9 Oct 21

Old Quarry Lane, Wakeham Meadow, Lower Horse Paddock, Broadcroft Quarry Lane and Broadcroft Butterfly Reserve

It was another beautiful warm sunny day, with 6 different species of butterflies recorded, which isn't bad for October. On the the other hand though, there were fewer Chiffchaffs and Blackcaps about, with just 5 Chiffs and a single Blackcap.

On their way south, 20+ House Martins and 10+ Swallows stopped briefly over the Horse paddock for a quick "bite", before heading down the island.

In one of the smaller horse paddocks alongside the lane there was an impressive flock of Linnets. There is a video further down the page. Feel free to count them!!

Mammals Recorded:
5 Bunnies


Birds Recorded:
Kestrel
Herring Gull
Wood Pigeon
Collared Dove
20+ House Martin
10+ Swallow
Meadow Pipit
Pied Wagtail
Dunnock
Robin
2 Stonechat
Blackbird
1 Blackcap
5 Chiffchaff
Great Tit
Blue Tit
Wren
Magpie
Carrion Crow
Jackdaw
Starling
Chaffinch
Linnet
3 Siskin
Goldfinch

A juvenile Pied Wagtail, with that pale yellow colouration around its face.

A very songful Robin in the butterfly reserve.

Also in the reserve were a pair of Stonechats. This male is sporting a ring on its right leg.

A short video of the male Stonechat attempting to catch flies, by just opening his beak and hoping one will fly in. In the background is a Robin singing and a flock of Linnets passing by.

A lovely pose by the female Stonechat

There was a huge flock of Starlings in the paddock. I did try and count them, plus look for any juvenile Rosy-coloured Starlings. I failed on both accounts, but there are still a few Rosy's about.

Here are just a few Linnets in quite a large flock

Here's a short video of the Linnets in flight before they landed in the field. Feel free to count them. I might later.

Butterflies Recorded:
Large White
Speckled Wood
1 Small Heath
Red Admiral
1 Comma
1 Small Copper

A Small Heath

A Red Admiral on Ivy

A slightly worn Small Copper

Moths Recorded:
Rusty Dot Pearl (Udea ferrugalis)

This was my first attempt at photographing this Rusty Dot Pearl........

.........and then with a bit of delicate bit of leaf moving I finally managed a better shot, albeit with my thumb alongside it

Bees Recorded:
Honey Bees (Apis mellifera)
Common Carder (Bombus pascuorum)

Buff-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus terrestris)

Ivy Bee (Colletes hederae)

This is a Common Carder Bumblebee. I did wonder at first, as to whether it might have been a Tree Bumblebee, but they have a white tip to the tail, not orange.

There are still lots of Ivy Bees about and as long as there are Ivy flowers and the weather holds, they will be around for a bit longer.


Wasps Recorded:
wasp sp


Ichneumon Wasps Recorded:
Ichneumon stramentor

An Ichneumon stramentor doing a bit of..........

...........grooming.

In fact it was grooming for such a long time I thought it was worth videoing it.

Hoverflies Recorded:
Common Dronefly (Eristalis tenax)
Plain-faced Dronefly (Eristalis arbustorum)
The Footballer (Helophilus pendulus)

The Footballer

Flies, Craneflies, Gnats and Midges Recorded:

Cranefly (Tipula paludosa)

Bugs and Beetles Recorded:
Harlequin Ladybird (Harmonia axyridis)
Common Green Shieldbug (Palomena prasina)

This is a Harlequin Ladybird and with those 4 red spots it is the form - spectabilis

This pupae was on the Brambles below the Harlequin Ladybird above!! More on Harlequins Here.

I was nearly caught out here, as this insect flew past my head and landed on this leaf...

...It wasn't until it climbed up onto the outer leaf, that I realised it was a Common Green Shieldbug.

This is another Common Green Shieldbug and is at a stage in its development, known as the final instar nymph.

Crickets and Grasshoppers Recorded:
Dark Bush-cricket (Pholidoptera griseoaptera)

This a female Dark Bush-cricket minus a leg.

Spiders Recorded:
Garden Spider (Araneus diadematus)

Nursery Web Spider (Pisaura mirabilis)

A Garden Spider tucked up under a nettle leaf

This is a Nursery Web Spider

Ted:

Go Ted go.

