Wakeham Meadows

Fauna and Flora

Wakeham Meadows, probably one of the most diverse meadows for wildlife on the Isle of Portland, but soon to have 33 homes built on it by Betterment Properties Lt..


When you see an aerial view of Portland, it's fair to say that a small proportion of the island is residential and industrial. The problem is, when you stray away from brown belt areas such as the old industrial sites like Bumpers Lane, then the truly green spaces disappear for ever and along with it an abundance of flora and fauna, which can never return.



Below are my recordings of the flora and fauna I have discovered in Wakeham Meadows over the past 5 years. It is as accurate as I can get, and as an amateur naturalist I'm sure there are few errors. However there are a few which I am certain of including at least 17 bird species nesting in and around the meadows. The most notable being Common Whitethroat which have nested here for the past 5 years and probably before that.

It is quite conceivable that Blackcaps are also nesting here, as a few years back, their habitat was destroyed just south of Old Quarry Lane, for yet another home.

This area is also visited by at least 18 bird species and as for migratory birds passing through I have recorded at least 18 species including this year alone Garden Warbler, Grasshopper Warbler, Reed Warbler and Sedge Warbler.

In the Autumn we get some really good birds passing through, with Chiffchaff, Firecrest, Goldcrest, Pallas's Warbler, Pied Flycatcher, Redpoll, Siskin, Spotted Flycatcher, Willow Warbler and Yellow-browed Warbler

If the quantity and quality of birds isn't enough to prove that this is an area of real interest, then how about the fact that I have recorded 25 butterfly species here.  Of all the butterflies I have recorded here, the Adonis Blue is now on the Red List and has be moved from near threatened to threatened. More on this Here.

As for the moths I have recorded over 40 species and I wouldn't mind guessing that I have only just touched the surface with the number of species here as I keep discovering more.

One of our biggest and important pollinators are bees, with at least 12 species recorded here, including Ivy Bees. These are what I would call "Seasonal Bees", as they appear in September and disappear around November . This is a bee which is reliant on Ivy to get it through to the following Autumn.

I could go on and on, but I will put the brakes on here and let you see below, what would be lost.

Birds

Breeding
Blackbird
Blackcap
Blue Tit
Chaffinch
Collared Dove
Common Whitethroat
Dunnock
Great Tit
Greenfinch
Goldfinch
House Sparrow
Lesser Whitethroat
Long-tailed Tit
Magpie
Robin
Wood Pigeon
Wren

Common Whitethroat

Lesser Whitethroat


Non-breeding but seen in and around meadow
Barn Owl
Buzzard
Carrion Crow
Great Spotted Woodpecker
Herring Gull
Great Black-backed Gull
House Martin
Jackdaw
Kestrel
Linnet
Meadow Pipit
Pheasant
Pied Wagtail
Song Thrush
Sparrowhawk
Starling
Stock Dove
Swallow
Swift
Tawny Owl


Great Spotted Woodpecker

Song Thrush

Migrants both Spring and Autumn
Chiffchaff
Cuckoo
Common Redstart
Fieldfare
Firecrest
Garden Warbler
Goldcrest
Grasshopper Warbler
Pallas's Warbler
Pied Flycatcher
Redpoll
Redwing
Reed Warbler
Sedge Warbler
Siskin
Spotted Flycatcher
Willow Warbler
Yellow-browed Warbler

Firecrest

Pallas's Warbler

Yellow-browed Warbler


Reptiles
Adder
Slow-worm

Adder

Adder

Slow-worm


Butterflies
Dingy Skipper
Small Skipper
Large Skipper
Orange-tip
Large White
Small White
Green-veined White
Wall Brown
Speckled Wood
Small Heath
Ringlet
Meadow Brown
Gatekeeper
Marbled White
Red Admiral
Painted Lady
Peacock
Small Tortoiseshell
Comma
Small Copper
Small Blue
Holly Blue
Common Blue
Adonis Blue
Chalk Hill Blue

