A slightly cooler day, but still very sunny. And with the wind now coming from the west it was great opportunity to visit my local patch on the east side of Portland to see what was about.
Main highlight was finding a Lulworth Skipper in Penns Copse, my first for the year. Also noted were the dozens of Marbled Whites on the wing and the increased number of Ringlets which only started to appear last week. In the grounds of St Andrew's Church there were both a Comma and a Painted Lady, whilst along the Mermaid Track there was a Red Admiral and a Speckled Wood. The one big surprise though was the lack of any "blue" butterflies. Really odd!!
Also seen was a Rose Chafer and a couple of Swollen-thighed Beetles.
Just two lizards seen a Wall Lizard in the grounds of St Andrew's Church and a Common Lizard in The Cuttings Quarry.
Most unusual invertebrate was a fly inside the flower head of a Bindweed along The Mermaid Track. But incredibly and not for the first time I have misidentified this hoverfly for a fly. The "culprit" is a Bronze Sap Hoverfly (Ferdinandea cuprea). Images below!
Here are a few images from this morning:
The grounds of St Andrew's Church
A Comma on the buddleia in the church grounds. Also here was a Painted Lady.
A Wall Lizard.
Penns Copse with Rufus Castle in the background.
On the the Weare in front of the copse a Lulworth Skipper.....
........and if I've got this right recognisable by the "C" crescent on its upper wing.
This is a Common Drone Fly
On the left a male Red-tailed Bumblebee and on the right the Common Drone Fly just taking off.
A Rose Chafer
Biting Stonecrop, Sedum acre
Pyramidal Orchid, Anacamptis pyramidalis
Rufus Castle and the archway.
Church Ope Cove
A Dead Head Fly, not a true fly but a member of the hoverfly family
A Common Lizard in The Cuttings Quarry
This has to be the smallest Blackberry Bush I have ever come across.
Wild Marjoram, Origanum vulgare
A Swollen-thighed Beetle on the flower head of a Bindweed
This is large hoverfly is a Hornet Mimic Hoverfly - Volucella zonaria
This fly looks very interesting, however............
............looks can often be misleading.........
A Common Carder Bee heading towards the Bindweed flower.
A Speckled Wood along The Mermaid Track.
This is a Cuckoo-pint (Arum maculatum). This Autumn those green berries will be a cluster of red ones.
And finally this is the Giant Viper's Bugloss (Echium pininana) in Penns Wood, which still has the kink.
Birds Recorded: Herring Gull, Great Black-backed Gull, Wood Pigeon, Collared Dove, Swift, House Martin, Swallow, Dunnock, Robin, Blackbird, 4 Blackcap, Long-tailed Tit, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Wren, Magpie, Carrion Crow, House Sparrow, Chaffinch and Goldfinch.
Reptiles Recorded: 1 Wall Lizard and a Common Lizard.
Butterflies Recorded: Lulworth Skipper, Speckled Wood, Ringlet, Meadow Brown, Marbled White, Red Admiral, Painted Lady and Comma.
Bees Recorded: Honey Bees, Common Carder (Bombus pascuorum) and Red-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus lapidarius)
Bugs and Beetles Recorded: Swollen-thighed Beetle (Oedemera nobilis) and a Rose Chafer (Cetonia aurata)
Ships Today
On the horizon is the Cargo vessel "Felicity Ace", flying the flag of Panama.......
..........It is on its way from Bremerhaven, Denmark to the Suez Canal, Egypt. More on this vessel Here.
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On this day..........
2018
Today's Sightings Here.
2017
Today's Sightings Here.