This Evening
Well the rain and sea fog eventually disappeared leaving a lovely sunny evening albeit still a bit windy. So with a chance to stretch the legs of mine and the pooches it was off out onto the cliffs behind the cottage. The first thing that was noticeable was that all the buddleia was out. There wasn't a bush without a flower on it. It's amazing what a bit of sun and rain can produce.
Quite a few butterflies out and my first Ringlets here, with 2 very skittish individuals. Also 4 Marbled Whites and 3 Meadow Browns.
Under the cover of some leafy Sycamores were dozens of hoverflies and 3 or 4 "black" bees.
Unsurprisingly there were a few large Black Slugs.
Apparently the "black" bee is one of the Mining Bees, Andrena sp.
Unsurprisingly there were a few large Black Slugs.
Apparently the "black" bee is one of the Mining Bees, Andrena sp.
Here are a few images from this evening's walk.
A Blackcap, I took 3 photos and not once did he look round, except we he took off.
A Ringlet with wings open.........
........and closed. You can see how it got its name.
A Meadow Brown, wings closed............
.......wings open.
A Marbled White. Quite a few about now.
A White-tailed Bumblebee I think. Well it does have a white tail.
My mystery "black" bee. According to UK Bees on Facebook its a Mining Bee, Andrena sp.
A Black Slug
And a mammal we are not supposed to mention.
Well I guess it couldn't last for ever and as I got up at 3:30am to switch the moth trap off, the first spots of rain started to fall to end the long spell of hot and humid weather we have had.
On top of the moths I potted last night (Garden Tiger, Common Wainscot, Plum Tortrix and a pug sp.) I had quite a few more in the trap this morning. In total I had 50 moths of 12 species. A few I know (well I think I do) and the rest still to be ID'd.
ID No - Species - (Number Recorded)
Moth 1 - Heart & Dart, Agrotis exclamationis - (33)
Moth 2 - Garden Tiger, Arctia caja - (1)
Moth 3 - Plum Tortrix, Hedya pruniana - (1)
Moth 4 - Smoky Wainscot, Mythimna impura - (4)
Moth 5 - L-album Wainscot, Mythimna l-album - (1)
Moth 6 - The Flame, Axylia putris - (2)
Moth 7 - The Lackey, Malacosoma neustria - (1)
Moth 8 - Early Thorn, Selenia dentaria - (1)
Moth 9 - Dark Arches Apamea monoglypha - (1)
Moth 10 - 12 Garden Grass-veneer, Chrysoteuchia culmella - (3)
Moth 13 - Green Pug, Pasiphila rectangulata - (1)
Moth 14 - A Heart & Club, Agrotis clavis which flew off before I had the chance to photograph it.
Many thanks to Martin Cade (Portland Bird Observatory), Harry Rutherford (UK Micro Moth Identification Facebook Group) and my good friend Nigel Sluman for their help in ID'ing quite a few of these moths.
Moth 1 - Heart & Darts
Moth 1 - Heart & Dart
Moth 2 - Garden Tiger
Moth 2 - Garden Tiger
Moth 3 - Plum Tortrix
Moth 4 & 5 - Smoky Wainscot (top) and a L-album Wainscot
Moth 6 - The Flame
Moth 7 - The Lackey
Moth 8 - Early Thorn
Moth 9 - Dark Arches
Moth 10 - Garden Grass-veneer
Moth 10 - Garden Grass-veneer
Moth 11 - Garden Grass-veneer
Moth 12 - Garden Grass-veneer
Moth 13 - Green Pug, Pasiphila rectangulata
Unsurprisingly with all this wet weather there were lots of Garden Snails (Cornu aspersa). Also about Southern Pill Woodlouse and a Speckled Bush Cricket (Leptophyes punctatissima) on the Nasturtiums.
Garden Snail
Southern Pill Woodlouse
Speckled Bush Cricket