Marbled White

Marbled White

Small Blue

Chalk Hill Blue


Moths
Barred Marble, Celypha striana
Bright Bell, Eucosma hohenwartiana
Burnet Companion, Euclidia glyphica
Carnation Tortrix, Cacoecimorpha pronubana
Chalk-hill Bell, Pelochrista caecimaculana
Cocksfoot Moth, Glyphipterix simpliciella
Common Nettle-tap, Anthophila fabriciana
Common Swift, Korscheltellus lupulina
Crescent Plume, Marasmarcha lunaedactyla
Dark-barred Tortrix, Syndemis musculana
Dingy Dowd, Blastobasis adustella
Garden Grass-veneer, Chrysoteuchia culmella
Hook-streak Grass-veneer, Crambus lathoniellus
Hummingbird Hawk-moth, Macroglossum stellatarum
Jersey Tiger, Euplagia quadripunctaria
Light Brown Apple moth, Epiphyas postvittana
Marbled Bell, Eucosma campoliliana
Meadow Grey, Scoparia pyralella
Mother Shipton, Euclidia mi
Pea Moth, Cydia nigricana
Powdered Knot-horn, Delplanqueia dilutella
Purple-shaded Piercer, Pammene gallicana
Red-clover Case-bearer, Coleophora deauratella
Regal Piercer, Pammene regiana
Rosy Conch, Cochylis roseana
Rush Veneer, Nomophila noctuella
Scarlet Tiger Moth, Callimorpha dominula
Silver Y, Autographa gamma
Six-belted Clearwing, Bembecia ichneumoniformis
Six-Spot Burnet moth, Zygaena filipendulae
Small Fan-footed Wave, Idaea biselata
Straw-barred Pearl, Pyrausta despicata
Straw Conch, Cochylimorpha straminea
Sulphur Pearl, Sitochroa palealis
Sycamore Piercer, Pammene aurita
Thistle Ermine, Myelois circumvoluta
Triple-stripe Piercer, Grapholita compositella
Wavy-barred Sable, Pyrausta nigrata
Yellow-barred Long-horn Moth, Nemophora degeerella
Yellow-faced Bell, Notocelia cynosbatella
Yellow-spot Tortrix, Pseudargyrotoza conwagana
Endothenia sp.

Six-belted ClearwingBembecia ichneumoniformis

Hummingbird Hawk-mothMacroglossum stellatarum


Bees
Blunthorn Nomad Bee, Nomada flavopicta
Brown-banded Carder Bee, Bombus humilis
Buff-tailed Bumblebee, Bombus terrestris
Common Carder Bee, Bombus pascuorum
Common Mourning Bee, Melecta albifrons
Early Bumblebee, Bombus pratorum
Hawthorn Mining Bee, Andrena chrysosceles
Honey Bee, Apis mellifera
Ivy Bee, Colletes hederae
Large Meadow Mining Bee, Andrena labialis
Red-tailed Bumblebee, Bombus lapidarius
Tree Bumblebee, Bombus hypnorum
White-tailed bumblebee, Bombus lucorum

Brown-banded Carder Bee, Bombus humilis

Ivy BeeColletes hederae


Wasps, Ichneumon Wasps and Parasitic Flies
Common Wasp, Vespula vulgaris
Exephanes ischioxanthus
Gall Wasp, Dipoloepis rosaea
Gasteruption jaculator
German Wasp, Vespula germanica
Ichneumon sarcitorius
Ichneumon Wasp, Alomya debellator
Ichneumon Wasp, Amblyteles armatorius
Ichneumon Wasp, Ichneumon sarcitorius
Ichneumon Wasp, Opheltes glaucopterus
Potter Wasp, Odynerus melanocephalus
Ruby–tailed Jewel Wasp, Chrysis ignita

