Well yesterday was windy and today was no different, as Storm Ali came crashing in with more gale force winds. There was a brief sunny interlude and the opportunity for a quick walk along the Mermaid Track down to Rufus Castle and then back up to the Museum.
I was surprised to see three butterflies on the wing, which included a pristine Small Copper, which must have just emerged. The other two were a male Common Blue and a Large White.
Down at the Observation Area Here the Ivy Bushes were absolutely swarming in bees, wasps and hoverflies. The majority of the bees were Ivy Bees and alongside them were Honey Bees (Apis mellifera) and Small Garden Bumblebees (Bombus hortorum).
Also on the Ivy were many hoverflies and included Dead Head Fly (Myathropa florea), Common Drone Fly (Eristalis tenax), Tapered Drone Fly (Eristalis pertinax) and the Drone Fly (Eristalis abusivus).
Here are a few images from today:
A beautiful Small Copper.
And judging by the vibrant colours I suspect a freshly emerged specimen.
A male Common Blue........
........which seems to be the last remaining blue butterfly along the Mermaid Track.
A hoverfly maybe........
.......certainly not one I've encountered before....
........well I don't think I have!!
A Tapered Drone Fly
Another Syrphus sp. hoverfly.
A Common Carder Bee in amongst the Old Man’s Beard, Clematis vitalba
A Common Wasp on the South West Coast path. I know not why!!
A few Ivy Bees
And another.
This individual is a different colour. Is this possibly a male!
Small Garden Bumblebee (Bombus hortorum)
Dead Head Fly (Myathropa florea)
Church Ope Cove from Rufus Castle
In amongst the rocks and stones in the wall a Wall Lizard......
And there it is all 4 inches.
More Ivy Bees, this time up towards the museum from Rufus Castle.......
......take off.
A Common Drone Fly.
This Garden Spider which I photographed a couple of days ago has got himself a nice meal.
