A bit of an odd day weather-wise, with hazy sun and the occasional glimpse of blue sky which never materialised to much. The sun at least came out briefly on a walk down to Pennsylvania Castle Wood and St Andrew's Church this afternoon, where I came across lots of Japonica (Euonymous japonicus).
Whatever they are, they were covered in bees, wasps and hoverflies. What was odd was the fact there wasn't a single flower to be seen, yet the Japonica was attracting these mini beasts from all over.
Some new ones for me on Portland included Epistrophe eligans, Early Mining Bee (Andrena haemorrhoa), Gooden's Nomad Bee (Nomada goodeniana) and a Hairy-footed Flower Bee (Anthophora plumipes)
Other highlights were a Common Whitethroat along Bumpers Lane and in the larger puddles lots of tadpoles.
Just a few images from this afternoon:
This the hoverfly Epistrophe eligans..........
.......it is very similar to the much larger Common Drone Fly (Eristalis tenax)
Myathropa florea................
...............also known as the Dead Head Fly
Gooden's Nomad Bee (Nomada goodeniana)
Gooden's Nomad Bee can be found anywhere that the host Andrena bees nests are found.
Common Wasp, Vespula vulgaris
A male Early Mining Bee, Andrena haemorrhoa
Common Carder, Bombus pascuorum
Common Carder, Bombus pascuorum. The rear end
This is a male Hairy-footed Flower Bee (Anthophora plumipes)........
.........on a Russian Comfrey (Symphytum x Uplandicum).
There was one thing about this bee and that was how fast it flew from plant to plant.
Marmalade fly (Episyrphus balteatus)
Syrphus torvus
And another Syrphus torvus
Comma
A few muddy puddles along Bumpers Lane........
.........and amazingly a few tadpoles.
In some of the more "mature" pools there were these lovely water plants.......
.......which I believe are one of the Water-crowfoot species
Birds recorded: 5 Herring Gull, Wood Pigeon, Dunnock, Robin, Blackbird, 1 Common Whitethroat, 3 Chiffchaff, Long-tailed Tit, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Wren, House Sparrow, Chaffinch, Linnet and Goldfinch.
Also seen: Lots of tadpoles, 2 Comma, 1 Large White, Epistrophe eligans, Common Drone Fly (Eristalis tenax), Marmalade fly (Episyrphus balteatus), Syrphus torvus, Common Carder (Bombus pascuorum), Common Wasp (Vespula vulgaris), Early Mining Bee (Andrena haemorrhoa), Dead Head Fly (Myathropa florea), Gooden's Nomad Bee (Nomada goodeniana) and a Hairy-footed Flower Bee (Anthophora plumipes)
Ships today