Ichneumon WaspIchneumon sarcitorius

Ruby–tailed Jewel WaspChrysis ignita


Sawflies
Bramble Sawfly, Arge cyanocrocea
Large Rose Sawfly, Arge pagana
Reed Stem Borer, Calameuta filiformis
Turnip Sawfly, Athalia rosae

Large Rose SawflyArge pagana

Turnip SawflyAthalia rosae


Hoverflies
Broad-banded Epistrophe, Epistrophe grossulariae
Common Drone Fly, Eristalis tenax
Common Spotted Field Syrph, Eupeodes luniger
Chequered Hoverfly, Melanostoma scalare
Dead Head Hoverfly, Myathropa florea
Hornet Mimic Hoverfly, Volucella zonaria
Long Hoverfly, Sphaerophoria scripta
Marmalade Hoverfly, Episyrphus balteatus
Migrant Hoverfly, Eupeodes corollae
Mimic Bee Hoverfly, Volucella bombylans
Narcissus Bulb Fly, Merodon equestris form bulborum
Pale-sided Epistrophe, Epistrophe diaphana
Pellucid Hoverfly, Volucella pellucens
Pied Hoverfly, Scaeva pyrastri
Spring Epistrophe, Epistrophe eligans
Spotted Meliscaeva, Meliscaeva auricollis
Stripe-backed Dasysyrphus, Dasysyrphus albostriatus
Superb Ant-hill Hoverfly, Xanthogramma pedissequum
Tapered Drone Fly, Eristalis pertinax
The Footballer, Helophilus pendulus
Thick-legged hoverfly, Syritta pipiens
Vagrant Hoverfly, Eupeodes corollae
White-footed Hoverfly, Platycheirus albimanus
Yellow-girdled Dasysyrphus, Dasysyrphus tricinctus

Pellucid HoverflyVolucella pellucens

Superb Ant-hill HoverflyXanthogramma pedissequum

Yellow-girdled DasysyrphusDasysyrphus tricinctus


Dragonflies etc.
Common Darter, Sympetrum striolatum
Emperor Dragonfly, Anax imperator

Common DarterSympetrum striolatum

Emperor DragonflyAnax imperator


Beetles and Bugs
7-spot Ladybird, Coccinella septempunctata
Artichoke Beetle, Sphaeroderma testaceum
Brassica Whitefly, Aleyrodes proletella
Cinnamon Bug, Corizus hyoscyami
Common Green Capsid, Lygocoris pabulinus
Common Red Soldier Beetles, Rhagonycha fulva
Dock Bug, Coreus marginatus
Hairy Shieldbug, Dolycoris baccarum
Lesser Thick-legged Flower Beetle, Ischnomera cyanea
Red-legged Shieldbug, Pentatoma rufipes
Rustic Sailor Beetle, Cantharis rustica
Soldier Beetle, Malthinus flaveolus
Swollen-thighed Beetle, Oedemera nobilis

Cinnamon BugCorizus hyoscyami

Swollen-thighed BeetleOedemera nobilis


Grasshoppers and Crickets

Common Field Grasshopper, Chorthippus brunneus
Common Green Grasshopper, Omocestus viridulus
Dark Bush-cricket, Pholidoptera griseoaptera
Great Green Bush Cricket, Tettigonia viridissima
Meadow Grasshopper, Chorthippus parallelus
Roesel's Bush-cricket, Metrioptera roeselii
Speckled Bush Cricket, Leptophyes punctatissima

