24 Jul 20

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

A windier day, but still very warm, especially when the sun came out early afternoon. Highlights today were the number of butterflies on the wing, with 15 recorded, including my first Wall Brown of the year. Just a shame it didn't stop for a photo.

Some good numbers of Six-spot Burnet Moths today, plus a Six-belted Clearwing which I came across in The Cuttings Quarry. And a new moth for my Portland Moth List, a Sycamore Piercer (Pammene aurita), appropriately called as it was sat on the "keys" of a Sycamore in Penn's Wood. 

Here are a few images and videos from today:

This Wren was very vocal.

And was scolding me and Ted. Most likely there were youngsters close by

So after videoing it for a few seconds, we carried on our walk.

Lots of Chalk Hill Blues seen today.

And another.

A different "Blue" butterfly. This time a Common Blue.

It was a good day for Peacocks with at least 5 noted, plus.........

..........lots of pristine Commas.

A head on view of a Speckled Wood.

And a Lulworth Skipper.

It wasn't just the butterflies out today, but quite a few Six-Spot Burnet Moths.

I just managed to get a head on shot of this Six-belted Clearwing before it flew off.

Spot the moth.

It is well camouflaged.

And the clue to its name is the tree it is on. A Sycamore Piercer and a new moth for my Portland List.

A White-tailed Bumblebee.

This a worker Red-tailed Bumblebee

This has to be a Honey Bee surely!!

Well I'm pretty sure it isn't an Ashy Mining Bee. Or could it be. One to research later.

An Ichneumon wasp to ID.

A male Long Hoverfly (Sphaerophoria scripta)

Common Red Soldier Beetle on an umbellifer

He's a funny dog.

Here he is watching the people on the beach.

He sat there for ages, which did make me wonder what he thought he was looking at. I mean those people look very small from his viewpoint!!! 

And yep another warm day and the perfect hideaway to keep out of the sun. This is definitely Ted's pit stop and he was very happy that I bought along some water for him.

Birds Recorded: Kestrel, Herring Gull, Great Black-backed Gull, Wood Pigeon, Collared Dove, Dunnock, Blackbird, Wren, Magpie, Carrion Crow, House Sparrow, Chaffinch, Linnet and Goldfinch

Reptiles Recorded: Wall Lizard

Dragonflies and Damselflies Recorded: Emperor Dragonfly

Butterflies Recorded: Small Skipper, Lulworth Skipper, Large White, Small White, Speckled Wood, 1 Wall Brown, Ringlet, Meadow Brown, Gatekeeper, Marbled White, Red Admiral, Peacock, 5 Comma, Common Blue and Chalk Hill Blue

Moths Recorded: 1 Six-belted Clearwing (Bembecia ichneumoniformis), Six-Spot Burnet moth (Zygaena filipendulae) and a Sycamore Piercer (Pammene aurita)

Bees Recorded: Honey Bees (Apis mellifera), Common Carder (Bombus pascuorum), Red-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus lapidarius), White-tailed bumblebee (Bombus lucorum) and several "Grey" Bees

Wasps Recorded: Common Wasp (Vespula vulgaris)

Ichneumon Wasps Recorded: Ichneumon sp.

Hoverflies Recorded: Marmalade Hoverfly (Episyrphus balteatus), Long Hoverfly (Sphaerophoria scripta) and Common Dronefly (Eristalis tenax)

Bugs and Beetles Recorded: 7-spot Ladybird (Coccinella septempunctata), Swollen-thighed Beetle (Oedemera nobilis) and Common Red Soldier Beetles (Rhagonycha fulva)

Ships Today

This is the British Trawler 'Nicola-L' on her way back into Weymouth Harbour. No info on this vessel but a close-up photo of her in Weymouth Harbour Here.

This is the British Yacht "Cruella De Vil" on its way from Dartmouth to Portland. 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.