8 Oct 21

Wakeham

It's been awhile since I've said "What a difference a day makes", but today was certainly different than yesterday and for that matter, the past week or so.

And what a great start to the day it was, when mid-morning a Curlew passed over the cottage, followed by a Siskin and a Grey Wagtail. This was followed by 3 more Siskins and a lone Rook heading south around lunchtime.

I was going out for a walk with Ted, but I was somewhat delayed as I didn't want to leave with so much going on in and around the garden; especially as I came across my first Ivy Bees to visit the garden. There were around a dozen or so on the Ivy, which covers "The Old Vic" (An old outhouse building which used to house a toilet). What a great sight, the Ivy Bees that is.

Birds Recorded:

In and around the back garden:

1 Curlew

Herring Gull

Wood Pigeon

Collared Dove

Meadow Pipit

Pied Wagtail

Grey Wagtail

Dunnock

Robin

Great Tit

Blue Tit

Magpie

Rook

Carrion Crow

Jackdaw

Starling

Starling

House Sparrow

Chaffinch

Linnet

4 Siskin

Goldfinch

Bees Recorded:
Buff-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus terrestris)
Ivy Bee (Colletes hederae)

This is the first time I have seen our Ivy being visited by...........

.......Ivy Bees.

As I followed this Ivy Bee with the camera, it passed a Common Fruit Fly (Tephritis bardanae) at the bottom of the frame, and then took off and landed a bit further up the Ivy, right next to a male Plain-faced Dronefly (Eristalis arbustorum)

And another short video of an Ivy Bee

Hoverflies Recorded:

Common Dronefly (Eristalis tenax)
Plain-faced Dronefly (Eristalis arbustorum)

Flies, Craneflies, Gnats and Midges Recorded:
Common Fruit Fly (Tephritis bardanae)


Spiders Recorded:
Garden Spider (Araneus diadematus)

---------------------------------------------------------------

Old Quarry Lane, Wakeham Meadow, Lower Horse Paddock, Broadcroft Quarry Lane, Broadcroft Pools and Broadcroft Butterfly Reserve

Well we did manage a walk in the end and timed it just right as the sun came out. It was a lovely walk, with some good highlights, including 4 Chiffchaffs along Broadcroft Quarry Lane, 4 along Old Quarry Lane and 2 in Wakeham Meadow. Also about were a few Blackcaps in the hedgerows, whilst overhead I counted at least 10 Swallows passing through.


Mammals Recorded:
Bunny

One of the resident bunnies in the Lower Horse paddock

Birds Recorded:
1 Sparrowhawk

1 Buzzard

1 Kestrel

Herring Gull

Wood Pigeon

5 Collared Dove

10 Swallow

Meadow Pipit

Dunnock

Robin

3 Stonechat

Blackbird

3 Blackcap

10 Chiffchaff

Great Tit

Blue Tit

Wren

Magpie

Carrion Crow

Jackdaw

Starling

House Sparrow

Chaffinch

Linnet

Goldfinch

A Common Buzzard over the meadow.

It didn't stay long as the local gulls and Carrion Crows helped it on its way.

Sat on top of the dead branches of a Cypress were these 4 Collared Doves. A fifth was in the next tree along.

A very busy female Stonechat by the pools.

Here she is...........

............coming into land.

And then off again in search of another snack.

A short video of the female Stonechat at Broadcroft Quarry Lane Pools. In the background is a Chiffchaff calling

Close by to the Stonechat was this Goldfinch

Butterflies Recorded:
Large White
Speckled Wood
Small Heath
Red Admiral

A bit of a surprise was coming across this Small Heath along Old Quarry Lane

Just 2 Red Admirals seen on my walk.

Moths Recorded:
Common Nettle-tap (Anthophila fabriciana)

A Common Nettle-tap on a Buddleia leaf

Bees Recorded:
Honey Bees (Apis mellifera)
Buff-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus terrestris)
Ivy Bee (Colletes hederae)

A Honey Bee on Ivy.

Wasps Recorded:
Common Wasp (Vespula vulgaris)

Hoverflies Recorded:
Marmalade Hoverfly (Episyrphus balteatus)
Common Dronefly (Eristalis tenax)

A Common Dronefly

Flies, Craneflies, Gnats and Midges Recorded:
Cranefly (Tipula paludosa)

Cranefly

Bugs and Beetles Recorded:
Harlequin Ladybird larvae (Harmonia axyridis)

2 Common Green Shieldbug (Palomena prasina)

The larvae of the Harlequin Ladybird (Harmonia axyridis)

A Common Green Shieldbug

And another. It wont be long before both of these Common Green Shieldbug will change colour from green to their Winter colour of brown.

