Port and Wey: 10 Aug 18

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

The first significant and much needed rain fell this morning and throughout the day. There was a brief interlude where I managed to get out for a walk, though the last 200 metres I did get a real soaking as the heavens opened again.

The bit in between was good and despite a stiff southerly wind, the sun did come out and with it a few butterflies, bees and hoverflies.

Main highlight was my first ever Lesser Hornet Hoverfly (Volucella inanis), which does make me wonder whether I have overlooked others in the past and passed them off as Hornet Mimic Hoverfly (Volucella zonaria).

Butterflies seen were several "blue" butterflies, a Green-veined White, 2 Commas and a Large White.

Other than the Lesser Hornet Hoverfly, I came across Common Drone Fly and Marmalade Hoverfly.

In a couple of places I came across a few Wall Lizards with 2 in the grounds of St Andrew's Church and a juvenile just north of Rufus Castle.

I can't remember the last time I came across a Bloody-nosed Beetle (Timarcha tenebricosa), but I found one marching across the southwest coast path and another which was life expired.

Here are a few images from this afternoon:

This is a Lesser Hornet Hoverfly (Volucella inanis) and is........

..........my first one on the island. It is slightly smaller than the similar Hornet Mimic Hoverfly (Volucella zonaria) and I came across it on the Mermaid Track..........

........where I also came across this bumblebee, which I'm struggling to ID. It looks like a Shrill Carder Bee (Bombus sylvarum) but they are very rare and found mainly in the South-east, along the M4 corridor and South Wales. More on Shrill Carder Bee Here. Most likely it is a Cuckoo Bee either a Gypsy Cuckoo Bumblebee (Bombus bohemicus) or Forest Cuckoo Bee (Bombus sylvestris). I'm just waiting for an ID.