Penns Wood, St Andrews Church, Church Ope Cove, Penns Copse and Rufus Castle
After the torrential rain from last night, it finally stopped, leaving a breezy but sunny morning. With the wind coming straight up the island I decided to visit my local patch and hopefully keep out of the wind. To a certain extent it was more sheltered out on Penns Weare you could really feel the wind.
Main highlight was Cuckoo cook-cooing from the back of Church Ope Cove. Lovely to hear, but a bit annoying as I had just climbed 151 steps from the cove to Rufus Castle and walked another 100 paces towards the Mermaid Track when I heard it. I double back to the top of the steps, but by the time I got there he had stopped calling.
Elsewhere in very windy conditions I managed to hear a Blackcap in Penns Wood and a Common Whitethroat in Penns Wear, plus another Whitethroat which I saw and heard just north of Rufus Castle.
Passing over the cove and continuing their northward journey were 3 Swallows.
In the grounds of St Andrew's Church there was a male Orange-tip, and an emergence of Green-longhorn Moths. Also here several species of Hoverfly.
In Penns Copse there were a few Early Mining Bees, whilst up the steps to Rufus Castle I came across the nymph of a Bloody-nosed Beetle and a very large caterpillar.
Here are a few images from this morning:
Just a few more trees to come out into leaf and Penns Wood will be enclosed.
In the grounds of St Andrew's Church there were several species of hoverflies. This is either Syrphus ribesii or S. torvus.
Pied Hoverfly - Scaeva pyrastri
Tapered Drone Fly - Eristalis pertinax
Dead Head Fly - Myathropa florea
Early Mining Bee - Andrena haemorrhoa
Carnation Tortrix - Cacoecimorpha pronubana
Green-longhorn Moth - Adela reaumurella
Green-longhorn Moth - Adela reaumurella
Stormy seas at Church Ope Cove
The steps down to the cove from Rufus Castle. Along the edge of the steps I found.........
this hoverfly Epistrophe eligans.......
Having only found out recently, I can safely say that this is a Merodon equestris form bulborum - Narcissus Bulb Fly.
The larvae of a Bloody-nosed Beetle, Timarcha tenebricosa
A Common Whitethroat singing away just of Rufus Castle.
Birds Recorded: Herring Gull, Great Black-backed Gull, Wood Pigeon, 1 Cuckoo, 3 Swallow, Blackbird, 2 Common Whitethroat, 1 Blackcap, 1 Chiffchaff, Great Tit, Carrion Crow, House Sparrow, Chaffinch, Linnet and Goldfinch.
Reptiles Recorded: None
Butterflies Recorded: 1 Orange-tip
Moths Recorded: 12+ Green-longhorn Moth (Adela reaumurella), 1 Carnation Tortrix (Cacoecimorpha pronubana) and an Oak Eggar caterpillar.
Bees Recorded: Early Mining Bee (Andrena haemorrhoa)
Bugs and Beetles: 1 Bloody-nosed Beetle larvae (Timarcha tenebricosa)
Ships Today
This is the British Cable Layer "C S Sovereign" on its way out of Portland Harbour into Weymouth Bay. More on this vessel Here.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
On this day..........
2018Today's Sightings Here.