This afternoon and despite the blistering heat, the back garden was doing well with several butterflies with 2 Large Whites, 1 Small White, 2 Ringlet, 1 Meadow Brown, 1 Gatekeeper, 1 Marbled White, 1 Painted Lady and a Comma all putting in an appearance.
In the Courtyard a Harvester was climbing the wall, whilst the Red-tailed Cuckoo-bees were busy travelling back an forth to their nest in the stone wall.
Here are few images from this afternoon:
A Red-tailed Cuckoo-bee coming into its nest at the base of the Portland Stone wall.
One coming out
Another coming in.
And coming in and going out.
A Harvester on the wall. A few of these around.
Today's Maximum 26°C
When I checked yesterdays temperature it had reached a blistering 29.3°C
Mermaid Track and Rufus Castle
A fairly short walk in the searing heat this morning, which took me along the Mermaid Track and then back up past Rufus Castle and then home.
Still plenty of butterflies about with Small Skipper, Large Skipper, Large White, Small White, Green-veined White, Speckled Wood, Ringlet, Meadow Brown, Gatekeeper, Marbled White, Peacock, Small Blue and my first Chalkhill Blue of the Summer.
There appears to be an influx of Silver Y's today, this migratory moth has arrived on Portland in their 1000's (See Here). Also a lot of Six-spot Burnet Moths with several mating.
There appears to be an influx of Silver Y's today, this migratory moth has arrived on Portland in their 1000's (See Here). Also a lot of Six-spot Burnet Moths with several mating.
Here are a few images:
Gatekeeper
My first Chalkhill Blue of the year.
Same above.
And another shot showing the underwings.
Peacock
A pair of mating Six-spot Burnet moths, plus a Yellow-lipped Banded Snail being used as a perch.
More Six-spot Burnets.
A Garden Bumblebee, Bombus hortorum
Flat calm sea at Church Ope Cove.