Port and Wey: 2 Aug 19

Penns Wood, St Andrew's Church, Penns Weare. Penns Copse, Rufus Castle, The Cuttings Quarry and The Mermaid Track.

A few warblers about today with 2 Willow Warblers at the back of Church Ope Cove and another along Penns Weare. In Penns Woods a lot of juvenile Wrens and Blue Tits, which didn't go unnoticed by a Sparrowhawk, which dropped down from above the cove like an Exocet missile. Whether it caught anything, who knows, but they wouldn't have known what hit them, if it had.

Main highlights though, on this sunny morning, were several Hornet Mimic Hoverflies (Volucella zonaria) on the Hemp Agrimony, in both the grounds of St Andrew's Church and along the Mermaid Track. Also on the same flower heads were a few Dead Head Fly's (Myathropa florea).

A few butterflies about, mainly Gatekeepers with a few pairs mating. Also seen were Meadow Browns, Chalk Hill Blues, a couple of Large Whites, 2 Painted Lady's, a Red Admiral and after an absence of 3 or 4 days 2 Marbled Whites. No Ringlets seen!!

Around Penns Weare were a couple of Carnation Tortrix moths and it does look as if the Six-Spot Burnet moths have all gone.

As you would expect at this time there were lots of bees and wasps about, mainly Red-tailed Bumblebees, Common Carder and Honeybees, but in amongst them I came across a faded Field Cuckoo Bumblebee (Bombus campestris) and a Brown-banded Carder Bee (Bombus humilis). Both were feeding on the Wild Marjoram in The Cuttings Quarry and the B. humilis is the first one I have seen outside of the gardens of Portland Bird Observatory. Also seen a nest of German Wasps in the ruins of St Andrew's Church.

A new fly for me on Portland was another Thick-headed Fly this time a Physocephala rufipes which was in The Cuttings Quarry. Sadly only the one photo.

Here are a few images from this morning:

In the wall at St Andrew's Church a...........

..........wasp nest.

Looking at the facial markings I would say these are German Wasp, Vespula germanica

At this time of year the butterflies are looking a bit worse for wear. This is a Meadow Brown on a Buddleia.

A few seconds later it met up with a female on a Hemp Agrimony

Not a Meadow Brown but a Gatekeeper, also on a Buddleia.

And two more on Hemp Agrimony.

Church Ope Cove

On Penns Weare above the cove a Bloody-nosed Beetle. I've not seen too many of these beetles this year. Last year they were along the paths and tracks.

Now this chap looks interesting. It was in The Cuttings Quarry alongside the Gatekeepers, Chalk Hill Blues and bees.

It is a Thick-headed Fly, Physocephala rufipes. There is no common name for this fly, but in Holland it is simply called the Bat. A new one for me on Portland.

Still plenty of Gatekeepers about.

Elsewhere the butterflies are on Hemp Agrimony except in the quarry where they are still feeding on the Wild Marjoram.

This is a very faded Field Cuckoo Bumblebee (Bombus campestris).

My one and only shot of a Brown-banded Carder Bee (Bombus humilis). I managed this grab shot and then it disappeared. Shame really, as this is the first one I have seen outside of the gardens of Portland Bird Observatory.

Along the Mermaid Track a Painted Lady. A bit of a tatty one, not like the pristine ones seen on Portland yesterday.

Also here a Red Admiral.

Looks like it's keeping an eye on me.

One of the several Hornet Mimic Hoverflies out today, plus a Dead Head Fly for company. You wouldn't think it, but both of these are hoverflies.

And all of them on Hemp Agrimony

The Hornet Mimic Hoverfly flew off leaving the Dead Head Fly to enjoy the Hemp Agrimony in peace.

Another Dead Head Fly (Myathropa florea)

Birds Recorded: 1 Sparrowhawk, Herring Gull, Wood Pigeon, Collared Dove, Dunnock, Robin, Blackbird, 3 Willow Warbler, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Wren, Magpie, Carrion Crow, House Sparrow, Chaffinch and Goldfinch.

Butterflies Recorded: Large White, Meadow Brown, Gatekeeper, 2 Marbled White, Red Admiral, Painted Lady and Chalk Hill Blue

Moths Recorded: Carnation Tortrix (Cacoecimorpha pronubana)

Bees Recorded: Honey Bees (Apis mellifera), Common Carder (Bombus pascuorum), Red-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus lapidarius), Field Cuckoo Bumblebee (Bombus campestris) and Hairy-footed Flower Bee (Anthophora plumipes)

Wasps Recorded: German Wasp (Vespula germanica)

Hoverflies Recorded: Marmalade Hoverfly (Episyrphus balteatus), Dead Head Fly (Myathropa florea) and Hornet Mimic Hoverfly (Volucella zonaria)

Flies Recorded: Thick-headed Fly (Physocephala rufipes)

Bugs and Beetles Recorded: Bloody-nosed Beetle (Timarcha tenebricosa)

Grasshoppers and Crickets Recorded: Meadow Grasshopper (Chorthippus parallelus) and Common Field Grasshopper (Chorthippus brunneus)

Wakeham

In the back garden, late afternoon, there were 5 species of butterfly with 2 Painted Lady's, a Red Admiral, 2 Large Whites, a Gatekeeper and a Green-veined White. Also about were Red-tailed Bumblebees and Honey Bees on the lavender.

Here are a few images from this afternoon: