5 Jun 18

Penn's Weare

Just the right weather to walk around Penn's Weare, cloudy but nice and warm. Not too many birds about with the main highlight being a Peregrine Falcon being mobbed by the local Carrion Crows, a Fulmar heading off to Grove cliffs and 3 Swifts screaming away as they headed north. In the craggy boulders and low shrubs Common Whitethroat, Dunnock, Robin, Blackbird and lots of Wrens.

My main concentration was on the "bugs" and there were plenty about with lots of grasshoppers, beetles, moths and butterflies. I had my first Adonis Blue and Lulworth Skipper for the year. A Wall Brown and a Small Blue were also recorded.

The were quite a few moths about, especially Plum Tortrix, Hedya pruniana, they were everywhere. I also had several Garden Grass-veneers (Chrysoteuchia culmella), a Cream-spot Tiger moth (Arctia villica), 1 Diamond-back Moth (Plutella xylostella), 3 Common Nettle-tap moths (Anthophila fabriciana) and not for the first time a small white and black-spotted moth, which for the umpteenth time would not settle to be identified.

A few beetles about with 3 Swollen-thighed Beetles (Oedemera nobilis) and 5 Bloody-nosed Beetles (Timarcha tenebricosa). 

I don't think I've ever seen so many grasshoppers, and if I've got this right, they were all Common Green Grasshoppers (Omocestus viridulus). Also about a few Dark Bush-crickets (Pholidoptera griseoaptera) and on a Valerian the nymph of a Speckled Bush-cricket (Leptophyes punctatissima).

And finally a hoverfly which is probably a Chequered Hoverfly (Melanostoma scalare) and two bees, a Common Carder Bee (Bombus pascuorum) and a new bee, which I'm pretty certain is a Black Mining-bee (Andrena pilipes).

Here a few images from today:

One of the three Swifts over Penn's Weare.

A Wall Brown.

This is the first time I've actually got close up to one.

My first Lulworth Skipper of the year.........

...........followed shortly by my first Adonis Blue.

Another view.

And an underwing shot.

And another.

A slightly worn Small Blue.

A Plum Tortrix, Hedya pruniana...........

........and another........

................and another. In fact there were dozens flying about, especially as I brushed past the bushes. Not sure what the bug is though. Odd!!

Possibly a Chrysoteuchia culmella, Garden Grass-veneer..............

............and another.

A Common Nettle-tap moth, Anthophila fabriciana.......

........and another...........

.............and yes another, though this one is a lot lighter. A worn one maybe!

Having sort of cheated and seen my first Cream-spot Tiger moth in the moth trap at the Portland Bird Observatory on 1 Jun 18 Here..................

................. I finally found my own.

Unsurprisingly a Diamond-back Moth. A real migratory moth, which, by its size is an amazing little moth to get here across the Channel from the Continent. It does make you wonder how many perish.

A Dark Bush-cricket, Pholidoptera griseoaptera.........

............and another. In fact another species of insect which was very abundant.

I nearly missed this, it was so small. This is the nymph of the Speckled Bush-cricket, Leptophyes punctatissima.

Common Green Grasshopper, Omocestus viridulus. I have never encountered so many. Along the grass verges of the SW coast path, they were everywhere.

Two male Swollen-thighed Beetles, Oedemera nobilis............

........and another.

A Bloody-nosed Beetle, Timarcha tenebricosa..........

.......and yep, lots of these along the path. I picked one up and sure enough it excreted a blood-red liquid.

It seems that every little hoverfly I come across is a Melanostoma scalare. This looks like one, but that pink colouration on the thorax looks odd for a Chequered Hoverfly.

I reckon this is a Black Mining-bee, Andrena pilipes, which is found mainly along coastlands. If it is, its my first ever. More on this bee Here.

A Common Carder on a beautiful purple flower......

........which is possibly Purple Toadflax, Linaria purpurea

This is Adderwort or Viper's Bugloss (Echium vulgare) as its more commonly known.........

...............It does cause skin irritation so best not to touch. More on this plant Here.