Well the day started off really wild and windy, as Storm Miguel passed over us this morning, and then the sun came out to give a really warm sunny afternoon. But as I type this up so the rain has returned. Looks I timed my walk to perfection.
Instead of my daily visit to the old Easton Railway Cuttings, I opted for a walk around my normal "patch", just to see what was about after a week or so away. To be honest not much has changed and the only obvious differences were that a majority of Alexanders in the grounds of the church are really dying off and turning yellow and Storm Miguel had knocked a lot of leaves of the trees in Penns Wood, where the lone Giant Viper's Bugloss has taken on an odd shape.
Bird-wise there were dozens of juvenile Blue Tits and Great Tits calling the woods and the male Blackcap is still singing at the back of the cove.
There were very few butterflies about with 2 Speckled Woods and a Common Blue along the Mermaid Track, whilst in the The Cuttings Quarry there was a Dingy Skipper and another Common Blue.
Just 2 Twin-barred Knot-horn moths seen with one on Penns Weare and the other at the back of the cove. Also at the back of the cove was an Azure Damselfly.
A few hoverflies seen with a couple Syrphus sp., a Mimic Bee Hoverfly (Volucella plumata) just below Rufus Castle and a Cheilosia sp. along the Mermaid Track again.
Here are a few images from today.
After the rain from this morning Penns Wood is looking very green.
Since I was here last this lone Giant Viper's Bugloss has taken on a bit of a weird shape.
The grounds of St Andrew's Church and the Alexanders are looking a bit sad.
At the back of the cove when the sun came out, so did........
.........this Twin-barred Knot-horn (Homoeosoma sinuella).
Here's a side profile of this seemingly common moth here on Portland.
On the 24 May I came across an Azure Damselfly in Penns Wood. This one.....
.......was just below the copse at the back of the cove. Obviously a good area for them.
A juvenile Dark Bush-cricket
As far as I can make it out, I believe this is a juvenile Great Green Bush Cricket.
A male Swollen-thighed Beetle on a Borage
Common Green Shieldbug
From the cove up to Penns Weare. Along the ascending track I came across this.......
...........jet black fly with.....
.........a very bristly abdomen. Another one to ID.
A Garden Snail makes its way across the track.
At the top of the cliffs Lambs Lettuce, Valerianella locusta. (Also known as Corn Salad)
Penns Weare with Rufus Castle as a backdrop.
Along the Weare another Twin-barred Knot-horn moth and also........
.......these very small blue flowers.
These are Hop Trefoils, Trifolium campestre and.......
.........like dry grassy places such as Penns Weare.
As I was coming up these steps from Penns Copse I came across.........
.........this Mimic Bee Hoverfly, Volucella plumata on a Valerian.
At the top of the steps by Rufus Castle you get an amazing view of Church Ope Cove.
The Cuttings Quarry.......
.........where there was this Dingy Skipper and a Common Blue.
This could be Hart's-tongue Fern, Asplenium scolopendrium
This is Viper's Bugloss, Echium vulgare the cousin of the Giant Vipers Bugloss in Penns Wood.
The Bee Orchid close to The Cuttings Quarry is still going strong.
Along the Mermaid Track I came across this Common Blue.
At the far end of the track......
..........was this hoverfly. Unfortunately its not possible with a photograph to go beyond a Cheilosia sp.
One of the two Speckled Woods along the track.
Birds Recorded: Herring Gull, Wood Pigeon, Collared Dove, Rock Pipit, Dunnock, Robin, Blackbird, Blackcap, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Wren, Magpie, Carrion Crow, House Sparrow, Chaffinch and Goldfinch.
Butterflies Recorded: 2 Common Blue, 2 Speckled Wood and 1 Dingy Skipper
Moths Recorded: 2 Twin-barred Knot-horn (Homoeosoma sinuella)
Bees Recorded: Honey Bees, Common Carder and Red-tailed Bumblebee
Flies Recorded: 3 German Scorpionfly (Panorpa germanica)
Hoverflies Recorded: Mimic Bee Hoverfly (Volucella bombylans), Cheilosia sp. and Syrphus sp.
Bugs and Beetles Recorded: Swollen-thighed Beetle (Oedemera nobilis) and a Common Green Shieldbug
Slugs and Snails Recorded: Black Slug (Arion ater), White-lipped Banded Snail (Cepaea hortensis) and Garden Snail (Cornu aspersum)
Grasshoppers and Crickets Recorded: juvenile Dark Bush-cricket (Pholidoptera griseoaptera) and juvenile Great Green Bush Cricket (Tettigonia viridissima)
Ships Today
This is the Norwegian Tanker "Stavanger Blossom".........
............and is on its way out of Weymouth Bay to an unknown destination. More on this vessel Here.
Note: The image above was a screen shot from the Portland Heights Webcam Here.