Port and Wey: 12 Jul 21

Old Quarry Lane, Wakeham Meadow and Easton Railway Cuttings

After the morning rain moved on, it actually turned out quite nice, though looking towards the mainland you could see the clouds building up again.

Highlights today were 2 species of Thick-headed Fly and finding two 7-Spot Ladybirds, the first seen for many weeks.

Birds Recorded:
Herring Gull, Wood Pigeon, 2 House Martin, Dunnock, 2 Common Whitethroat, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Wren, Magpie, Carrion Crow, Jackdaw, House Sparrow, Chaffinch, Linnet and Goldfinch

Butterflies Recorded:
Small Skipper, Large Skipper, Large White, Ringlet, Meadow Brown, Marbled White and Common Blue

A Small Skipper

Ringlet

Meadow Brown

Marbled White

Marbled White

This Marbled White has just emerged and is now pumping blood into its wings. I managed to video it, in its last stages before it flew off.

Moths Recorded:
Garden Grass-veneers (Chrysoteuchia culmella), Silver Y (Autographa gamma), a Chalk-hill Bell (Pelochrista caecimaculana) and 5 Crescent Plumes (Marasmarcha lunaedactyla)

Chalk-hill Bell (Pelochrista caecimaculana)

Crescent Plume (Marasmarcha lunaedactyla)

Bees Recorded:
Honey Bees (Apis mellifera), Buff-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus terrestris), Common Carder (Bombus pascuorum) and Red-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus lapidarius)

A male Buff-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus terrestris) on Knapweed

And another male Buff-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus terrestris) this time on a plant I need to ID.

Wasps Recorded:
A possible Ruby–tailed Jewel Wasp (Chrysis ignita)

There are several Ruby-tailed Wasps in the UK. This one looks like a Ruby–tailed Jewel Wasp (Chrysis ignita), but to be absolutely sure it would need an expert examination.

Whatever species it is, it's an absolutely stunner of a wasp

Here are a few more shots of it.

And another.

And last one.

Not a photo but slo-mo video of the Ruby Wasp

Ichneumon Wasps Recorded:

1 - Ichneumon Wasp sp.

2 - Ichneumon Wasp sp.

1 - Ichneumon Wasp sp.

2 - Ichneumon Wasp sp.

Hoverflies Recorded:
Marmalade Hoverfly (Episyrphus balteatus), Long Hoverfly (Sphaerophoria scripta) and Hornet Mimic Hoverfly (Volucella zonaria)

Long Hoverfly (Sphaerophoria scripta)

Hornet Mimic Hoverfly (Volucella zonaria)

Flies, Craneflies, Gnats and Midges Recorded:
1 - Fly sp.

2 - Fly sp.

3 - Fly sp.

4 - A Thick-headed Fly (Physocephala rufipes)

5 & 6 - Thick-headed Flies (Sicus ferrugineus)

1 - Fly sp.

2 - Fly sp.

3 - Fly sp.

3 - Fly sp. and a Swollen-thighed Beetle

4 - A Thick-headed Fly (Physocephala rufipes)

4 - Another photo of the Thick-headed Fly (Physocephala rufipes)

A short video of the Thick-headed Fly (Physocephala rufipes)

4 -And another species of Thick-headed Fly this time Sicus ferrugineus

5 - And this a second one I found. Thick-headed Fly (Sicus ferrugineus)

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

A 7-spot Ladybird (Coccinella septempunctata)

Swollen-thighed Beetle (Oedemera nobilis) and a mystery fly

Crickets and Grasshoppers Recorded:
Great Green Bush Cricket (Tettigonia viridissima)

Slugs and Snails Recorded:
Garden Snail (Cornu aspersa)

Garden Snail (Cornu aspersa)

Spiders Recorded:
The possible Cucumber Green Orb Spider (Araniella cucurbitina sensu stricto)

Plants:
1 - Pyramidal Orchid (Anacamptis pyramidalis)

2 - Plant sp.

3 - Plant sp.