31 Aug 18

Mermaid Track, Rufus Castle, St Andrews Church and Pennsylvania Castle Wood

Despite the warm sunshine there was very little to write about.  I did come across a female "Blue" butterfly along the South-west Coast path and apart from one Large White along the Mermaid Track, the only other butterfly seen was a Speckled Wood in Penns Wood.

Only one Marmalade Hoverfly was recorded and not one Bloody-nosed Beetle was seen despite 11 recorded yesterday.

Here are two images from today:

A female "Blue" butterfly

Marmalade Hoverfly (Episyrphus balteatus)

30 Aug 18

Mermaid Track, Rufus Castle, Church Ope Cove, St Andrews Church and Pennsylvania Castle Wood

It wasn't just Wakeham that was busy with Swallows, House Martins and Sand Martins as there were many more along Penn's Weare and over Church Ope Cove, with several skimming the waves as they headed south.

For the second running just the one female Common Blue found along the South Coast Path and in the grounds of St Andrew's Church the same/different Meadow Brown as yesterday.

One real highlight today was the increase number of Bloody-nosed Beetles with 11 found along the tracks and paths on my walk.

Here are few images from this afternoon.

Along the Mermaid Track a Harlequin Ladybird.

On the south facing cliff at Church Ope Cove this Bloody-nosed Beetle......

.........was scaling up a rock.

A short video of the Bloody-nosed Beetle attempting a bit of mountaineering..

Also at Church Ope Cove this Hornet Mimic Hoverfly (Volucella zonaria)

A very impressive hoverfly.

A Kestrel overlooks the cove.

In the grounds of St Andrew's Church a Wall Lizard.

At the top of Penn's wood it looks like a Robin has already taken up "Winter" residence. There's also one in my back garden.

My walk started off with a Harlequin lady and finished with this one in Penn's wood.

Portland Castle

A quick look to see what was about and as I walked onto the beach the resident Little Egret was feeding along the shoreline. It seemed to be doing quite well, picking off small fish in the shallows.

Little Egret

Little Egret

The little Egret doing well catching small fish along the shoreline.

And Star bobbing about on her mooring.............

.........whilst Tiki makes her way off to Bournemouth for a new life on the Ocean Waves with her new owner.

Wakeham

Still lots of Swallows, House Martins and Sand Martins here in Wakeham. Whether they are the same birds as yesterday I know not. Also here were 2 Great Spotted Woodpeckers calling, the first was in the wood just off the Permissive path leading to Tesco's and the other by Rufus Castle.

Ships Today

This is the British Combat vessel, HMS Dragon. More on this vessel Here

Its second day just off The Bill.

29 Aug 18

Mermaid Track, Rufus Castle, St Andrews Church and Pennsylvania Castle Wood

A mass invasion of Swallows, House Martins and Sand Martins along Penns Weare and Wakeham. Hundreds of birds feeding on insects before heading off over Channel. Also about a few Willow Warblers and a Blackcap in Penn's Weare.

What a difference a day makes, yesterday there were dozens of Common Blues about, today just a female on the South West Coast path. Also here a Bloody-nosed Beetle on a plant, only the second one I've seen that wasn't trundling along a path.

Other butterflies seen were Holly Blue and Meadow Brown in the grounds of St Andrews Church, where there were 2 Wall Lizards.

Here are a few images from this afternoon.

A not so good photo of a Marmalade Hoverfly

A Bloody-nosed Beetle. Not sure why he's up at the top of the plant as it can't fly as its wing cases are fused together. Maybe it was checking out where it was.

A very worn female Common Blue

A Wall Lizard

And another....

......and one more.

 Tapered Drone Fly (Eristalis pertinax) 

And one of Harlequin Ladybirds still at the top of Penns Wood.

Ships Today

This is the British Combat vessel, HMS Dragon. More on this vessel Here.

This the Container Ship the Elbcarrier, flying the Cypriot Flag. Its on its way from Dublin to Rotterdam, Holland. More on this Cargo vessel Here.

This is Glovis Safety a Vehicles Carrier flying the flag of the Marshall Islands. It is on its way to Bremerhaven, Denmark from Dakar, Senegal. More on this vessel Here

28 Aug 18

Mermaid Track, Rufus Castle, St Andrews Church and Pennsylvania Castle Wood

A much warmer day and certainly an increase in the number of Common Blues along the Mermaid Track, which took a dislike to the Small Heath which was here again. Every time it landed it was chased off by one of the male Common Blues.

Also lots of Tapered Drone Flies about and the odd looking Sicus ferrugineus fly.

The warm weather brought out the Wall Lizards and there were a few in the grounds of St Andrew's Church and on Penns Weare.

On the way back up Wakeham there were a dozen or more hirundines, mainly Swallows feeding over the Sycamores and then resting up on the neighbours aerial.

