23 Jul 19

Wakeham

A very warm day, especially after the morning fog lifted. Fortunately there was a slight breeze just to keep the temperature down slightly.

Another visit to the meadows and not a long of change since my last visit, except I only recorded 3 Marbled Whites. Still plenty of Gatekeepers, Meadow Browns and Ringlets, and quite a few worn ones in amongst them. Other butterflies recorded were Speckled White, Large White, a Small Skipper and a few Green-veined Whites.

On the moth front dozens of Six-Spot Burnets, Garden Grass-veneers and a Rosy-striped Knot-horn all in the West Meadow Here.

Other than the butterflies and moths, there was an Emperor Dragonfly hawking over both meadows, a few Swollen-thighed Beetles, a couple of Common Red Soldier Beetles and a couple of Common Green Capsids.

I also came across a large wasp which at first glance was bigger than a Common Wasp. Fortunately I managed to get a photo of its face and after checking my books it turns out it was a German Wasp (Vespula germanica). a first for me on Portland

I also found a Fruit Fly (Acanthiophilus helianthi) on a Knapweed and another first for me on Portland.

Here are a few images from this morning:

The two meadows with the fence separating them in centre of frame.

The west meadow full of Knapweed, grasses and Common Restharrow

A male Red-tailed Bumblebee

Six-Spot Burnet Moth

Common Green Capsid

What I first thought was a Capsid, but is.......

...........a Fruit Fly (Acanthiophilus helianthi). Another new fly for me on Portland.

A Rosy-striped Knot-horn

A Meadow Brown

The track leading back to Wakeham

In the bushes along the track was this Chiffchaff and appears to be the one I saw a couple of days ago with...........

............both eyes "swollen".

Here is another view and an........

.........enlargement.

An unusual looking Chiffchaff. Both eyes appear to be infected/swollen or is just moulting and giving the appearance of having two black eyes.

Also in the hedgerows was this Speckled Wood and lots of...............

.............Gatekeepers

The two white spots in the black spot are characteristic of this butterfly.

A little bit difficult when it closes its wings though.

One of just 3 Marbled Whites here today.

A Common Blue

Dead Head Fly

A female Swollen-thighed Beetle, minus the swollen thighs found on the male.

A very large wasp. Not easy to tell if its a Common Wasp or a German Wasp.

Here's the clue though, the face markings. On a German Wasp there are usually three small black spots, as there are on this individual. There are other features to separate them and on the NatureSpot Website there is a good guide to separating the two Here.

Lesser Burdock, Arctium minus with a fly-by Green-veined White

Birds Recorded: Herring Gull, Wood Pigeon, Collared Dove, Dunnock, 1 Chiffchaff, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Wren, Magpie, Carrion Crow, House Sparrow and Chaffinch.

Butterflies Recorded: Small Skipper, Large White, Green-veined White, Speckled Wood, Ringlet, Meadow Brown, Gatekeeper, 3 Marbled White and 3 Common Blue

Moths Recorded: Garden Grass-veneer (Chrysoteuchia culmella), Six-Spot Burnet moth (Zygaena filipendulae) and a Rosy-striped Knot-horn (Oncocera semirubella)

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

Wasps Recorded: German Wasp (Vespula germanica)

Dragonflies and Damselflies Recorded: 1 Emperor Dragonfly (Anax imperator)

Hoverflies Recorded: Marmalade Hoverfly (Episyrphus balteatus)

Flies Recorded: Fruit Fly (Acanthiophilus helianthi)

Bugs and Beetles Recorded: Swollen-thighed Beetle (Oedemera nobilis) and Common Green Capsid (Lygocoris pabulinus)

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

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

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On this day..........

2018
Today's Sightings Here.

2017
Today's Sightings Here.

22 Jul 19

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

A bit of a cloudy start, but as the weatherman predicted the sun came out in the afternoon and so another walk around Church Ope Cove.

Main highlight today were the good numbers of Chalk Hill Blues in The Cuttings Quarry and along the Mermaid Track where there was also a Pellucid Hoverfly again.

In amongst the Chalk Hills was a Common Blue, and a single Marbled White. The most numerous butterfly though was the Gatekeeper with many seen all along my walk. In the grounds of St Andrew's Church there were 2 Commas and a Peacock.

Other highlights were 3 Rose Chafers, 2 in St Andrews Church and another along the track leading up to The Cuttings Quarry from Rufus Castle.

Also seen were 2 Hornet Mimic Hoverflies, both in the church grounds.

In Penns Weare were a couple of Chiffchaffs, whilst overhead a small party of House Martins and Swifts headed south.

Here are a few images from this afternoon:

One of a few Dead Head Flies seen in Penns Wood. All of them on the Japonica which is just coming out into flower.

The Hemp Agrimony is now in flower and attracting many insects including........... 

...........this Rose Chafer.

In the surrounding Buddleia a Hornet Mimic Hoverfly. In fact make that........

