Wakeham Wood, Penns Wood, Penns Copse and Rufus Castle
Another warm day with the main highlights being two male Blackcaps singing in Wakeham Wood, 2 Common Whitethroats on Penns Weare and a Willow Warbler singing at the back of Church Ope Cove. Behind the houses at Wakeham a Grey Wagtail was calling, first I have heard here for several weeks.
Four species of butterfly seen today with a Large White along Penns Weare, a freshly emerged Small Copper drying its wings out along the track next to Wakeham Wood, 2 Speckled Woods, one in Penns Wood and the other on the path leading up to the Museum from Rufus Castle. Also on the Ivy along here was my first Holly Blue of the year.
On Penns Weare there were 2 Bloody-nosed Beetles and what I think was a Dune Spurge Bug. I managed a shot of it but it flew off before I could get closer to it.
In Penns copse there were several Green Longhorn moths out again, plus dozens of Celery Flies. Also here in the shelter were Ashy Mining Bees and a few nomad bees.
Another warm day with the main highlights being two male Blackcaps singing in Wakeham Wood, 2 Common Whitethroats on Penns Weare and a Willow Warbler singing at the back of Church Ope Cove. Behind the houses at Wakeham a Grey Wagtail was calling, first I have heard here for several weeks.
Four species of butterfly seen today with a Large White along Penns Weare, a freshly emerged Small Copper drying its wings out along the track next to Wakeham Wood, 2 Speckled Woods, one in Penns Wood and the other on the path leading up to the Museum from Rufus Castle. Also on the Ivy along here was my first Holly Blue of the year.
On Penns Weare there were 2 Bloody-nosed Beetles and what I think was a Dune Spurge Bug. I managed a shot of it but it flew off before I could get closer to it.
In Penns copse there were several Green Longhorn moths out again, plus dozens of Celery Flies. Also here in the shelter were Ashy Mining Bees and a few nomad bees.
Here are a few images from today:
Wakeham Wood where there were 2 male Blackcaps singing..........
...........Also here a Small Copper.........
.........which I'm sure has only just emerged from its chrysalis.
Wherever you are on Portland you sure to come across these caterpillars of the Brown-tail moth.
At the top of Penns Wood, this little spot is an oasis for insects including..........
..........Dead Head Fly..............
............Common Green Shieldbug and................
...........Speckled Woods.
In the wood itself and........
......... Ferdinandea cuprea Hoverfly, which looks more like a fly than a hoverfly.
In the grounds of St Andrew's Church a lone Wall Lizard.
Out on Penns Weare a Bloody-nosed Beetle trundling along the track.
Also here I think this is a Dune Spurge Bug. I managed one shot and then it flew off.
Still a few Green Longhorn moth on the wing in Penns Copse
An Ashy Mining Bee.
Along the ivy-clad wall up to the Museum from the castle there was this Speckled Wood.........
..........Holly Blue.........
........and a Red-tailed Bumblebee.
This a vetch and there are many species here in the UK. I suspect this is Common Vetch, Vicia sativa. Another plant to add to my ever growing Portland Plant List Here.
Birds Recorded: Herring Gull, Wood Pigeon, Collared Dove, 1 Grey Wagtail, Dunnock, Robin, Blackbird, 2 Common Whitethroat, 2 Blackcap, 1 Willow Warbler, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Wren, Magpie, Carrion Crow, House Sparrow, Chaffinch and Goldfinch.
Reptiles Recorded: Wall Lizard
Bees Recorded: Red-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus lapidarius), Gooden's Nomad Bee (Nomada goodeniana), Early Mining Bees, Ashy Mining Bee (Andrena cineraria), Hairy-footed Bee (Anthophora plumipes).
Butterflies Recorded: 1 Small Copper, 2 Speckled Woods, 1 Holly Blue and 1 Large White
Moths Recorded: 7+ Green Longhorn moth and Brown-tail moth caterpillars.
Flies Recorded: 2 Dark-edged Bee-fly (Bombylius major) and 12+ Celery fly (Euleia heraclei)
Hoverflies Recorded: Epistrophe eligans, Common Drone Fly (Eristalis tenax), Chequered Hoverfly (Melanostoma scalare), Dead Head Fly (Myathropa florea), Ferdinandea cuprea and Syrphus sp.
Bugs and Beetles Recorded: 2 Common Green Shieldbugs, 1 Dune Spurge Bug (Dicranocephalus agilis), 2 Bloody-nosed Beetle (Timarcha tenebricosa) and the larvae of a Bloody-nosed Beetle.
Ships Today
This is the Maltese Passenger Ship "Zenith" on its way into Portland Harbour from Vigo, Spain. More on this vessel Here.
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On this day..........
2018
Today's Sightings Here.