14 Oct 25

Old Quarry Lane, Wakeham Wildlife Site, Wakeham Railway Cuttings, Wakeham Railway Cuttings (east), The Cuttings, Bumpers Lane, Silklake Quarry, Broadcroft Quarry Lane, Broadcroft Butterfly Reserve, Higher Horse Paddock, Lower Horse Paddock and Wakeham Meadows.

I was a bit earlier with my walk today, plus I managed to get an extended one in without exhausting myself. Highlights today, as it has been for awhile now, was the number of Chiffchaffs about. Granted this was a longer walk, but even so there were Chiffchaffs everywhere I went. Today's total was at least 25 and with them I came across 2 Blackcaps and 4 Goldcrests.

Also noted were 5 Redwings and a Fieldfare in the trees alongside Wakeham Railway Cuttings.  Both new for this Autumn with the Fieldfare being my first this year.

The Harlequin Ladybirds are still increasing in numbers, with form succinea outnumbering form spectabilis by at least 5:1. Interestingly enough I havent seen any form conspicua this year. There are some good examples of the different forms here.


Birds Recorded:
1 Buzzard
1 Kestrel
Herring Gull
Wood Pigeon
Collared Dove
2 - Meadow Pipit
1 - Grey Wagtail
Dunnock
Robin
Blackbird
1 - Fieldfare
5 - Redwing
2 - Blackcap
25+ Chiffchaff
4 - Goldcrest
Great Tit
Blue Tit
Wren
Magpie
Carrion Crow
Jackdaw
Raven
Starling
House Sparrow
Chaffinch
Linnet
Goldfinch

A Meadow Pipit in the butterfly reserve

Below are a few photos of the 25+ Chiffchaffs noted along my walk.










This Robin was in good voice, as were many others as they set up there Winter Quarters.


Escapees, Ferals, Possibles Etc
.
Feral pigeon


Reptiles Recorded:
1 Slow Worm Anguis fragilis

An adult Slow-worm under one of the metal sheets along my walk.


Butterflies Recorded:
2 - Large White Pieris brassicae
2 - Small White Pieris rapae
4 - Speckled Wood Pararge aegeria
2 - Red Admiral Vanessa atalanta

A Small White Pieris rapae


Moths Recorded
:
None


Bees Recorded:
Buff-tailed Bumblebee Bombus terrestris
Honey Bee Apis mellifera
Ivy Bee Colletes hederae

A Buff-tailed Bumblebee Bombus terrestris

Honey Bee Apis mellifera

On this Ivy Hedera helix flower is an Ivy Bee Colletes hederae


Wasps, Ichneumon Wasps, Parasitic Wasps and Gall Wasps Recorded
:
Common Wasp Vespula vulgaris

A Common Wasp Vespula vulgaris

And another..............

.....................Common Wasp.


Hoverflies Recorded
:
Common Dronefly Eristalis tenax
Stripe-backed Fleckwing Dasysyrphus albostriatus
Hoverfly Syrphus sp.

Common Dronefly Eristalis tenax

Stripe-backed Fleckwing Dasysyrphus albostriatus AKA Stripe-backed Brusheye

Hoverfly Syrphus sp.


Flies, Craneflies, Gnats and Midges Recorded
:
A few unidentified flies
Flesh Fly Sarcophaga sp.
House Fly Morellia sp.
flies sp.

Flesh Fly Sarcophaga sp.

A House Fly Morellia sp.

Well I have no idea as to what is going on here.

And are there three flies involved...........

..........Or are there just two!!


Bugs and Beetles Recorded
:
1 - 7-spot Ladybird Coccinella septempunctata
50+ Harlequin Ladybird Harmonia axyridis - form succinea
4 - Harlequin Ladybird Harmonia axyridis - form spectabilis
4 - Common Green Shieldbug Palomena prasina
3 - Dock Bug Coreus marginatus

This is a 7-spot Ladybird Coccinella septempunctata

Harlequin Ladybird Harmonia axyridis - form succinea

Harlequin Ladybird Harmonia axyridis - form succinea

Harlequin Ladybird Harmonia axyridis - form succinea

Harlequin Ladybird Harmonia axyridis - form succinea

Harlequin Ladybird Harmonia axyridis - form succinea

Harlequin Ladybird Harmonia axyridis - form succinea

Harlequin Ladybird Harmonia axyridis - form succinea

Harlequin Ladybird Harmonia axyridis - form succinea

Harlequin Ladybird Harmonia axyridis - form succinea

Harlequin Ladybird Harmonia axyridis - form succinea

Harlequin Ladybird Harmonia axyridis - form succinea

Harlequin Ladybird Harmonia axyridis - form spectabilis.

Harlequin Ladybird Harmonia axyridis - form spectabilis.

Top to bottom we have a Dock Bug Coreus marginatus, 2 Common Green Shieldbug Palomena prasina, a Dark Bush-cricket Pholidoptera griseoaptera, another Common Green Shieldbug and bottom left another Dock Bug.

Two Common Green Shieldbug Palomena prasina

A Dock Bug Coreus marginatus


Crickets and Grasshoppers Recorded
:
2 - Dark Bush-cricket Pholidoptera griseoaptera

 Dark Bush-cricket Pholidoptera griseoaptera

And another Dark Bush-cricket this time a female.


Trees
:
Ash Fraxinus excelsior
1 - Common Lime Tilia x europaea
Sycamore Acer pseudoplatanus
Wayfaring-tree Viburnum lantana
Hawthorn Crataegus monogyna

I hadn't realised until now, that this tree alongside the old Wakeham Railway Cutting is......

............a lime tree. Possibly Common Lime Tilia x europaea


Other Plants:
Blackthorn Prunus spinosa
Bramble Rubus fruticosusa
Buddleia Buddleja davidii
Cotoneaster Cotoneaster sp.
Dog Rose Rosa canina
Honeysuckle Lonicera periclymenum
Ivy Hedera helix
Large Bindweed Calystegia silvatica
Wild Clematis Clematis vitalba
Common Poppy Papaver rhoeas

Common Poppy's Papaver rhoeas


Ted
:

Good effort Ted, as he runs up through the Cuttings.


Ships today:

This is the British Patrol Ship P282 "HMS Severn" just off Portland's east coast. More on this vessel here.