12 Nov 25

Old Quarry Lane, Wakeham Meadows, Wakeham Wildlife Site, Wakeham Railway Cuttings, Glen Caravan Park, The Mermaid Track and Wakeham Railway Cuttings (east)

With drier, sunnier and less wind than of late, I was hoping the birding might have improved. Sadly not and the best I could do today was:
Old Quarry Lane: 1 Chiffchaff singing
Glen Caravan Park: 1 Chiffchaff, 3 Goldcrests
Wakeham Railway Cuttings (east): 1 Chiffchaff

No butterflies seen today, but a late Buff-tailed Bumblebee was a bit of a surprise.

Mammals Recorded:
2 Grey Squirrel

A Grey Squirrel with a very white belly. 

Birds Recorded:
1 Sparrowhawk
Herring Gull
Wood Pigeon
1 Skylark
Dunnock
Robin
Blackbird
3 Chiffchaff
3 Goldcrest
Great Tit
Blue Tit
Wren
Magpie
Carrion Crow
Jackdaw
Starling
House Sparrow
Chaffinch
Goldfinch

A Robin playing hide n seek with me

A Chiffchaff along Wakeham Railway Cuttings (east)

And one of the 3 Goldcrests in Glen Caravan Park

And a nice pose by a Goldfinch in Wakeham Meadow.

Escapees, Ferals, Possibles Etc.
Feral pigeon


Bees Recorded:
1 Buff-tailed Bumblebee Bombus terrestris


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

A head-on view of a Common Wasp Vespula vulgaris

And here are two more Common Wasps which..........

..............were joined by a third. Also note the Small Black Ants Lasius niger and Plant Bugs Miridae

Hoverflies Recorded:
3 Marmalade Hoverfly Episyrphus balteatus

On this Dandelion is a fly sp. and two Marmalade Hoverflies Episyrphus balteatus........................

................ with a third about to join them.

And a short video of the Marmalade Hoverflies and the house fly. There are two very similar house flies which look like this one. They are Helina impuncta and Coenosia tigrina. If I was to narrow it down I would opt for the former as the females can be seen in November. However I think I will stick to House Fly Muscidae sp.

Flies, Craneflies, Gnats and Midges Recorded:
House fly Muscidae sp.
Yellow Dung Fly Scathophaga stercoraria

On the Yarrow Achillea millefolium today were two..............

.............Yellow Dung Flies Scathophaga stercoraria

Bugs and Beetles Recorded:
Plant Bug Miridae - See Common Wasp video above


Ants Recorded:
Small Black Ant Lasius niger - See Common Wasp video above


Plants:
Yarrow Achillea millefolium
Common Dandelion Taraxacum officinale

Ted:

I have absolutely no idea why...............

............Ted decided to disappear into this cotoneaster. He does do some strange things sometimes.