20 Apr 20

Lower Horse Paddock, Bumpers Lane, The Cuttings, Rufus Castle, Penn's Copse, Penn's Weare, Church Ope Cove, St Andrew's Church and Penns Wood.

 It was an early afternoon walk today and the only migrants I came across were 2 male Blackcaps singing in Penns Wood and that was it!! A far cry from the migrants moving through over the past couple of days. In fact I had a better day yesterday in the back garden

Today was mostly about the invertebrates I came across, which included a Comma that landed on my head. Would have made a great selfie!!

Penn's Copse was pretty good today, despite the breezy north-easterly and there was a mixture of bees, hoverflies and flies, including my first Fever-fly of the year.

Here are a few images from today:

Lovely blue skies and.............

........blue seas at Church Ope Cove

A Grey-patched Mining Bee - Andrena nitida

There was also this bee, which is looking really "pale" from the pollen covering its body. I guess an Andrena, but I'm not sure which one.

A Comma butterfly. You can just about make the white comma on the underwing, from which it gets its name.

A Dock Bug on one of the hundreds of Alexanders along the steps and tracks. Normally at this time of year they would have all been chopped back.

I'm not sure if this Epistrophe eligans is the most numerous of hoverflies on the wing at the moment. But it is certainly a species which I'm noticing more along my walk.

Not one I've seen before and sadly........

.........not a fly I will be able identify, other than that it is a member of the Macquartia species.

And my first Fever-fly of the year.

This species is also related to the similar looking St Mark's Fly, which has a lot more hair on the thorax than Fever-flies. I'm sure I've got that right!!

And a "why have we stopped Dad" shot of Ted

Mammals Recorded: Bunny

Birds Recorded: Herring Gull, Great Black-backed Gull, Wood Pigeon, Collared Dove, Pied Wagtail, Dunnock, Robin, Blackbird, 2 Blackcap, Long-tailed Tit, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Wren, Magpie, Carrion Crow, Jackdaw, House Sparrow, Chaffinch, Linnet and Goldfinch

Reptiles Recorded: Wall Lizard

Butterflies Recorded: Peacock, Orange-tip, Small White and a Large White

Bees Recorded: Honey Bees (Apis mellifera), Buff-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus terrestris), Common Carder (Bombus pascuorum), Red-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus lapidarius), Early Mining Bee (Andrena haemorrhoa), Mining Bee (Andrena scotica), Ashy Mining Bee (Andrena cineraria), Yellow-legged Mining Bees (Andrena flavipe) and quite a few nomad sp.

Ichneumon Wasps Recorded: Ichneumon stramentor

Hoverflies Recorded: Marmalade Hoverfly (Episyrphus balteatus), Dead Head Fly (Myathropa florea), Epistrophe eligans and Syrphus sp.

Flies, Craneflies, Gnats and Midges Recorded: Muscid Fly (Phaonia subventa), Celery fly (Euleia heraclei),  Fever Fly (Dilophus febrilis) and a Macquartia sp.

 Bugs and Beetles Recorded: Dock Bug (Coreus marginatus)

Ships Today
This is Cargo Ship "Fluvus Plym" flying the flag of the Bahamas. It is on its way from Rouen (France) to Westhinder (Belgium). More on this vessel Here.

This is the British Patrol Ship "HMS Tyne" in Weymouth Bay. More on this vessel Here.

This is the British Replenishment Ship "RFA Tidespring" on its way from Portsmouth to an unknown destination (Probably Plymouth). More on this vessel Here.

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On this day..........
2019
Today's Sightings Here.

2018
Today's Sightings Here.