A change of scenery today and a walk along Penns Weare and the old East Weares Railway Track, taking in Mermaid Track, Rufus Castle,The Cuttings, Bumpers Lane and Broadcroft Quarry Lane.
Not a great deal around and main highlight was a family of Ravens, which looked like 3 juveniles and the parents over The Grove Cliffs.
Still many Marbled Whites, a few Ringlets and new for year were 2 Gatekeepers. The first one was along the Mermaid Track and another along Penns Weare.
A few new plants today for my Portland List were Common Ragwort (Senecio jacobaea), Hedge Bedstraw (Galium album) and Common Toadflax (Linaria vulgaris)
Here are a few images and a video from this morning:
My route today
A Kestrel hunting over Penns Weare
A little further north towards The Grove Cliffs a Raven.
Lots of Lizards about today.
A female Marbled White............
..........and a Honey Bee.
A female Marbled White with Honey Bees for company. Background sounds are Kestrel, grasshopper, Great Black-backed Gull and a big tractor.
Quite a few Ringlets about. Makes a change for one to settle.
I'm pretty sure this is a Lulworth Skipper. The key feature is the crescent on the upper wing.
Not a Lulworth but a Small Skipper.
A rather worn Six-Spot Burnet Moth
A Red-tailed Bumblebee
Take-off
Ichneumon Wasp - Amblyteles armatorius
Common Field Grasshopper (Chorthippus brunneus). Pointers to look for are sharply angled pronotal side keels and a very hairy underside
Biting Stonecrop, Sedum acre
Biting Stonecrop with Rufus Castle in the background
Pyramidal Orchid, Anacamptis pyramidalis
Common Ragwort, Senecio jacobaea
Common Ragwort.
This is Hedge Bedstraw (Galium album) and.......
.........smells very sweet.
Wild Marjoram, Origanum vulgare
Wild Marjoram, Origanum vulgare
Very similar to Snapdragons, this lovely yellow flower is Common Toadflax" (Linaria vulgaris) it also..............
............goes by the names of "Yellow Toadflax" and "Butter-and-eggs".
Wild Thyme, Thymus polytrichus
Wild Thyme, Thymus polytrichus
Common Centaury, Centaurium erythraea
Birds Recorded: 2 Kestrel, Oystercatcher, Herring Gull, Great Black-backed Gull, Wood Pigeon, Feral Pigeons, Collared Dove, Dunnock, Robin, Common Whitethroat, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Wren, Magpie, Carrion Crow, Jackdaw, 5 Raven, House Sparrow, Chaffinch, Linnet and Goldfinch.
Butterflies Recorded: Small Skipper, Lulworth Skipper, Large Skipper, Large White, Speckled Wood, Ringlet, Meadow Brown, Gatekeeper, Marbled White and 4 Painted Lady
Moths Recorded: 2 Six-Spot Burnet moth (Zygaena filipendulae)
Bees Recorded: Honey Bees and Red-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus lapidarius)
Ichneumon Wasps Recorded: 1 Amblyteles armatorius
Dragonflies and Damselflies Recorded: 3 Damselflies sp.
Bugs and Beetles Recorded: Swollen-thighed Beetle (Oedemera nobilis) and Common Red Soldier Beetles (Rhagonycha fulva)
Grasshoppers and Crickets Recorded: Common Field Grasshopper (Chorthippus brunneus)
Ships Today
This is the Cargo Vessel "Cosco Shipping Alps" flying the flag of Hong Kong............
................. It is on its way from Felixstowe to an unknown destination. More on this vessel Here.
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On this day..........
2018Today's Sightings Here.
2017