A lovely sunny morning and another trip to the Railway Cuttings. Main highlight today was not 1 but 2 Hummingbird Hawk-moths "bombing" about on the wall alongside the cuttings. Also along this stretch were 2 Red Admirals, a Speckled Wood and dozens of Small Blue butterflies.
Along the path just north of Wakeham Wood was a Common Blue butterfly.
Other than the Hummingbird Hawk-moth I also found 2 Carnation Tortrix moths, 2 Garden Grass-veneers (Chrysoteuchia culmella), a Twin-barred Knot-horn (Homoeosoma sinuella) and a Red-clover Case-bearer (Coleophora deauratella). The latter a new moth species for me on Portland.
Lots of hoverflies about including both Mimic Bee Hoverflies, Volucella plumata and Volucella bombylans.
There were also several similar looking Ichneumon Wasps in the The Cuttings, which I'm pretty sure are Polytribax perspicillator, I had a probable Amblyteles armatorius close to Wakeham Wood and also a Box-headed Mason-wasp which I just missed with the camera.
Here are a few images from this morning:
Looking north into the Cuttings and...........
.........looking back up the track.
A few hoverflies today with Tapered Drone Flies.....
.........a Pied Hoverfly..........
Mimic Bee Hoverfly, Volucella plumata
Another Mimic Bee Hoverfly, Volucella plumata
And a Mimic Bee Hoverfly - Volucella bombylans
This brightly coloured hoverfly is a Xanthogramma pedissequum
In amongst the brambles were dozens of Small Blue Butterflies.
Here is another.
A Speckled Wood
A Red-clover Case-bearer, Coleophora deauratella and a new moth species for me on Portland.
An Ichneumon Wasp grooming itself
A male Swollen-thighed Beetle
The Railway Cuttings looking north.
And looking south.
Here one of the Hummingbird Hawk-moths is feeding.........
..........on a Red Valerian.
A Hummingbird Hawk-moth feeding on a Red Valerian
Along the track just north of Wakeham Wood there was.........
...........this Common Blue butterfly.
These I believe are Dark Bush-cricket nymphs- Pholidoptera griseoaptera
In the long grass there were a few.......
........... Garden Grass-veneers (Chrysoteuchia culmella)
And another.
Also in the grass a Twin-barred Knot-horn (Homoeosoma sinuella)
Dead Head Fly, Myathropa florea
Birds Recorded: Herring Gull, Wood Pigeon, Collared Dove, House Martin, Dunnock, 2 Common Whitethroat, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Wren, Magpie, House Sparrow, Chaffinch, Linnet and Goldfinch.
Butterflies Recorded: Dozens of Small Blue butterflies, 1 Speckled Wood, 2 Red Admiral and 1 Common Blue
Moths Recorded: 2 Hummingbird Hawk-moth (Macroglossum stellatarum), 2 Carnation Tortrix (Cacoecimorpha pronubana), 2 Garden Grass-veneers (Chrysoteuchia culmella), a Red-clover Case-bearer (Coleophora deauratella) and a Twin-barred Knot-horn (Homoeosoma sinuella)
Bees Recorded: Honey Bees, Common Carder
Wasps Recorded: Box-headed Mason-wasp (Gymnomerus laevipes), 1 possible Amblyteles armatorius and 7+ possible Polytribax perspicillator
Hoverflies Recorded: 1 Tapered Drone Fly (Eristalis pertinax), Dead Head Fly (Myathropa florea), Pied Hoverfly (Scaeva pyrastri), Mimic Bee Hoverfly (Volucella bombylans), Mimic Bee Hoverfly (Volucella plumata) and 1 Xanthogramma pedissequum
Bugs and Beetles Recorded: Lesser Thick-legged Flower Beetle (Ischnomera cyanea) and Swollen-thighed Beetle (Oedemera nobilis)
Slugs and Snails Recorded: White-lipped Banded Snail (Cepaea hortensis)
Grasshoppers and Crickets Recorded: Dark Bush-cricket nymphs (Pholidoptera griseoaptera)
Caterpillars Recorded: Brown-tail Moth
Hoverflies Recorded: 1 Tapered Drone Fly (Eristalis pertinax), Dead Head Fly (Myathropa florea), Pied Hoverfly (Scaeva pyrastri), Mimic Bee Hoverfly (Volucella bombylans), Mimic Bee Hoverfly (Volucella plumata) and 1 Xanthogramma pedissequum
Bugs and Beetles Recorded: Lesser Thick-legged Flower Beetle (Ischnomera cyanea) and Swollen-thighed Beetle (Oedemera nobilis)
Slugs and Snails Recorded: White-lipped Banded Snail (Cepaea hortensis)
Grasshoppers and Crickets Recorded: Dark Bush-cricket nymphs (Pholidoptera griseoaptera)
Caterpillars Recorded: Brown-tail Moth
And Finally Spot the Hummingbird Hawk-moth
Just in case you couldn't see it.