Having dropped the car off at the garage Ted and I walked back home via the butterfly reserve. Unfortunately it wasn't the best of days for a walk, as there was thick cloud shrouding the whole of Portland and combined with a strong southwesterly it was looking pretty bleak.
However in a few sheltered spots I did find a few butterflies, including what was probably an emergence of 8 pristine Gatekeepers in a small patch of brambles. Also found was Hemp-agrimony Conch (Cochylidia rupicola) and another new moth for my Portland List.
Other things of interest were 2 House Martins feeding over the reserve, a male Common Whitethroat carrying food to a nest and 2 fly-by Greenfinches.
Here are a few images and a video from today:
The butterfly reserve is in two sections. This side where I came across.........
.......these Gatekeepers is just west of the Upper Horse Paddocks in Wakeham
I counted at least 8 and they were in pristine condition.
Perhaps they had just emerged.
And an umbellifer with more than one Common Red Soldier Beetle on it. The past few weeks has seen just singles, but today there were masses of them, on nearly plant I came across.
...............taking shelter in the Brambles like this Meadow Brown.
This a Hemp-agrimony Conch (Cochylidia rupicola) and a new moth for me. The colours look washed out on this shot, so...........
............I'm glad I potted it (temporarily before I released it), as this is the more or less the correct colour.
I have tried hard to identify this Ichneumon Wasp. It is slightly different from the "norm", in that it is a bit of a mix. I'm pretty sure I haven't seen an Ichneumon wasp that has black & yellow legs with a black & red abdomen.
If you ever notice small white "flies" around you, you can bet your bottom dollar they are Leafhoppers.
A much more enjoyable walk for Ted today. It wasn't cold, despite the cloud and wind, but certainly cooler than yesterday, when Ted had to find some shade from the sun. However as we turned the corner we were faced with............
............this.
Branches sawn off and rubbish.............
.............strewn all over the place. Very sad and disappointing to see.
Birds Recorded: Herring Gull, Great Black-backed Gull, Wood Pigeon, 2 House Martin, Dunnock, Robin, Blackbird, Common Whitethroat, Blackcap, Wren, Magpie, Carrion Crow, Jackdaw, House Sparrow, Chaffinch and 2 Greenfinch
Butterflies Recorded: Large Skipper, Large White, Small White, Speckled Wood, Ringlet, Meadow Brown, Gatekeeper, Marbled White, Red Admiral and a Small Blue
Moths Recorded: Hemp-agrimony Conch (Cochylidia rupicola)
Bees Recorded: Buff-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus terrestris)
Wasps Recorded: Common Wasp (Vespula vulgaris)
Ichneumon Wasps Recorded: Ichneumon sp.
Hoverflies Recorded: Marmalade Hoverfly (Episyrphus balteatus), Common Dronefly (Eristalis tenax)
Bugs and Beetles Recorded: Common Red Soldier Beetles (Rhagonycha fulva)