9 Jul 21

Old Quarry Lane and Wakeham Meadow

A much cloudier day, but still very warm. Some good highlights with my first Crescent Plume moth (Marasmarcha lunaedactyla) of the year, my first Six-spot Burnet moth in the meadow, a stunning Sycamore Piercer (Pammene aurita) and a Bright Bell (Eucosma hohenwartiana) which is  anew addition to my Portland Moth List.

Birds Recorded:
Herring Gull, Wood Pigeon, Collared Dove, Dunnock, Robin, Blackbird, Common Whitethroat, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Wren, Magpie, Carrion Crow, Jackdaw, House Sparrow, Chaffinch and Goldfinch

This may well be the last year we will see this male Common Whitethroat and its family in the meadow. Apparently the field they bred in this year and previous years has been bought by Portland's greediest building company, who will remain anonymous. No field or waste land is safe from this companies grasp, as they continue to build more homes on an already overcrowded island. 

Reptiles Recorded:
Slow-worm

There are at least five places I know of, that........

...........have Slow-worms. These two are right next to the field where the proposed houses are to be built.

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

Small Skipper

Ringlet

Ringlet

Meadow Brown

Another Meadow Brown

At first glance this Meadow Brown butterfly looks like a Gatekeeper. However Gatekeepers always have two white dots within the black spots. Very occasionally Meadow Brown's, like this one, have a second very light white dot in the black spot.

Not so many Marbled Whites today and in fact I didn't see a single "blue" butterfly either.

Moths Recorded:
Moth 1 - Sycamore Piercer (Pammene aurita)

Moth 2 - Dingy Dowd (Blastobasis adustella)

Moth 3 - Chalk-hill Bell (Pelochrista caecimaculana)

Moth 4 - Bright Bell (Eucosma hohenwartiana)

Moth 5 to 7 - Garden Grass-veneers (Chrysoteuchia culmella)

Moth 8 - Six-Spot Burnet moth (Zygaena filipendulae)

Moth 9 - Crescent Plume (Marasmarcha lunaedactyla)

Moth 1 - Sycamore Piercer (Pammene aurita)

Moth 2 - Dingy Dowd (Blastobasis adustella)

Moth 3 - Chalk-hill Bell (Pelochrista caecimaculana)

Moth 4 - Bright Bell (Eucosma hohenwartiana)

Moth 5 - Garden Grass-veneer (Chrysoteuchia culmella)

Moth 6 - Garden Grass-veneer (Chrysoteuchia culmella)

Moth 7 -  Possibly a worn Garden Grass-veneer (Chrysoteuchia culmella)

Moth 8 - Six-Spot Burnet moth (Zygaena filipendulae)

Moth 9 - 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 Honey Bee and an Ichneumon Wasp sp.

A Red-tailed Bumblebee

Ichneumon Wasps Recorded:
Ichneumon Wasp sps.

An Ichneumon Wasp to the left of the Honey Bee

Ichneumon Wasp sp.

Hoverflies Recorded:
Marmalade Hoverfly (Episyrphus balteatus), Long Hoverfly (Sphaerophoria scripta) and The Footballer (Helophilus pendulus) and a Bumblebee Hoverfly (Volucella bombylans)

When I saw this initially I really did think I was looking at a Red-tailed Bumblebee. I was close, this is in fact a Bumblebee Hoverfly (Volucella bombylans) and an excellent mimic of bumblebees. Certainly caught me out at first.

A male Long Hoverfly (Sphaerophoria scripta)

And another male Long Hoverfly (Sphaerophoria scripta)

Flies, Craneflies, Gnats and Midges Recorded:
Flies sp.

Sawflies Recorded:

Turnip Sawfly (Athalia rosae)

Turnip Sawfly (Athalia rosae)

Turnip Sawfly (Athalia rosae)

Bugs and Beetles Recorded:
Swollen-thighed Beetle (Oedemera nobilis), Lesser Thick-legged Flower Beetle (Ischnomera cyanea) and Common Red Soldier Beetles (Rhagonycha fulva)

A female Swollen-thighed Beetle (Oedemera nobilis)

Crickets and Grasshoppers Recorded:
Great Green Bush Cricket (Tettigonia viridissima) and Dark Bush-cricket (Pholidoptera griseoaptera)

Great Green Bush Cricket (Tettigonia viridissima)

Dark Bush-cricket (Pholidoptera griseoaptera)

Ants Recorded:
Small Black Ant (Lasius niger)

I believe these are Small Black Ants (Lasius niger). One thing is for sure, and that is when you inadvertently stand on their nest they swarm all over feet and legs.

Plants:

Lady's Bedstraw (Galium verum)

Lady's Bedstraw (Galium verum)

Ted:

I'm not sure what Ted was up to today, but he certainly did a lot of hiding.

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On this day..........

2020
Today's Sightings Here

2019
Today's Sightings Here

2018
Today's Sightings Here.

2017
Today' Sightings Here.