Two objectives this morning. The first to see the Hawfinch, which has been visiting the Obs bird table for the past few days and the second, to see if I could find one of 3 Dark Green Fritillary's (Image Here.) seen around the Higher Lighthouse yesterday.
And I'm glad to say that I achieved both, the Hawfinch within 5 minutes of arriving at the Obs and one of the Fritillary's after a good walk around the fields, where I found one flying just below Lloyds Cottage Here. Unfortunately no photo of the Fritillary as it flew off into the Crown Estate Fields, but I did get a few of the Hawfinch.
The gold crescent on the upper wing is a good indicator that this small skipper is a Lulworth Skipper. I hope I've got that right.
On the left-hand side of the track up to the the Higher Lighthouse and Lloyds Cottage, is where I came across my first ever Dark Green Fritillary. a stunning butterfly in flight. Just a shame it didn't settle.
Birds Recorded: Buzzard, Kestrel, Herring Gull, Great Black-backed Gull, Wood Pigeon, Collared Dove, Skylark, Swallow, Meadow Pipit, 1 Stonechat, Blackbird, Wren, Magpie, Carrion Crow, Jackdaw, House Sparrow, Linnet, Goldfinch and 1 Hawfinch.
Butterflies Recorded: Lulworth Skipper, Large Skipper, Large White, Speckled Wood, Small Heath, Ringlet, Meadow Brown, Gatekeeper, Marbled White, Dark Green Fritillary and Peacock
Moths Recorded: Six-Spot Burnet moth (Zygaena filipendulae)
Bees Recorded: Honey Bees, Common Carder (Bombus pascuorum) and Red-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus lapidarius)
Bugs and Beetles Recorded: Common Red Soldier Beetles (Rhagonycha fulva)
Way out in the English Channel was this Cargo Vessel " Daphne" flying the flag of the Marshall Islands. It is on its way from Riga, Latvia to Toranto, Italy. More on this vessel Here.
Here are a few images from my walk:
The Obs Hawfinch an unusual sighting at this time of year. Seems happy to be here though.
A quick look to see if the coast is clear and it looks as if it is, so...........
...........its onto the bird table.
On the way up to the Top Fields there were several Gatekeepers in amongst the brambles.
In fact by the time I finished my walk I must have recorded over 60, they were everywhere.
This small butterfly is neither a Meadow Brown or a Gatekeeper, but a Small Heath. My first this year.
It seems to be a good year for Marbled Whites, they are very abundant.
The slopes where........
.................there were Meadow Pipits collecting food for youngsters and..........
.............Skylarks.
Oh my this looks really gruesome but fear not..........
............it is a male Linnet just having a preen.
Another male Linnet looking really alert and this...............
...............is the female equally nervous.
And there is their concern, a Kestrel sat on a fence looking straight down at them on the wall.
Probably nothing to worry about its just taking a break.
The PBO Quarry Fields full of butterflies.
Not a Gatekeeper, even though there is a second white spot, this is a Meadow Brown.
Common Red Soldier Beetles and lot of them. Not just on this umbellifer but many others.
Pyramidal Orchids, Anacamptis pyramidalis
Lambs Lettuce, Valerianella locusta. (Also known as Corn Salad)
Lady's Bedstraw, Galium verum
Common Centaury, Centaurium erythraea
Butterflies Recorded: Lulworth Skipper, Large Skipper, Large White, Speckled Wood, Small Heath, Ringlet, Meadow Brown, Gatekeeper, Marbled White, Dark Green Fritillary and Peacock
Moths Recorded: Six-Spot Burnet moth (Zygaena filipendulae)
Bees Recorded: Honey Bees, Common Carder (Bombus pascuorum) and Red-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus lapidarius)
Bugs and Beetles Recorded: Common Red Soldier Beetles (Rhagonycha fulva)
Ships Today
This is the British Patrol Vessel "HMS Medway" in Weymouth Bay. More on this vessel Here.
