I added an extra leg to my walk today and I'm actually not far off the sort of walks I was doing pre-op Oct 2024. It's just annoying that I've got to go back to Southampton again in November and go through it all again. Anyway less about that.
Todays highlights were a dozen or so Chiffchaffs noted along my walk and 21 Meadow Pipits in the Lower Horse Paddock. There's is no sign of any Stonechats in the Butterfly Reserve yet, but there again the ponies haven't been let loose as they have been in the past few Autumn/Winter months. Once they are grazing on the reserve, I'm sure the Stonechats will be back.
Birds Recorded:
Herring Gull
Wood Pigeon
Collared Dove
21 Meadow Pipit
Pied Wagtail
Dunnock
Robin
Blackbird
12+ Chiffchaff
Great Tit
Blue Tit
Wren
Magpie
Carrion Crow
Jackdaw
Starling
House Sparrow
Chaffinch
Linnet
Goldfinch
Sometimes, just sometimes everything...........
...........clicks into place.
A Chiffchaff heading upwards..........
...............to catch an insect on this Sycamore leaf.
Here it is on the way down.
But by the looks of it, it missed its prey.
Right let's have another go...........
.........Success!!
Feral pigeon
Reptiles Recorded:
1 Slow Worm Anguis fragilis
Under one of the tin sheets along my walk I came across this juvenile Slow-worm slithering away.
1 Common Darter Sympetrum striolatum
A Common Darter Sympetrum striolatum and a very...................
...........close up and personal photograph and............
............video.
10+ Large White Pieris brassicae
6 Small White Pieris rapae
1 Wall Brown Lasiommata megera
5 Speckled Wood Pararge aegeria
20+ Red Admiral Vanessa atalanta
A Small White Pieris rapae
A Wall Brown Lasiommata megera
A pristine looking Speckled Wood Pararge aegeria. And a..............
.............not so pristine looking one.
It was a good day for Red Admirals Vanessa atalanta, with many seen, especially on the Ivy Hedera helix
1 Rush Veneer Nomophila noctuella
The Rush Veneers Nomophila noctuella are still about.
3 Buff-tailed Bumblebee Bombus terrestris
Honey Bee Apis mellifera
Ivy Bee Colletes hederae
On this Wild Clematis Clematis vitalba is a Buff-tailed Bumblebee Bombus terrestris
I'm pleased to say that there are a lot of Ivy Bees Colletes hederae about. The past few weeks has seen very few on the Ivy flowers, but there are certainly more around now.
German Wasp Vespula germanica
Common Wasp Vespula vulgaris
Ichneumon Wasp sp.
Hoverflies Recorded:
50+ Common Dronefly Eristalis tenax
Flies, Craneflies, Gnats and Midges Recorded:
Many unidentified flies
Bugs and Beetles Recorded:
2 Dock Bug Coreus marginatus
2 Harlequin Ladybird Harmonia axyridis
Crickets and Grasshoppers Recorded:
3 Dark Bush-cricket Pholidoptera griseoaptera
Spiders Recorded:
Garden Spider Araneus diadematus
8 Nurseryweb Spider Pisaura mirabilis
Plants:
Ash Fraxinus excelsior
Ships today:
This is the Dutch General Cargo Ship "Larixborg" on its way from Harlingen (Holland) to Cork. More on this vessel here.
This is the British Oil Products Tanker "Whitstar" on its way from Southampton to Plymouth. More on this vessel here.
This is the Greek Crude Oil Tanker "Atlantic" on its way from FPSO Liza Destiny Offshore Oil Field, Guyana to Gdansk, Poland. More on this vessel here and FPSO Liza Destiny here.
A Common Wasp Vespula vulgaris
An Ichneumon Wasp sp.
50+ Common Dronefly Eristalis tenax
Common Dronefly Eristalis tenax
Many unidentified flies
European Cranefly Tipula paludosa
Painted Graphfly Graphomya maculata
Painted Graphfly Graphomya maculata
European Cranefly Tipula paludosa
A Painted Graphfly Graphomya maculata
2 Dock Bug Coreus marginatus
2 Harlequin Ladybird Harmonia axyridis
A Dock Bug Coreus marginatus and...............
............another one
A Harlequin Ladybird Harmonia axyridis - form spectabilis, which is a bit of an odd shape!!
And another Harlequin Ladybird Harmonia axyridis - form spectabilis
3 Dark Bush-cricket Pholidoptera griseoaptera
A Dark Bush-cricket Pholidoptera griseoaptera
Garden Spider Araneus diadematus
8 Nurseryweb Spider Pisaura mirabilis
The business end of a Garden Spider Araneus diadematus. And...............
...........another Garden Spider.
One of many Nurseryweb Spiders Pisaura mirabilis in the nettles, especially around the meadow
Ash Fraxinus excelsior
Blackthorn Prunus spinosa
Bramble Rubus fruticosusa
Buddleia Buddleja davidii
Common Knapweed Centaurea nigra
Common Ragwort Jacobaea vulgaris
Cotoneaster Cotoneaster sp.
Dog Rose Rosa canina
Elder Sambucus nigra
Evening Primrose Oenothera biennis
Field Bindweed Convolvulus arvensis
Hart's-tongue Fern Asplenium scolopendrium
Bramble Rubus fruticosusa
Buddleia Buddleja davidii
Common Knapweed Centaurea nigra
Common Ragwort Jacobaea vulgaris
Cotoneaster Cotoneaster sp.
Dog Rose Rosa canina
Elder Sambucus nigra
Evening Primrose Oenothera biennis
Field Bindweed Convolvulus arvensis
Hart's-tongue Fern Asplenium scolopendrium
Hawthorn Crataegus monogyna
Honeysuckle Lonicera periclymenum
Ivy Hedera helix
Large Bindweed Calystegia silvatica
Scarlet Firethorn Pyracantha coccinea
Sycamore Acer pseudoplatanus
Virginia Creeper Parthenocissus quinquefolia
White Potato Vine Solanum laxum 'Album'
Wild Clematis Clematis vitalba
Ted:
Honeysuckle Lonicera periclymenum
Ivy Hedera helix
Large Bindweed Calystegia silvatica
Scarlet Firethorn Pyracantha coccinea
Sycamore Acer pseudoplatanus
Virginia Creeper Parthenocissus quinquefolia
White Potato Vine Solanum laxum 'Album'
Wild Clematis Clematis vitalba
In Wakeham Railway Cuttings is...........
...........this Ash Tree Fraxinus excelsior
Blackthorn Prunus spinosa. AKA as Sloe
Blackberries on this Bramble Rubus fruticosusa
This is..............
...................Hart's-tongue Fern Asplenium scolopendrium
Are you thirsty Ted!!
This is the Danish Offshore Support Vessel "Wind Server" on its way from Portland Harbour to.............
....Greater Gabbard wind farm in the North Sea. More on this vessel here.
This is the Lithuanian Passenger/Ro-Ro Cargo Ship "Victoria Seaways" on its way from Rosslare harbour to Dunkirk. More on this vessel here.