Here are few images from this afternoon:

A Tapered Drone Fly (Eristalis pertinax) on the Mermaid Track.

Also here a male Common Blue and a Sicus ferrugineus fly.

A different angle.

And its posterior.

The same/different Small Heath along the track.

Plenty of Lizards about, this one was on the wall in the grounds of St Andrews Church overlooking Church Ope Cove.

And another in amongst the ruins.

Meadow Brown

Another Tapered Drone Fly (Eristalis pertinax).

And another Wall Lizard.

A Buff-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus terrestris)

A 7-spot Ladybird (Coccinella septempunctata)........

......and its cousin the Harlequin Ladybird.

Another variant of the  Harlequin Ladybird

And this is the nymph of a  Harlequin Ladybird

On the way back up Wakeham a Swallow perched on the neighbours aerial.

Here are more Swallows and another hirundine in amongst them. Any ideas! Answer at the bottom of the page.

Another Swallow joins them.

Wakeham

A Common Green Shieldbug (Palomena prasina) in the vegetable patch this morning. Never seen one with a pink belly before.

A Common Green Shieldbug makes its way across the garden..........

........and then up a stick. I never knew they were pink underneath!

Note: The addition to the Swallows was a House Martin at the bottom of the aerial.

27 Aug 18

Mermaid Track, Rufus Castle, St Andrews Church and Pennsylvania Castle Wood

Another walk along my favourite route this afternoon. Not too many butterflies about but I did come across a Small Heath along the Mermaid Track where there were a pair of Common Blues, 2 Large Whites and a Meadow Brown. In the grounds of St Andrew's Church there was a Comma and in Penns Wood a Speckled Wood.

Also also along the track a Dark Bush-cricket (Pholidoptera griseoaptera) and an adult Long Winged Cone-head (Conocephalus fuscus). The latter was in the same area as the nymph was found on 7 Aug 18 Here.

Hoverflies were out in force with several Marmalade Hoverflies (Episyrphus balteatus), 3 Hornet Mimic Hoverflies (Volucella zonaria), a Dead Head Fly (Myathropa florea), a Tapered Drone Fly (Eristalis pertinax) with another possible and one of those confusing Syrphus hoverflies.

Here are a few images from this afternoon in order that I photographed them.

Two Common Carder Bees on a teasel.

A male Common Blue.......

........with wings outstretched.

Not the best of shots but an adult Long Winged Cone-head (Conocephalus fuscus), in the same spot where I found a nymph on 7 Aug.

Dark Bush-cricket (Pholidoptera griseoaptera) 

Shame about the leaf in the way.

A different camera position and a clear shot of a Small Heath.

A deceased Bloody-nosed Beetle on the coastal path.

An interesting view of a Meadow Brown.

It stayed on the flower long enough for me to do a 180 and photograph it from behind.

A juvenile Wall Lizard on the steps down to Church Ope Cove from Rufus Castle.

Along my side track in Penns Weare one of many Marmalade Hoverflies (Episyrphus balteatus) on the wing.

Also on Penns Weare another "blue" butterfly.

In the grounds of St Andrew's Church a Comma.

And not surprisingly another Wall Lizard. Also a juvenile.

Quite a few of these Hornet Mimic Hoverflies (Volucella zonaria) about today.

This is the same as the one above.

Here's another though feeding on the Buddleia

One of the Syrphus hoverflies. Not sure which one though...........

.........here it is taking off.

A Speckled Wood on the Blackberries.

A Dead Head Fly (Myathropa florea) in Penn's wood.

One of the Eristalini Drone Flies...........

.......quiet possibly a Tapered Drone Fly (Eristalis pertinax). However to be 100% accurate you need to see the diagnostic yellow tarsi that Eristalis tenax (the Common Drone-fly) lacks.

I believe this is a Common Wasp (Vespula vulgaris).

I'm not quite sure what it was doing, but seemed very interested in this Ivy leaf!

  

The other day I came across the nymph of a Harlequin Ladybird at the top of Penns Wood. Well today in the same area I came across several adults as well as a few more nymphs.

And another individual closely resembling the one above.

Here's another one with a variation of pattern and colours.

And a fourth individual where the black spots behind the head are joined as opposed to the separated spots on the individual above.

The nymph of a Harlequin Ladybird.

And another. I wonder which colour and pattern variation this one and the one above will turn out to be!

Well I couldn't ID the previous Drone Fly, but looking at those yellow tarsi I would say that this is a Tapered Drone Fly (Eristalis pertinax).

And another Hornet Mimic Hoverflies (Volucella zonaria). This one was at the top of Penns Wood just as you come out onto Pennsylvania Road.

I continuously keep finding new plants and flowers on the island......

......I think this one is Red Bartsia (Odontites vernus). More on Red Bartsia Here.