Port and Wey: 6 Jul 21

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

Today was extremely windy, with wind speeds up to 30mph. But at least it was sunny and out of the wind, was surprisingly warm.

I had some really good highlights today with a Six-belted Clearwing (Bembecia ichneumoniformis) in the Cuttings Quarry, my first Six-Spot Burnet moth (Zygaena filipendulae) of the year, next to Penn's Copse and I also came across my favourite "ugly" fly a Thick-headed Fly (Sicus ferrugineus).

The Chiffchaff is still along the Mermaid Track where there was also a Blackcap.

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

Penn's Weare is one of those places where you can actually watch Kestrels from above them. I had this one right smack in the centre of the frame and as I took the shot, it dropped a couple of feet and then it was off.

Reptiles Recorded:
Wall Lizard

Not too many Wall Lizards seen today, mainly due I think to the number of people visiting the cove and spooking them as they made their way down to the beach

Butterflies Recorded:
Small Skipper, Lulworth Skipper, Large Skipper, Large White, Speckled Wood, Marbled White, Common Blue

Small Skipper on a Pyramidal Orchid

A Large Skipper

Speckled Wood

Marbled White

A male Common Blue

As above, but now on a Biting Stonecrop

Moths Recorded:
A Six-belted Clearwing (Bembecia ichneumoniformis) and a Six-Spot Burnet moth (Zygaena filipendulae)

Six-belted Clearwing (Bembecia ichneumoniformis)

This Six-belted Clearwing is only the 3rd one I have seen on Portland. The first two were in the Wakeham Meadow, this one was in the Cuttings Quarry. It was a shame it was so windy, especially as I managed to video it having a "brush-up".

Six-Spot Burnet moth (Zygaena filipendulae)

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

Common Carder (Bombus pascuorum) inside the flower of either a Larger Bindweed (Calystegia silvatica) or a Hedge Bindweed (Calystegia sepium)

Wasps Recorded:
Potter Wasp (Ancistrocerus sp.)