14 Jul 19

Penns Wood, St Andrew's Church, Penns Weare. Penns Copse, Rufus Castle, The Cuttings Quarry and The Mermaid Track.

Great to see the sun out today and a noticeable difference on my walk this morning, with many more butterflies seen than yesterday.

Main highlights didn't go to the butterflies but to two moths, first a pristine Rosy-striped Knot-horn (Oncocera semirubella) which I suspect was newly emerged and the second a new species for me on Portland a Chalk Carpet (Scotopteryx bipunctaria)

Lots of images so no write up as such but instead a few captions alongside the images:

Church Ope Cove and the............

........steps leading away from the cove and up towards Rufus Castle.

Plenty of interest on my walk with this really small grey/black bee. One to ID

One of many Common Field Grasshoppers

There were a lot of lizards about with both Wall Lizards and this Common Lizard.

Potter Wasp, Ancistrocerus trifasciatus

And another view of it.

As I walked through Penns Copse I noticed this bramble with............

............a swollen stem. I suspect some type of gall wasp maybe!!

A Pyramidal Orchid which has all but closed itself down. Only the upper flower head and stem appear to have any life in them.

Well the "Cuttings Quarry" seemed to be the place to be today, with lots of butterflies, moths and other fauna to see.

The art of seeing wildlife is keeping quiet and no sudden moves. It certainly paid off with this Wren, which flew into a bush next to me and then preceded to make its way down through the branches before making its way on to this stone.

I'm hoping I've got this right, but I'm pretty sure this is a Chalk Hill Blue...........

..........certainly the markings on the underwings would suggest that. My first for this year. Oh and there were a pair.

A Meadow Brown.

And a Gatekeeper.

A Six-Spot Burnet Moth.

A moth balancing on a twig.......

.........ah that's better. A Rosy-striped Knot-horn.

I suspect this is a freshly emerged specimen.

Others I have recorded before have been really pale individuals.

A Chalk Carpet moth and another new species for my Portland Moth List.

A Common Carder Bee

And a side profile showing the bands on the abdomen.

A Common Red Soldier Beetle

A Marmalade Hoverfly

A Wayfaring-tree, Viburnum lantana just............

..........coming into fruit.

And more Hemp Agrimony now starting to appear. These in the grounds of St Andrew's Church

Birds Recorded: 2 Kestrel, Herring Gull, Wood Pigeon, 2 Swallow, Dunnock, Blackbird, Blackcap, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Wren, Magpie, Carrion Crow, Jackdaw, House Sparrow, Chaffinch, Linnet and Goldfinch.

Reptiles Recorded: Common Lizard and Wall Lizard

Butterflies Recorded: Small Skipper, Lulworth Skipper, Large Skipper, Large White, Small White, Ringlet, Meadow Brown, Gatekeeper, Marbled White and Chalkhill Blue

Moths Recorded: 5 Six-Spot Burnet moth (Zygaena filipendulae), 1 Rosy-striped Knot-horn (Oncocera semirubella) and a Chalk Carpet (Scotopteryx bipunctaria)

Bees Recorded: Honey Bees (Apis mellifera), Common Carder (Bombus pascuorum), Red-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus lapidarius), Garden Bumblebee (Bombus hortorum) and a bee sp.

Wasps Recorded: Potter Wasp (Ancistrocerus trifasciatus)

Hoverflies Recorded: Marmalade Hoverfly (Episyrphus balteatus), Long Hoverfly (Sphaerophoria scripta) and a Hornet Mimic Hoverfly (Volucella zonaria)

Beetles and Bugs Recorded: Common Red Soldier Beetle (Rhagonycha fulva)

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

Grasshoppers and Crickets Recorded: Common Field Grasshopper (Chorthippus brunneus)

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On this day..........
2018
Today's Sightings Here.


2017
Today's Sightings Here.