Another beautiful day and a pleasant walk from the cottage to the cove and then back home via Bumpers Lane. Just 3 Chiffchaffs found, with one singing at the back of the cove. No other migrants seen, but did I hear a few Swallows chattering over Rufus Castle. Unfortunately I was tucked in behind the beach huts and couldn't get back onto the beach to see. Another day maybe.
A few more butterflies about and though I have seen female Orange-tip this Spring, I came across my first male in the church grounds were there was also a Large White. At the back f the cove was a Peacock.
A Carnation Tortrix Moth was the my first moth of Spring and was on the south facing slopes at the cove, where there was also a "mini" Dark-edged Bee-fly. The Bee-fly was almost half the size you would expect and when I checked it out on Social Media, it turns out there are quite a few small Bombylius major this Spring, even as far north as Northamptonshire.
Lots of bees about as you would expect and a Fabricius' Nomad Bee (Nomada fabriciana) was an interesting one to find at the back of the cove. Also on the same path was another Nomad Bee, but not one I could identify. In Penns Wood there were 4 Hairy-footed Flower Bees and an Early Mining Bee (Andrena haemorrhoa). All the bees seen today are listed below.
It wasn't just the bees out in good numbers but also hoverflies. The list is below, but new for this Spring was a Dead Head Hoverfly in Penns Copse and an Eristalinus aeneus which is a new one for me on Portland, with 2 on the south facing slopes at the cove.
Here are a few images and videos from today:
Great Tits must have the greatest repertoire of calls known to birds.
It was a bit like walking around inside a vivarium today, with lots.............
............of Wall Lizards basking in the sun.
An Early Mining Bee sat on the leaf of a Japonica in Penns Wood.
This is a Fabricius' Nomad Bee (Nomada fabriciana) with its..........
...............very distinctive coloured abdomen.
Here it is visiting its "home".
And once inside a quick look to see what's going on.
This is a hoverfly and a male Eristalinus aeneus which was on the south facing slopes at the cove.
It is also the first one I have found on Portland
Talking about firsts, this a Deadhead Hoverfly and.......
..........the first seen this year.
And what I first thought was a Heath Bee-fly (Bombylius minor) turns out............
............to be a very small Dark-edged Bee-fly. Apparently there are a lot of small ones this Spring.
And finally a 7-Spot Ladybird
Mammals Recorded: Bunny
Birds Recorded: Herring Gull, Wood Pigeon, Collared Dove, Pied Wagtail, Dunnock, Robin, Blackbird, 3 Chiffchaff, Long-tailed Tit, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Wren, Magpie, Carrion Crow, Jackdaw, House Sparrow, Chaffinch, Linnet and Goldfinch
Reptiles Recorded: Wall Lizard (Podarcis muralis)
Butterflies Recorded: Peacock, Orange-tip and Large White
Moths Recorded: 1 Carnation Tortrix (Cacoecimorpha pronubana)
Bees Recorded: Honey Bees (Apis mellifera), Buff-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus terrestris), Hairy-footed Flower Bee (Anthophora plumipes), Early Mining Bee (Andrena haemorrhoa), Fabricius' Nomad Bee (Nomada fabriciana) and a possible Gooden's Nomad Bee (Nomada goodeniana)
Hoverflies Recorded: Marmalade Hoverfly (Episyrphus balteatus), Dead Head Hoverfly (Myathropa florea), Common Dronefly (Eristalis tenax), Tapered Dronefly (Eristalis pertinax), Migrant Hoverfly (Meliscaeva auricollis), Eristalinus aeneus and many Syrphus sps.
Flies, Gnats and Midges Recorded: Dark-edged Bee-fly (Bombylius major) and Muscid Flies sp.