15 Oct 25

Old Quarry Lane, Wakeham Wildlife Site, Wakeham Railway Cuttings and Wakeham Meadows

It was shorter walk today, but what a walk it was when I came across a mega flock of warblers, crests and tits between the Wildlife Site and the Railway Cuttings. I just happened to arrive at a spot between two copses as this flock flew from the copse on my left to the copse on my right, at the west end of the railway cuttings. From my advantage point I counted 5 Blackcaps, 41 Chiffchaff, 7 Goldcrests, 9 Long-tailed Tits, 4 Great Tits, 2 Blue Tits and a Chaffinch.

I could really have done with a few more pairs of eyes and ears to see/hear if there was anything else in amongst them. It was pretty impressive!!


Birds Recorded:
1 Cormorant
2 Buzzard
1 Kestrel
Herring Gull
Wood Pigeon
Collared Dove
1 Swallow
Dunnock
Robin
Blackbird
6 Blackcap
45 Chiffchaff
Goldcrest
9 Long-tailed Tit
Great Tit
Blue Tit
Wren
Magpie
Carrion Crow
Jackdaw
Starling
House Sparrow
Chaffinch
Goldfinch

A Cormorant taking a shortcut over the island from east to west.

The female Kestrel was tree hopping again today.

I'm beginning to think that she is interested...........

.................... in the grasshoppers and crickets that are quite numerous in the meadows.

A female Blackcap blending in with the background.

Chiff Chaff, Chiff Chaff. A Chiffchaff and a Chaffinch together on this Sycamore.

Another Chiffchaff and........

.........another.

Last one.

One of the 9 Long-tailed Tits leading the large flock of warblers, crests and tits around Wakeham

One of the Blue Tits in the flock


Escapees, Ferals, Possibles Etc
.
Feral pigeon


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

A Red Admiral Vanessa atalanta


Bees Recorded
:
2 Honey Bee Apis mellifera
4 Ivy Bee Colletes hederae

It was quiet day on the bee front with just a couple of Honey Bees Apis mellifera and....

.........a few Ivy Bees Colletes hederae. This one managed to escape a Garden Spiders web.


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


Hoverflies Recorded:
3 - Common Dronefly Eristalis tenax
4 - Marmalade Hoverfly Episyrphus balteatus
1 - White-footed Hoverfly Platycheirus albimanus

A Common Dronefly Eristalis tenax

From not seeing any Marmalade Hoverflies Episyrphus balteatus for...............

.................... quite a few weeks, I came across 4 today.

White-footed Hoverfly Platycheirus albimanus


Flies, Craneflies, Gnats and Midges Recorded
:
A few unidentified flies


Bugs and Beetles Recorded:
1 - 7-spot Ladybird Coccinella septempunctata
1 - Harlequin Ladybird Harmonia axyridis - form succinea

A 7-spot Ladybird Coccinella septempunctata

After yesterday's mega "fall" of  Harlequin Ladybirds, all I could find today was one!!


Crickets and Grasshoppers Recorded
:
1 - Common Field Grasshopper Chorthippus brunneus
3 - Dark Bush-cricket Pholidoptera griseoaptera

A Common Field Grasshopper Chorthippus brunneus

A Dark Bush-cricket Pholidoptera griseoaptera