Another sunny day, though thick clouds to the east did look threatening first thing, but fortunately moved off into the English Channel.
Main highlights today were a Reed Warbler singing away in a bush along the Mermaid Track, a Slow-worm crossing the woodland path in Penns Wood and my first Azure Damselfly of the year.
Other warblers noted were a Blackcap at the back of the cove where there was also a Lesser Whitethroat. There was another Blackcap, a Common Whitethroat and Chiffchaff along the Mermaid Track and another Chiffchaff at Rufus Castle.
Other than the Slow-worm there were also Wall Lizards at St Andrew's Church and Common Lizards along the same area as yesterday.
Lots of butterflies but all singles. A Wall Brown and Dingy Skipper at The Cuttings Quarry, a Common Blue along Penns Weare and a Speckled Wood by Rufus Castle.
I was surprised with the number of moth species on the wing with Yellow Belle along the Mermaid Track again, a Carnation Tortrix by Rufus Castle, a Rush Veneer along Penns Weare and two unidentifiable moths which were a Yponomeutidae sp. on Penns Weare and possible Swan-feather Dwarf (Elachista argentella) in the grounds of St Andrew's Church.
Here are a few images, a video and video (sound track) from this morning.
Along the track here in Penns Wood there was this...........
............Slow-worm crossing the track.
A Slow-worm makes its way across the track in Penns Wood.
The grounds of St Andrew's Church where this morning there were Wall Lizards, Epistrophe eligans hoverflies and these......
.....................Broad Centurian.
Here is another Broad Centurian
Rufus Castle and in the foreground Penns Weare where..........
..........I came across this Rush Veneer
In one of my favourite Wildlife spots along Penns Weare is the Copse where today I acme across this.......
And my first Damselfly of the year.
An Azure Damselfly (Coenagrion mercuriale)
Head markings are one useful guide.........
........as is the pattern here.
A Mimic Bee Hoverfly (Volucella bombylans) in Penns Copse
Looking up the steps towards Rufus Castle
And down to Church Ope Cove and St Andrew's Church
Along the side of the steps a male Swollen-thighed Beetle. There are one or two just starting to appear.
Along the South west coast path, looking back towards Rufus Castle. Along this spot are Common Lizards..........
...........this Cheilosia sp. hoverfly.........
..........a Carnation Tortrix............
........and Speckled Wood butterflies. Not that often you get to see the underwings.
The Cuttings Quarry where there was a Wall Brown and this.........
..........a male Tipula fascipennis crane fly.
A Red-tailed Bumblebee in the vetch again and a bit further along the track this.......
............Epistrophe eligans.
And a side profile.
Birds Recorded: Herring Gull, Wood Pigeon, Collared Dove, Swift, Swallow, Dunnock, Robin, Blackbird, Reed Warbler, Common Whitethroat, Lesser Whitethroat, Blackcap, Chiffchaff, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Wren, Magpie, Carrion Crow, Jackdaw, House Sparrow, Chaffinch and Goldfinch.
Reptiles Recorded: Wall Lizards, Common Lizards and a Slow-worm
Dragonflies and Damselflies: Azure Damselfly (Coenagrion mercuriale)
Butterflies Recorded: 1 Wall Brown, 1 Common Blue, 1 Speckled Wood, 1 Dingy Skipper and 1 Large White
Moths Recorded: 1 Carnation Tortrix (Cacoecimorpha pronubana), 1 Yellow Belle, 1 Rush Veneer (Nomophila noctuella), a possible Swan-feather Dwarf (Elachista argentella) and a Yponomeutidae sp.
Bees Recorded: Common Carder (Bombus pascuorum), Buff-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus terrestris) and Red-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus lapidarius)
Hoverflies Recorded: 1 Cheilosia, 1 Mimic Bee Hoverfly (Volucella bombylans) and 3 Epistrophe eligans
Bugs and Beetles Recorded: 1 male Swollen-thighed Beetle (Oedemera nobilis)
Craneflies Recorded: Tipula fascipennis
Flies Recorded: several Broad Centurian (Chloromyia formosa)
Ships Today
And now for something different
Black Cats
As I was clearing away the rubble that was left on the bathroom ceiling in our cottage in Wakeham, I came across this old Black Cat cigarette packet. Not a cigarette I've heard of before, I think Craven "A" was the the earliest cigarette I heard of which was back in the 60's. At that time Craven "A" were an early tipped or filter brand aimed initially at women smokers.
After a bit of research it looks like Black Cat was established in 1788, with many changes to the cover design. The design on this packet suggest that this particular cigarette was heavily promoted in the interwar period (between the end of the First World War in November 1918 and the beginning of the Second World War in September 1939) and was one of the first brands to offer cigarette coupons which could be exchanged for free gifts.
This particular cigarette was the Standard size and has the red band going around the packet. The Extra Large size cigarette had a green band around the packet
So going by the facts I've unearthed it looks like this packet is between 80 and 101 years old.
A few References here at Retrowow, Jannaludlow Factory and Jannaludlow Factory Info
Front
A very worn Back
And Side.
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On this day..........
2018Today's Sightings Here.