Port and Wey: 20 May 18

Bumpers Lane, Rufus Castle, St Andrew's Church and Pennsylvania Castle Wood

A late afternoon walk, in the hope the sun might come out. It didn't and that was quite noticeable with the lack of any butterflies and hoverflies apart from a solitary Chequered Hoverfly (Melanostoma scalare).

All day the cloud swirled around Portland and when the sun looked like it would come out, another bank of cloud passed over. I did however record my first Angle Shades moth (Phlogophora meticulosa) on the island, but only by sheer luck!!!

Despite the lack of insects on the wing I did come across a Bloody-nosed Beetle (Timarcha tenebricosa) and what I think is a nymph of a female Great Green Bush Cricket (Tettigonia viridissima).

The real disappointment on my walk was finding that some idiot/s set alight a pile of wood at the bottom of Penn's Wood just before the archway. I did wonder why the fire engine was screaming down Wakeham yesterday. There really are some gormless morons out there.

Here are a few images from this afternoon:

Common Carder Bee

An Andrena bee.............

..........but as to which one I'm not sure.

Red-tailed Bumblebee

Honeybee

I photographed this plant to ID later and as I was editing it I realised there was an Angle Shades moth on it. Shows you how observant I am. NOT!!

Looks like mint, but the crushed leaves suggest something else!!

A Chequered Hoverfly, Melanostoma scalare

This must be the smallest cricket nymph I've ever come across.......

.......despite its size I reckon this is a a female Great Green Bush Cricket.

A Bloody-nosed Beetle, Timarcha tenebricosa going about its business. More on this beetle Here.

And really sad to see the idiotic remains of a fire which could have been a lot worse.

Birds Recorded: Kestrel, 2 Oystercatcher, Herring Gull, Wood Pigeon, 2 Swift, Swallow, Dunnock, Robin, Blackbird, 2 Common Whitethroat, 2 Chiffchaff, Long-tailed Tit, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Wren, Carrion Crow, House Sparrow, Chaffinch, Linnet and Goldfinch.

Also recorded: Angle Shades moth (Phlogophora meticulosa), Common Carder Bee, Honeybee, Red-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus lapidarius), Chequered Hoverfly (Melanostoma scalare), Bloody-nosed Beetle (Timarcha tenebricosa) and what I think is a nymph of a female Great Green Bush Cricket (Tettigonia viridissima).

Ferrybridge

A quick visit to the Ferrybridge to put the trailer under the tender. Also a good excuse to have a look out across the Fleet. The Little Terns were busy catching fish from the ebbing tide and there were several Herring Gulls at the head of Small Mouth no doubt looking for a free morsel of food in the outgoing water.