Old Quarry Lane, Wakeham Meadow, Perryfield Quarry Butterfly Reserve, Cheyne Weares, Church Ope Cove, Rufus Castle and Portland Museum
I think the word yuck sums up today, but at least Ted and I managed to get out for a walk before the next bank of cloud and heavy drizzle hit the island again. In fact as I write this at 14:16, it is darker outside than it was this morning. Yep its pretty grim out there.
Birds Recorded:
Herring Gull, Great Black-backed Gull, Wood Pigeon, Meadow Pipit, Dunnock, Blackbird, 3 Common Whitethroat, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Wren, Magpie, Carrion Crow, House Sparrow and Goldfinch
I think the word yuck sums up today, but at least Ted and I managed to get out for a walk before the next bank of cloud and heavy drizzle hit the island again. In fact as I write this at 14:16, it is darker outside than it was this morning. Yep its pretty grim out there.
Birds Recorded:
Herring Gull, Great Black-backed Gull, Wood Pigeon, Meadow Pipit, Dunnock, Blackbird, 3 Common Whitethroat, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Wren, Magpie, Carrion Crow, House Sparrow and Goldfinch
A Dunnock along Old Quarry Lane. Shame about the twig.
And the male Common Whitethroat again in the horse meadow. I think I need a bigger lens.
Just off Cheyne Weares was this adult Great Black-backed Gull.
1 Large White, 2 Meadow Brown and 1 Common Blue
Moths Recorded:
Garden Grass-veneers (Chrysoteuchia culmella)
Well I'm happy with Garden Grass-veneer for this one........
...........but this one and the same moth below.........
Bees Recorded:
Honey Bees (Apis mellifera), Early Bumblebee (Bombus pratorum), Buff-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus terrestris), Common Carder (Bombus pascuorum) and Red-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus lapidarius)
A male Red-tailed Bumblebee
Hoverflies Recorded:
Marmalade Hoverfly (Episyrphus balteatus), Long Hoverfly (Sphaerophoria scripta) and Chequered Hoverfly (Melanostoma scalare)
Flies, Craneflies, Gnats and Midges Recorded:
Yellow Dung Fly (Scathophaga stercoraria) and 2 Four-spot Wingwaver (Herina lugubris)
Not the nicest of names but this is a female Yellow Dung Fly (Scathophaga stercoraria)
If I have got this right, these two Trembling-wing flies are.............
Here is a short video of the Four-spot Wingwavers, with a couple ants sp. and some smaller unidentified flies.
Bugs and Beetles Recorded:
Swollen-thighed Beetle (Oedemera nobilis) and Lesser Thick-legged Flower Beetle (Ischnomera cyanea)
Crickets and Grasshoppers Recorded:
Great Green Bush Cricket nymph (Tettigonia viridissima)
Slugs and Snails Recorded:
White-lipped Banded Snail (Cepaea hortensis), Brown-lipped Banded Snail (Cepaea nemoralis), Garden Snail (Cornu aspersa) and Black Slug (Arion ater)
With the damp conditions the slugs and snails were out in force. This is a Brown-lipped Banded Snail (Cepaea nemoralis)
And close-by were these two...........
.................White-lipped Banded Snails (Cepaea hortensis) The colour and pattern difference is pretty varied.
Pyramidal Orchid (Anacamptis pyramidalis), Ivy Broomrape (Orobanche hederae) and Wild Thyme (Thymus polytrichus)
An Ivy Broomrape (Orobanche hederae)
Wild Thyme (Thymus polytrichus)
Local Area
Church Ope Cove and Rufus Castle
Church Ope Cove beach and Rufus Castle above.
Rufus Castle overlooking Church Ope Cove and Penn's Weare.
Ted
Five Ted's has been my best so far 😃
Five isn't bad, but six would be impressive.
Two yachts today, one is "Time to Dance" and the other is "Trinity". The latter sailing without its transponder on.
This is the British Yacht "A Time To Dance" on its way from Portland Harbour to an unknown destination. More on this vessel Here
Unfortunately this smart looking catamaran "Trinity" didn't have its transponder on, so I have no details on this vessel.