophila noctuella
Rush Veneer Nomophila noctuella
1 Buff-tailed Bumblebee Bombus terrestris
Honey Bee Apis mellifera
Ivy Bee Colletes hederae
A Buff-tailed Bumblebee Bombus terrestris
Ivy Bees Colletes hederae
Common Wasp Vespula vulgaris
German Wasp Vespula germanica
Hoverflies Recorded:
Common Dronefly Eristalis tenax
Dead Head Hoverfly Myathropa florea
Flies, Craneflies, Gnats and Midges Recorded:
Many unidentified flies
Bugs and Beetles Recorded:
Harlequin Ladybird Harmonia axyridis
1 Dock Bug Coreus marginatus
Many unidentified flies
Bugs and Beetles Recorded:
Harlequin Ladybird Harmonia axyridis
1 Dock Bug Coreus marginatus
A Harlequin Ladybird Harmonia axyridis - form spectabilis
A Dock Bug Coreus marginatus
Spiders Recorded:
Garden Spider Araneus diadematus
Plants:
Alexanders Smyrnium olusatrum
Bramble Rubus fruticosusa
Buddleia Buddleja davidii
Common Knapweed Centaurea nigra
Common Ragwort Jacobaea vulgaris
Hawthorn Crataegus monogyna
Ivy Hedera helix
Sycamore Acer pseudoplatanus
Wild Clematis Clematis vitalba
Alexanders Smyrnium olusatrum
Bramble Rubus fruticosusa
Buddleia Buddleja davidii
Common Knapweed Centaurea nigra
Common Ragwort Jacobaea vulgaris
Hawthorn Crataegus monogyna
Ivy Hedera helix
Sycamore Acer pseudoplatanus
Wild Clematis Clematis vitalba