21 Oct 25

Old Quarry Lane, Wakeham Wildlife Site, Wakeham Railway Cuttings, The Mermaid Track, The Cuttings, Bumpers Lane and Silklake Quarry

It was an early walk this morning, well for me that is, and it paid off with some excellent highlights, especially along the Mermaid track where there were at least 2 Firecrests, 4 Goldcrests and several Chiffchaffs.

Elsewhere a flock of 5 Long-tailed Tits in Wakeham Meadows had a couple of Goldcrests and Chiffchaffs tagging along.

Along Old Quarry Lane there were 2 Chiffchaffs, 3 in the Wildlife Site, 2 along the Wakeham Railway Cuttings where there was 1 Blackcap, and there were at least 2 Chiffchaffs below in Penn's Weare I could hear, as I walked past the Cuttings Quarry.

Birds Recorded:
Herring Gull
Wood Pigeon
Collared Dove
Dunnock
Robin
Blackbird
1 Blackcap
18+ Chiffchaff
6 - Goldcrest
2 - Firecrest
5 - Long-tailed Tit
Great Tit
Blue Tit
Wren
Magpie
Carrion Crow
Jackdaw
Starling
House Sparrow
Chaffinch
Goldfinch

These are..........

............the three............

...............Chiffchaffs around the Wildlife Site.

One of the two Chiffchaffs tagging along with the Long-tailed Tits in the meadow. As were......

...............two Goldcrests. Here's one of them catching up with the rest of the flock.

This was one of the 4 Goldcrests along the Mermaid track.

There were reports yesterday of Firecrests along the Mermaid track and.......

.........today I came across two of them.

One of the five Long-tailed Tits in the Meadow. And a very vocal one at that.

Escapees, Ferals, Possibles Etc.
Feral pigeon

Butterflies Recorded:
1 Red Admiral Vanessa atalanta

The only butterfly seen this morning was............

..............this Red Admiral Vanessa atalanta sat on this Wild Clematis Clematis vitalba

Bees Recorded:
1 Honey Bee Apis mellifera

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

Hoverflies Recorded:
2 - Common Dronefly Eristalis tenax
1 - Long Hoverfly Sphaerophoria scripta or Interrupted Globetail Sphaerophoria interrupta

On this Hawkweed Oxtongue Picris hieracioides is a Common Dronefly Eristalis tenax. The two critters bottom right I think are aphids!!

On this Hawkweed Oxtongue is either a Long Hoverfly Sphaerophoria scripta or an Interrupted Globetail Sphaerophoria interrupta. One to check.

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

Not a great shot of a fly..............

.........which looks familiar!!

Bugs and Beetles Recorded:
3 - Common Green Shieldbug Palomena prasina
1 - Dock Bug Coreus marginatus
2 - Harlequin Ladybird Harmonia axyridis

A Common Green Shieldbug Palomena prasina

A Dock Bug Coreus marginatus

This Harlequin Ladybird Harmonia axyridis - form succinea landed on my hand.

And another Harlequin Ladybird - form succinea

Trees and Shrubs:

Ash Fraxinus excelsior

Hawthorn Crataegus monogyna
Sycamore Acer pseudoplatanus

Blackthorn Prunus spinosa

Buddleia Buddleja davidii

Scarlet Firethorn Pyracantha coccinea

Cotoneaster Cotoneaster sp.

Dog Rose Rosa canina

Bramble Rubus fruticosusa

Other Plants:

Brown Knapweed Centaurea jacea

Hawkweed Oxtongue Picris hieracioides

Honeysuckle Lonicera periclymenum

Ivy Hedera helix

Large Bindweed Calystegia silvatica

Wild Clematis Clematis vitalba

Ted:

Wait for me Ted

Ships today:

This is the General Cargo Ship "Kalli G." flying the flag of Antigua & Barbuda. It is on its way from Ijmuiden (Holland) to Newport. More on this vessel here.