Port and Wey: May 2019

31 May 19

Bottom Combe Quarry, Easton Railway Cutting and Wakeham Wood

Another early morning visit, no butterflies seen but one Carnation Tortrix moth was flying around the brambles.

A few more birds about with Swifts, Swallows and House Martins all seen flying over the quarry and Wakeham Wood. Just the one warbler today a Common Whitethroat singing from the quarry and good to see a Song Thrush carrying food for youngsters close to Wakeham Wood.

Here are a few images from this morning:

Close to Wakeham Wood a Song Thrush carrying food for youngsters.

Ivy Broomrape, Orobanche hederae

The Railway Cuttings just south of Easton.

Every Daisy seems to have its own Lesser Thick-legged Flower Beetle

There aren't many places on Portland that hasn't got a Brown-tail Moth caterpillar crawling about in the bushes. Its been an exceptional year for them.

Not photographed today, but this is a Brown-tail Moth recorded - 3 Jul 17.

Not Brown-tails but Lackey Moth caterpillars. And here is the...........

............moth itself. This Lackey Moth was recorded - 23 Jul 17.

A White-lipped Banded Snail.

Birds Recorded: Wood Pigeon, Collared Dove, 2 Swift, 2 House Martin, 2 Swallow, Dunnock, Blackbird, 1 Song Thrush, 1 Common Whitethroat, Great Tit, Wren, Chaffinch and Goldfinch.

Moths Recorded: 1 Carnation Tortrix (Cacoecimorpha pronubana)

Bees Recorded: Honey Bees

Bugs and Beetles Recorded: Lesser Thick-legged Flower Beetle (Ischnomera cyanea)

Caterpillars Recorded: Brown-tail Moth and The Lackey Moth

Slugs and Snails Recorded: White-lipped Banded Snail (Cepaea hortensis)

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On this day..........

2018
Today's Sightings Here.

2017
Today's Sightings Here.

30 May 19

Bottom Combe Quarry, Easton Railway Cutting and Wakeham Wood

A late afternoon walk and apart from a Speckled Wood in Wakeham Wood, I came across 12+ Small Blues with several males displaying and mating in the Brambles half way down the Cuttings.

The only bugs I found again were Lesser Thick-legged Flower Beetles. Where have all the Swollen-thighed Beetles gone!!

Here are a few images from this afternoon:

The old Easton Railway Cuttings

In the foreground was a bramble patch where there were dozens of Small Blues displaying and mating.

Here are a few images of the Small Blues.

Small Blue

Small Blues.

Small Blue

Small Blues.

Small Blue

Still a few Brown-tail Moth caterpillars about.

A Slow-worm in the undergrowth

Lesser Thick-legged Flower Beetle

And finally

Just past this gate next to Wakeham Wood, is a very small field Here, which has had four posts stuck into the ground with blue paint indicating an area inside for what!!!!

Post one

Post 2

Post 3

And Post 4. If it's for development then the Dorset County Council Public Footpath will have to be diverted!!!

Birds Recorded: Herring Gull, Wood Pigeon, Collared Dove, House Martin, Swallow, Dunnock, Robin, Blackbird, Great Tit, Wren, Carrion Crow, Chaffinch and Goldfinch.

Reptiles Recorded: 2 Slow-worms

Butterflies Recorded: 12+ Small Blue and 1 Speckled Wood

Bees Recorded: Common Carder and Honey Bee

Bugs and Beetles Recorded: Lesser Thick-legged Flower Beetle (Ischnomera cyanea)

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On this day..........

2018
Today's Sightings Here.

2017
Today's Sightings Here.

29 May 19

Out and About

After a week or more of dry and pleasant conditions, the rain moved in today. Low cloud and drizzle put paid to finding any butterflies and as far as the bird watching went the best I could do was a solitary Bar-tailed Godwit at Ferrybridge, as I was passing by.

Hopefully better weather tomorrow.

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On this day..........