............2 with this one on a Blackberry flower close-by.

And another Rose Chafer, this one along the track north of Rufus Castle.

On the left a Common Blue, though it is very blue!! and on the right a Chalk Hill Blue.

The same Chalk Hill as above.

And the Common up close or is it an Adonis Blue!! It is a Common Blue as there isn't a chequered fringe along the outerwings. More on the UK Butterfly Site Here.

Another Chalk Hill Blue.

And a Gatekeeper. There were dozens along my walk.

Birds Recorded: Herring Gull, Wood Pigeon, Collared Dove, Swift, House Martin, Dunnock, Robin, Blackbird, 2 Chiffchaff, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Wren, Magpie, Carrion Crow, House Sparrow, Chaffinch and Goldfinch.

Butterflies Recorded: Large White, Green-veined White, 1 Speckled Wood, Ringlet, Meadow Brown, Gatekeeper, 1 Marbled White, 1 Peacock, 2 Comma, 1 Common Blue and Chalk Hill Blue

Moths Recorded: Six-Spot Burnet moth (Zygaena filipendulae) and 1 Carnation Tortrix (Cacoecimorpha pronubana)

Bees Recorded: Honey Bees (Apis mellifera), Common Carder (Bombus pascuorum) and Red-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus lapidarius)

Hoverflies Recorded: Marmalade Hoverfly (Episyrphus balteatus), 3 Dead Head Fly (Myathropa florea), 2 Hornet Mimic Hoverfly (Volucella zonaria), 1 Pellucid Hoverfly (Volucella pellucens) and a Common Drone Fly (Eristalis tenax)

Bugs and Beetles Recorded: 3 Rose Chafer (Cetonia aurata)

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

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On this day..........

2018
Today's Sightings Here.

2017
Today's Sightings Here.

21 Jul 19

Wakeham

Another lovely day and a quick visit to the meadows. Still plenty of butterflies about, mainly Gatekeepers, but still a few Marbled Whites, Meadow Browns and Ringlets. Two Common Blues were along the track.

Lots of Six-Spot Burnet moths in the meadows and a few Garden Grass-veneers here as well. Along the hedgerows there was a Carnation Tortrix and a Riband Wave. And when I got home there was a Marbled Green on the washing line.

A Pimpla spuria, Ichneumon Wasp was the first one I have seen since September last year and I'm pretty sure I found a Harvestman (Opilio parietinus).

The oddest thing I saw today though was a Chiffchaff with two "black" eyes. I can only surmise it was going through some sort of moult. Photos below.
Here are a few images:

The footpath between the two meadows and at the end a Sycamore which......

.......had this really odd looking Chiffchaff feeding in amongst the leaves. Not apparent in this photo but.........

........that is some eye patch!!

Still a few Marbled Whites about, but numbers dropping off.

Still plenty of Ringlets and also picking up in numbers are.........

..........Green-veined Whites.This is a male Summer Brood. More info Here.

A Riband Wave was new for the year.

I'm pretty sure this is a worn Garden Grass-veneer

A very worn Six-Spot Burnet Moth.

And another attempt to capture one in flight. Its going to take time.

A Red-tailed Bumblebee, busy collecting pollen from a Knapweed.

A very large Ichneumon Wasp, which looks pretty much like Pimpla spuria

A male Swollen-thighed Beetle.

Two Common Red Soldier Beetles

One of the many Meadow Grasshoppers in the meadows.

This is a Harvestman and one of the species of Phalangiidae, of which there are two very similar species Opilio parietinus and Opilio canestrinii. The latter is an invasive species and tends to be redder in colour than O. parietinus, which I suspect is what this is.

Knapweed a very popular plant in the meadow for so many insects.

Birds Recorded: Herring Gull, Wood Pigeon, Collared Dove, House Martin, Dunnock, 1 Chiffchaff, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Wren, Magpie, Carrion Crow, House Sparrow and Chaffinch.

Butterflies Recorded: Large White, Green-veined White, Ringlet, Meadow Brown, Gatekeeper, Marbled White and 2 Common Blue

Moths Recorded: Garden Grass-veneer (Chrysoteuchia culmella), Six-Spot Burnet moth (Zygaena filipendulae), Carnation Tortrix (Cacoecimorpha pronubana), Riband Wave (Idaea aversata) and a Marbled Green (Nyctobrya muralis)

Bees Recorded: Honey Bees (Apis mellifera), Common Carder (Bombus pascuorum) and Red-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus lapidarius)

Ichneumon Wasps Recorded: Pimpla spuria

Hoverflies Recorded: Marmalade Hoverfly (Episyrphus balteatus) and Common Drone Fly (Eristalis tenax)

Bugs and Beetles Recorded: Swollen-thighed Beetle (Oedemera nobilis) and Common Red Soldier Beetles (Rhagonycha fulva)

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

Harvestmen Recorded: Opilio parietinus

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On this day..........

2018
Today's Sightings Here.

2017

Today's Sightings Here.