6 Jun 20

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

A reverse walk today for a change and its not often I'm that lucky, but it stayed dry until I got home. It was certainly much needed rain, so no complaints here. It was still pretty windy and there was very little sunshine on the walk, with the main highlight today being a Blackcap singing along the Mermaid Track.

I also had a new fly today a Minettia longipennis, which I came across in Penn's Copse. Also here was a possible Negro Ant (Formica fusca)

Here are my sightings and a few images from this afternoon

Apart from the Blackcap along the Mermaid Track, there was nothing of interest in the windswept Quarry or around Rufus Castle. So it was down the steps to Penn's Copse on the left.

Alongside the steps the 7-spot Ladybird was still on the nettle, with a little bit more colour to its shell. You can just about make in the top right-hand corner the "black patch" where its pupae was once attached.

Also flitting about in the hedgerow was this Speckled Wood. Yesterday there was a bit of an emergence, especially in Penns Wood. Today they were spread wide and far.

So what we have is Penn's Copse is in the centre of picture, to the right the cliffs supporting Rufus Castle, to the left one of the tracks that lead you down to the beach at Church Ope Cove

In the copse I came across quite a few flies...........

........including what I think is an Orange Muscid Fly (Phaonia pallida). My hesitancy in suggesting it is, is because this individual is a very dull orange and not as vibrant as I have seen them before

..........and this fly is a Minettia longipennis Fly and found around hedgerows and well wooded areas.

It wasn't just flies in this area, but also several ants (Possibly Negro Ant, Formica fusca) running across the Sycamore leaves........

........whilst below deck I came across a few Dark-bush Crickets.

This is looking back towards Penn's Copse.

On Penn's Weare my first Chalk Hill Blue of the year. This one is a male. Or so I thought!! Nick Urch from the Dorset Butterfly Conservation Group, who along with other colleagues have re-identified this as a worn Adonis Blue. And the rationale behind this "Pattern of black spots on the hindwings of Adonis and Chalk Hill are very similar but background colour is different. Male Chalk Hill has a very pale underneath to forewing and female much browner – in this photo it’s quite grey. Also time of year points to Adonis which are towards the end of their first flight time whilst Chalk Hill wouldn’t be expected for a few weeks yet. It seems that as Adonis ages blue on underneath of wings becomes more obvious and black marks on wing edges less obvious."

As you come down off the Weare there are a couple of ways you can get to the beach. This is my favoured route down the track on the south facing slope. There are often many micro moths in the low bushes, though sadly not today. Too cold and windy. It is also a good location, when the sun is out, for nomad bees, though I've yet to identify the exact species. One day!!

The Pyramidal Orchid I came across a few days ago down the track has a.......

...........companion just a couple of feet away.

And the last few metres of the track has this slightly awkward drop, where a bit of awareness is required. Once down though it is a great spot for many insects including this.......

..............Meadow Brown.

Once on the beach there are a good number of sheltered spots out of the wind and between the beach huts I came across these........

...............Bloody-nosed Beetles mating, plus..........

.........my first my first Large Skipper of year.

Also in the shelter of the beach huts I came across the rather worn female Common Blue.

And to add a bit of colour to a very grey day were these.......

.............Californian Poppies (Eschscholzia californica)

Away from the beach and it was up the steps to........

................the grounds of St Andrew's Church, where I came across a.........

...........Speckled Wood.

Good old Ted, enjoying his walk

Birds Recorded: Herring Gull, Great Black-backed Gull, Wood Pigeon, Dunnock, Robin, Blackbird, 1 Blackcap, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Wren, Magpie, Carrion Crow, Chaffinch and Goldfinch

Butterflies Recorded: Large Skipper, Large White, Speckled Wood, Meadow Brown, Red Admiral, Common Blue and Adonis Blue

Moths Recorded: None

Bees Recorded: Bees Recorded: Honey Bees (Apis mellifera), Early Bumblebee (Bombus pratorum), Buff-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus terrestris), Common Carder (Bombus pascuorum), Red-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus lapidarius), Garden Bumblebee (Bombus hortorum) and White-tailed bumblebee (Bombus lucorum)

Hoverflies Recorded: 1 Marmalade Hoverfly (Episyrphus balteatus)

Flies, Craneflies, Gnats and Midges Recorded: Minettia longipennis and a probable Orange Muscid Fly (Phaonia pallida)

Crickets and Grasshoppers Recorded: Dark Bush-cricket nymphs (Pholidoptera griseoaptera) and Common Green Grasshopper (Omocestus viridulus)

Bugs and Beetles Recorded: 7-spot Ladybird (Coccinella septempunctata), Swollen-thighed Beetle (Oedemera nobilis) and 2 Bloody-nosed Beetle (Timarcha tenebricosa)

Ants Recorded: Possible Negro Ant (Formica fusca)

Ships Today

Throughout the Covid-19 Pandemic, there have been up to 9 Cruise Ships anchored in Weymouth Bay. This particular one is the Passenger Ship "Arcadia" flying the flag of Bermuda. Here it is leaving Weymouth Bay and presumably returning later. More on this vessel Here.

This is the Liberian Tanker "High Courage" on its way from Antwerp (Belgium) to Montreal (Canada). More on this vessel Here.

This is the Maltese Tanker "Skaw Provider" on its way from Falmouth to Portland Harbour. More on this vessel Here.

Here Skaw Provider and High Courage cross paths.

This is the Maltese Ro/Ro Cargo Ship "Delphine" on its way from Zeebrugge (Belgium) to Dublin . More on this vessel Here.

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

2019
Today's Sightings Here.

2018
Today's Sightings Here.

2017
Today' Sightings Here.