Great Green Bush CricketTettigonia viridissima

Roesel's Bush-cricketMetrioptera roeselii


Flies
Broad Centurian, Chloromyia formosa
Cluster fly, Pollenia agg.
Common Fruit Fly, Tephritis bardanae
Common Green Bottle Fly, Lucilia sericata
Common Green Lacewing, Chrysoperla carnea
Crane Fly, Nephrotoma quadrifaria
Dagger Fly, Empis tessellata
Fever-fly, Dilophus febrilis
Four-spot Wingwaver, Herina lugubris
Fruit Fly, Acanthiophilus helianthi
Muscidae fly, Helina abdominalis
Muscidae fly, Neomyia viridescens
Noon Fly, Mesembrina meridiana
Parasitic fly, Eriothrix rufomaculata
Root Maggot Fly, Anthomyia pluvialis
Scarce Orange Legionnaires, Beris clavipes
Semaphore fly, Poecilobothrus nobilitatus
Spectacled Berry Fly, Anomoia purmunda
St Mark's Fly, Bibio marci
Tachinidae fly, Phania funesta
Tachinidae fly, Thelaira nigripes
Thick-headed fly, Sicus ferrugineus
Thick-headed Fly, Physocephala rufipes
Tiger Cranefly, Nephrotoma flavescens
Yellow Bellied Fly, Sciara hemerobioides
Yellow Dung Fly, Scathophaga stercoraria

Noon FlyMesembrina meridiana

Scarce Orange LegionnairesBeris clavipes

Spectacled Berry FlyAnomoia purmunda

Thick-headed flySicus ferrugineus


Cockroaches
Tawny Cockroach, Ectobius pallidus

Tawny CockroachEctobius pallidus


Spiders
Crab Spider, Xysticus audax
Crab Spider, Xysticus ulmi
Cucumber Green Orb Spider, Araniella cucurbitina
Nursery Web Spider, Pisaura mirabilis
White Crab Spider, Misumena vatia
Wolf Spider, Trochosa terricola
Woodlouse Spider, Dysdera crocata


Harvestmen Recorded
Leiobunum rotundum

Harvestmen, Leiobunum rotundum


Ants

Small Black Ants, Lasius niger

Small Black AntsLasius niger



Slugs and Snails Recorded
Brown-lipped Banded Snail, Cepaea nemoralis
Garden Snail, Cornu aspersa
White-lipped Banded Snail, Cepaea hortensis

Brown-lipped Banded SnailCepaea nemoralis

Garden SnailCornu aspersa

White-lipped Banded SnailCepaea hortensis

White-lipped Banded SnailCepaea hortensis


Plants
Bee Orchid, Ophrys apifera
Bramble, Rubus fruticosusa
Common Agrimony, Agrimonia eupatoria
Common Centaury, Centaurium erythraea
Common Knapweed, Centaurea nigra
Common Ragwort, Jacobaea vulgaris
Common Restharrow, Ononis repens
Common Vetch, Vicia sativa
Cotoneaster, Cotoneaster sp.
Cowslip, Primula veris
Double Meadow Buttercup, Ranunculus acris
Dyers Rocket, Reseda luteola
Field Bindweed, Convolvulus Arvensis
Glaucous Sedge, Carex flacca
Hedge Bedstraw, Galium album
Herb Robert, Geranium robertianum
Hoary Plantain, Plantago media
Honeysuckle, Lonicera periclymenum
Horseshoe Vetch, Hippocrepis comosa
Ivy, Hedera helix
Ivy Broomrape, Orobanche hederae
Lady's Bedstraw, Galium verum
Lesser Burdock, Arctium minus
Lesser Celandine, Ficaria verna
Meadow Buttercup, Ranunculus arvensis
Old Man’s Beard, Clematis vitalba
Pale Flax, Linum bienne
Red Clover, Trifolium pratense
Scarlet Pimpernel, Anagallis arvensis
Self-heal, Prunella vulgaris
Sycamore, Acer pseudoplatanus
White Campion, Silene latifolia
Wild Chives, Allium schoeneprasum
Yellow-rattle, Rhinanthus minor
Yellow-wort, Blackstonia perfoliata

Bee Orchid, Ophrys apifera

Bee Orchid, Ophrys apifera

Lady's BedstrawGalium verum

Yellow-rattleRhinanthus minor


Fungi
Scarlet Waxcap, Hygrocybe coccinea

Scarlet WaxcapHygrocybe coccinea