11 Jul 17

The Fleet
The much needed rain finally arrived and in bucket loads, as Dawn and I popped into Weymouth. On the way back as the tide was receding at the Ferrybridge there were a few Mediterranean Gulls and a Great Black-backed Gull on the beach there. Along the waters edge a single Oystercatcher and overhead a Common Tern.

Church Ope Cove
With the forecast for heavy rain from late morning onwards it was out early this morning for a walk down to the Cove and back. In the cooler conditions there were only a handful of butterflies on the wing with just Meadow BrownGatekeepers and Ringlets about.

A Small Magpie moth (Anania hortulata) was a new addition to my moth list and was on nettles just above St Andrew's Church. Also new, at least 3 Carnation Tortrix (Cacoecimorpha pronubana) in the hedgerow along the steps from the Cove to Rufus Castle.

A few warblers about with 3 Chiffchaffs, 3 Blackcaps and 2 Common Whitethroats. Other birds recorded were: 4 Cormorant, 1 Kestrel, Herring Gull, 1 Great Black-backed Gull, Wood Pigeon, Collared Dove, Dunnock, Robin, 4 Blackbird, 1 Song Thrush, Great Tit, Wren, Magpie, Carrion Crow, Jackdaw, 1 Raven, House Sparrow, Chaffinch, Linnet and Goldfinch.

A few bees and wasps seen with at least 5 Common Wasps, 3 Red-tailed Bumblebees, 2 White-tailed Bumblebees and a Hill or Red-tailed Cuckoo-bee (Bombus rupestris). There were a few hoverflies and lots of Bluebottle Flies.

Here are a few images from this morning:

A Kestrel over Broadcroft Quarry

A female Blackbird on the steps leading up to Rufus Castle from Church Ope Cove

Also at Rufus Castle a Wren

One of quite a few Gatekeepers out today.

And another

A Small Magpie on a nettle just above St Andrew's Church

Hopefully I've got this right, I believe this is a Carnation Tortrix. There were at least 3 of these day flying moths about up the steps to Rufus Castle.

A Red-tailed Cuckoo-bee

A Common Wasp in flight.

A hoverfly sp.

A spider sp.

Still a lot of Pyramidal Orchids in flower