31 May 20

Horse Paddock, Wakeham Meadow, Easton Railway Cuttings and Wakeham Railway Cuttings

For a change I had a walk around the Horse Paddock and Meadow across the road from the Cottage. No real highlights other than there were quite a few grasshoppers and crickets. Not unexpected of course, as the habitat was mainly grass.

Here are my sightings, images and videos from today:

The Horse paddock and to the left...........

........the public footpath running alongside the fence. In this area there were a few butterflies including........

..........this Meadow Brown with its wings folded up.

And another with its wings slightly apart showing the single white dot in the black spot.

In the Horse paddock there are a few isolated blackberry bushes. In and around one particular bush there was this Green-longhorn Moth with those..........

................really long antenna's.

As I walked around the brambles, several grasshoppers and crickets made their escape from the grass I disturbed, by jumping into the brambles. One of them was this Common Green Grasshopper.

As above, but a different view.

Not a grasshopper, but a Roesel's Bush-cricket (Metrioptera roeselii). I guess this is an intermediate, judging by its smallish size. It is certainly not a nymph and was probably about 2/3 the size of an adult.

For the past week or so, all I have encountered have been male Swollen-thighed Beetles. Today I finally came across a female. Which is odd, but apparently not unique to Portland, as good friend of mine * Ed Wilson, remarked yesterday on the Friends of Priorslee Lake Blog, that he still hasn't seen a female to date.

Next to the horse paddock is this really lovely meadow, which very soon will really come alive with butterflies and moths. It's not too bad now with a few Common Blues, Meadow Browns and Burnet Companion moths. But I noticed today there were many Knapweed flowers just days away from bursting into flower. When that happens I should think there will be a few Marbled White butterflies and Six-spot Burnet Moths about.

Here is a Burnet Companion moth

Thank you to Ed Wilson for correcting me on this Carnation Tortrix. I originally had it down as a Light Brown Apple Moth.

Mint moth, Pyrausta aurata

And a Black-headed Conch, Cochylis atricapitana (Thank you to Ed again)

And another Thick-headed fly, Sicus ferrugineus. I found one 2 days ago at Church Ope Cove, so there are a few beginning to appear. One of my lovely "Ugly Flies".

Next location after the meadow was the old Easton Railway Cutting.

It is a mass of red and white Valerian, but a little bit to warm for a few butterflies.

I did come across this Small Skipper and there were 3 Common Blues, a Red Admiral and a Speckled Wood. But that was it.

And another Burnet Companion

My last leg of my walk was along the Wakeham Railway Cuttings.

Just as you reach the trees along the cutting, there was a sunlit Bramble and Privet, which was attracting Speckled Woods, Meadow Browns and this Narcissus Bulb Fly.

Here the Narcissus Bulb Fly is having a bit of a groom before flying off.

And the new look Ted enjoying his walk.

Birds Recorded: Herring Gull, Wood Pigeon, Collared Dove, Swallow, Dunnock, Robin, Blackbird, 2 Common Whitethroat, 1 Blackcap, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Wren, Magpie, Carrion Crow, Jackdaw, Starling, House Sparrow, Chaffinch and Goldfinch

Butterflies Recorded: 1 Small Skipper, Large White, 6 Speckled Wood, 5 Meadow Brown, 1 Red Admiral, and 5 Common Blue

Moths Recorded: 2 Burnet Companion (Euclidia glyphica), 1 Green-longhorn Moth (Adela reaumurella), Mint moth (Pyrausta aurata), Carnation Tortrix (Cacoecimorpha pronubana) and Black-headed Conch (Cochylis atricapitana)

Bees Recorded: Honey Bees (Apis mellifera) and Common Carder (Bombus pascuorum)

Hoverflies Recorded: 1 Narcissus Bulb Fly (Merodon equestris)

Crickets and Grasshoppers Recorded: Dark Bush-cricket nymphs (Pholidoptera griseoaptera), Roesel's Bush-cricket (Metrioptera roeselii) and Common Green Grasshopper (Omocestus viridulus)

Bugs and Beetles Recorded: Swollen-thighed Beetle (Oedemera nobilis)

Note:
*Both Ed and myself are co-founders of FoPL, which has been running now for a good 15 years, in an effort to protect the habitat from redevelopment. Our campaign was really successful and the lake and the surrounding land is now recognised as a Wildlife Site

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

On this day..........

2019
Today's Sightings Here.

2018
Today's Sightings Here.

2017
Today' Sightings Here.