Slugs and Snails Recorded:
White-lipped Banded Snail (Cepaea hortensis)
Garden Snail (Cornu aspersa)

A White-lipped Banded Snail. No bands on this one though,

And a Garden Snail.

Caterpillars Recorded:
Large White

These Nasturtium leaves are about to be devoured by these caterpillars of the Large White butterfly 

Plants:
Old Man’s Beard (Clematis vitalba).

Pampas Grass (Cortaderia selloana)

Old Man’s Beard (Clematis vitalba)..........

.............Also known as Travellers’ Joy and Wild Clematis.

Pampas Grass (Cortaderia selloana)

And another Pampas Grass, which like the one above look the best they have ever been.

Ted:

Ted waiting for me to catch up.

Ships Today

This is the Dutch LPG Tanker "Bayamo" on its way from Fawley to Milford Haven. More on this vessel Here.

7 Oct 21

Lodmoor RSPB Reserve

It was a miserable grey start to the day, which did clear up for awhile before the clouds retuned.

Main highlight today had to be the 1000+ Canada Geese (could well have been double that), which flew in from the north-east and took up every available bit of water they could find on the reserve. Talking to the locals, they all said they had never seen such numbers before. It was quite a sight.

The full list of the 53 bird species I recorded, are listed below, with three firsts for the year: A Ruff , 2 Kingfishers and astonishingly a Snipe. The latter, I can't believe I didn't see or hear one last Winter. Where have I been!!

On the way home 2 Jays flew across the road in front of me at Wyke Regis.


Mammals Recorded:
Grey Squirrel
Brown Rat

I'm not sure what Ted would have made of this Grey Squirrel, had he seen it. But he went berserk when he saw a Brown Rat cross the path.

Birds Recorded:
1 Little Grebe
7 Cormorant
1 Great White Egret
Little Egret
10 Grey Heron
1000+ Canada Geese
Mallard
Gadwall
Teal
Shoveler
Tufted Duck
Water Rail
Moorhen
Coot
Lapwing
5 Dunlin
1 Ruff
4 Snipe
Bar-tailed Godwit
Black-headed Gull
Mediterranean Gull
Herring Gull
Great Black-backed Gull
2 Sandwich Tern
Wood Pigeon

2 Kingfisher
1 Great Spotted Woodpecker
50+ Swallow
Meadow Pipit
Pied Wagtail
2 Grey Wagtail
Dunnock
Robin
4 Stonechat
Blackbird
Song Thrush
Cetti's Warbler
10+ Chiffchaff
15 Bearded Tit
Long-tailed Tit
Great Tit
Blue Tit
Wren
Magpie
Carrion Crow
Jackdaw
Starling
House Sparrow
Chaffinch
Linnet
Goldfinch
Greenfinch

Reed Bunting

(53 species)

Plus at Wyke Regis:
2 Jays

One of the 7 Cormorants on the reserve.

Just the one Great White Egret seen today

Here are a few Grey Heron photos.

I counted at least..........

...........ten birds. No doubt there were many more in the reserve.

A lot of Canada Geese

Just a handful of the Canada Geese that arrived late morning.

In the background are 3 Gadwall, with a Snipe in the foreground.

Here are 3 Snipe

Same again, more Gadwall at the back, with a "white" Ruff centre and a Lapwing at the front.

Here's a short video of the Ruff feeding.

A drake Teal having a good old scratch

In the centre a Black-tailed Godwit with Black-headed Gulls in front of it.

Two Sandwich Terns come into land with Black-headed Gulls and a Mediterranean Gull for company.

And a short video of the Sandwich Terns

Bees Recorded:
Buff-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus terrestris)


Wasps Recorded:
European hornet (Vespa crabro)


Ted:

Whoops I forgot I had the flash on. A spooky dog.

Ships Today

Beyond the reserve, out in Weymouth Bay, is the Bermudian Passenger Ship "Aurora" anchored in Weymouth Bay. More on this vessel Here.

Beyond the reserve and Weymouth Bay, you can just make out the British Auxiliary Ship "RFA Argus" in Portland Harbour. More on this vessel Here.