Home and Away: What a Busy Day

I was up with the sparrows this morning, so that I could take David to a Motorcycle Training Centre in Poole for 8:45. Despite heavy traffic between Weymouth and Dorchester, not helped by a Marks and Spencers 40 foot articulated lorry broken down at Dorchester roundabout, we made it with 20 minutes to spare.

Having left him at the centre, I headed off to Shell Bay at Studland, via the Sandbanks Ferry here, followed by a walk around the Blue Pool Nature Reserve and then an even longer walk at Higher Hyde Heath Nature Reserve.

Shell Bay

Location

A beach I visited back in August 2022, where I was very fortunate to find a Sand Lizard. Unfortunately I didn't see any today and in fact I didn't find any tracks in the sand to show that there were any about either.

Main highlight here was watching Sandwich Terns and a lone Little Tern catching what appeared to be Sandeels. And I came across my first Sanderlings of the year.

Mammals Recorded:

1 Common Seal

Of the two species of seal which live in Poole Harbour, the seal which I photographed (very badly) appears to be the resident Common Seal Phoca vitulina. Which despite its name is not that common anymore. It also goes by the name of Harbour Seal. Grey Seals Halichoerus grypus are an occasional visitor and are usually spotted closer to the harbour mouth where I was stood close to......

.......However the shorter dog-like head of this individuals head, indicates that it is a Common Seal. It was a shame as this was the only photograph I managed and I didn't see it again after it dived again.

Birds Recorded:

Cormorant

1 Grey Heron

2 Mallard

2 Moorhen

4 Sanderling

Black-headed Gull

Herring Gull

1 Little Tern

10+ Sandwich Tern

Wood Pigeon

10+ Swallow

2 Meadow Pipit

Robin

Blackbird

3 Blackcap,

8 Chiffchaff

Coal Tit

Great Tit

Blue Tit

Wren

Carrion Crow

Chaffinch

Goldfinch

Greenfinch

A Grey Heron in one of the pools between the car park and beach.

A pair of canoodling Moorhen.

One of the four Sanderlings heading off to join the other.............

...........three before..........

.............. running along the shore-line.

And a short video of the Sanderlings.

One of the 10+ Sandwich Terns fishing just off the beach doing a....

........bit of aerobatics.

Another Sandwich Tern carrying a Sandeel for its offspring.

A male Greenfinch

Dragonflies and Damselflies Recorded:

Ruddy Darter Sympetrum sanguineum

A female Ruddy Darter Sympetrum sanguineum

And another female Ruddy Darter

Butterflies Recorded:

1 Large White Pieris brassicae
2 Painted Lady Vanessa cardui

Moths Recorded:

Rush Veneer Nomophila noctuella

Rush Veneer Nomophila noctuella

Bees Recorded:

20+ Silvery Leafcutter Bee Megachile leachella

Silvery Leafcutter Bee Megachile leachella. A bee I've not come across before. It is mainly found on coastal sand dunes and Shell Bay has the perfect habitat for them. There are many plants it depends on, with one of them being Sheep’s-bit Jasione montana which are quite widespread here. More on this bee here.

Wasps, Ichneumon Wasps, Parasitic Wasps and Gall Wasps Recorded:

1 Red-banded Sand Wasp Ammophila sabulosa

On my last visit to Shell Bay I came across a Red-legged Spider Wasp Episyron rufipes . This time I found a Red-banded Sand Wasp Ammophila sabulosa. But what is the "gold" ball in front of it. Well this wasp has the knack of gathering excavated sand from a hole it has dug, and making it into a ball before carrying it and depositing it well away from its nest, so as not to draw attention to itself. But isn't that "gold" ball a bit big!!

Hoverflies Recorded:

50+ Marmalade Hoverfly Episyrphus balteatus

1 Syrphus sp.

On this Blackberry flower were just a few of the dozens of Marmalade Hoverflies Episyrphus balteatus flying about.

A Syrphus sp. on a Common Dandelion Taraxacum officinale

Flies, Craneflies, Gnats and Midges Recorded:

Common Stiletto Thereva nobilitata

A Common Stiletto Thereva nobilitata

Bugs and Beetles Recorded:

6 Dune Chafer Anomala dubia

7-spot Ladybird Coccinella septempunctata

One of six Dune Chafers Anomala dubia seen in the dunes. Here........

.......is another one with a slight difference in colouration.

A 7-spot Ladybird Coccinella septempunctata

Harvestmen Recorded:

2 Common Harvestman Phalangium opilio

A Common Harvestman Phalangium opilio aka Brown Harvestman. An unusual sight to see this species on the beach and is most likely to have ended up here by wandering away from the coastal vegetation.

Plants:

Sea Bindweed Calystegia soldanella

Sea Centaury Centaurium littorale

Sheep's-Bit Jasione montana

This is Sea Bindweed Calystegia soldanella aka Beach Morning Glory

The pink flowers on this plant.............

............belong to............

............Sea Centaury Centaurium littorale

Sheep's-Bit Jasione montana

Ted:

Ted enjoying his walk along the beach.

General Shots and Videos:

The Sandbanks Ferry. The price £6.26 to cross from Sandbanks to Studland.

Brownsea Castle on Brownsea Island. The 16th-century fortress was built by Henry VIII.

Shell Bay

The walkway from the car park to the beach, crossing the pools.

The pool on the right as you cross the bridge to the beach and the...............

..........pool on the left.

A scenic shot looking towards the Isle of Wight

You do have to question...............

.............the mentality of some people!!

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Blue Pool Nature Reserve

Location

Next stop was Blue Pool, a Nature Reserve I last visited in October 2022, where the main highlight then was a Kingfisher. And you've guessed it, there wasn't one today, but watching a Little Grebe on her nest and the male fishing close-by, certainly made up for not seeing one.

Birds Recorded:

2 Little Grebe

Buzzard

Moorhen

Wood Pigeon

2 Grey Wagtail

Robin

Blackbird

4 Blackcap

10+ Chiffchaff

Blue Tit

Nuthatch

Wren

Carrion Crow

Jackdaw

Chaffinch

Siskin

Goldfinch

Greenfinch

Whilst the female Little Grebe.........

.................was on her nest....

............the male.............

.................was fishing close-by.

With very little light to work with in the woods surrounding.......

.......the pool, I'm pretty sure this is a juvenile Chiffchaff and not a scruffy female.

Dragonflies and Damselflies Recorded:

50+ Common Blue Damselfly Enallagma cyathigerum

So many Common Blue Damselflies Enallagma cyathigerum......

........They were everywhere, even in the woods away from the pool.

Ants Recorded:
Southern Wood Ant Formica rufa

Southern Wood Ants Formica rufa

Either things look smaller the older I get, or these Southern Wood Ants are the same size as the ones I use to see in Church Woods and Blean Woods in Kent when I was young lad. I'm sure they use to be bigger!!

General Shots:

The Blue Pool

Behind the trees, the Tea Room

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Higher Hyde Heath Nature Reserve

Location

And my last stop was the nature reserve at Higher Hyde Heath. A location I have never visited before, but wow, if you like Silver-studded Blue butterflies Plebejus argus, then this is definitely the place to see them. There were hundreds, with a ratio I guess of 8:1 in favour of the males.

Other highlights here were firsts for me this year, and they were a Red Kite seen overhead just before I pulled into the car park, a Tree Pipit and a Dartford Warbler.

Birds Recorded:

1 Red Kite

Buzzard

Wood Pigeon

1 Great Spotted Woodpecker

2 Skylark

2 Swallow

1 Tree Pipit

Robin

2 Stonechat

Blackbird

Song Thrush