2018
Today's Sightings Here.

28 May 19

Bottom Combe Quarry and Railway Cuttings

An even earlier walk than yesterday morning, around the Quarry and Cuttings and not surprisingly the only butterfly seen was a Speckled Wood in the brambles and bushes, at the north end of the Cuttings. In fact having searched for a good 30 minutes or so for other species, any chance of seeing others soon vanished when a shower passed overhead.

For the second day running the pair of House Martins were feeding over the quarry and this morning were joined by 2 Swallows. In the brambles close-by a Common Whitethroat showed briefly.

Interesting to note that I didn't see a single Swollen-thighed Beetle, yet there were dozens of its smaller cousin the Lesser Thick-legged Flower Beetle (Ischnomera cyanea).

Here are a few images from this morning (9:00am - 9:40am)

The Cuttings at Bottom Combe and some heavy clouds passing overhead

Just the one butterfly seen this morning - a Speckled Wood.

On the brambles a Common Whitethroat.

A Lesser Thick-legged Flower Beetle (Ischnomera cyanea) on a Daisy.

This is Eyebright, and most likely Euphrasia officinalis. There are a number of similar species and hybrids, so not that easy to pin down to the exact Eyebright.

Common Mallow, Malva sylvestris

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On this day..........

2018
Today's Sightings Here.

27 May 19

Bottom Combe Quarry and Railway Cuttings

This morning I paid another visit to the railway cutting next Bottom Combe Quarry to see what butterflies I could find. Despite the cloud cover it appears that this location is pretty good for butterflies, whatever the weather.

Today I had 3 Speckled Woods, 2 Common Blue, 6 Small Blue, 1 Large White and 2 Dingy Skippers.

Also here were a few Brown-tail Moth caterpillars, hundreds of Swollen-thighed Beetles and the slightly smaller Lesser Thick-legged Flower Beetles (Ischnomera cyanea)

Here are a few images from this morning

The old railway track leading into Easton.

On the banks plenty of flora for butterflies like this.........

............male Small Blue..........

............female Small Blue and...........

..........Dingy Skipper.

Meanwhile along the hedgerow were these Speckled Woods.

And another.

Brown-tail Moth caterpillar

Swollen-thighed Beetle

And another.

Top and bottom are Swollen-thighed Beetles (Oedemera nobilis). On the right is a Lesser Thick-legged Flower Beetle (Ischnomera cyanea)

This a Sicus ferrugineus and is a member of the Thick-headed Flies.

Certainly an odd looking fly which..........

...........feeds on nectar or pollen of various flowering plants.

Birds Recorded: Kestrel, Herring Gull, Wood Pigeon, Collared Dove, 2 House Martin, Dunnock, Blackbird, 1 Blackcap, Great Tit, Wren, Magpie, Carrion Crow, Starling, House Sparrow, Chaffinch and Goldfinch.

Butterflies Recorded: 3 Speckled Woods, 2 Common Blue, 6 Small Blue, 1 Large White and 2 Dingy Skippers.

Bees Recorded: Buff-tailed Bumblebee and Honey Bee

Bugs and Beetles Recorded: Swollen-thighed Beetles (Oedemera nobilis) and Lesser Thick-legged Flower Beetle (Ischnomera cyanea)

Flies Recorded: 1 Sicus ferrugineus

Caterpillars Recorded: Brown-tail Moth

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On this day..........

2018
Today's Sightings Here.

26 May 19

Bottom Combe Quarry and Wakeham Wood

A real change in the weather with a lot of cloud and quite breezy. Out of the wind it felt muggy but as the day progressed the "heat" soon disappeared.

A bit of a butterfly morning with several Small Blues, 2 Common Blues, 2 Speckled Woods, 2 Large Whites and a Small Copper seen. The latter in Wakeham Wood and the others in the quarry.

Just the one warbler heard a Blackcap in Wakeham Wood.

Also noted were 2 Swifts over Easton.

Also noted were lots of Swollen-thighed Beetles, a Dagger Fly and both Lackey Moth and Brown-tail Moth caterpillars.

Here a few images from this morning: