10 Aug 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

Hurray, Summer is back, but for how long, who knows. And at long last it was a decent walk for me and Ted.

Highlights were watching an Emperor Dragonfly and a Migrant Hawker hawking in the church grounds. Neither caught any butterflies, but you got the feeling that the Commas and Red Admirals were certainly aware these predators were about.

Birds Recorded:
Cormorant
Herring Gull
Wood Pigeon
Several House Martin
Dunnock
Robin
Blackbird
1 Chiffchaff
Long-tailed Tit
Great Tit
Blue Tit
Wren
Magpie
Carrion Crow
House Sparrow
Chaffinch
Goldfinch


Reptiles Recorded:
2 Wall Lizard

It was wonderful weather today, but incredibly I only saw 3 Wall Lizards. Mind you with so many visitors heading down to the beach, many of the lizards were hidden away.

This individual is just starting to shed its skin.


Dragonflies and Damselflies Recorded:
1 Emperor Dragonfly
1 Migrant Hawker

Unfortunately the Emperor Dragonfly didn't pose for me, but this.......

........Migrant Hawker did twice. Both were in the grounds of St Andrew's Church


Butterflies Recorded:
Large White
Small White
2 Speckled Wood
Meadow Brown
Gatekeeper
1 Marbled White
3 Red Admiral
1 Painted Lady
3 Comma
Several Common Blue
4 Chalk Hill Blue

There were plenty of butterflies about like this Common Blue and.......

.............Chalk Hill Blue


Moths Recorded:
1 Silver Y (Autographa gamma)
1 Sycamore Piercer (Pammene aurita)

This is most definitely the best photo I have taken of a Sycamore Piercer (Pammene aurita). This one was on a Sycamore leaf, of course, in Penn's Copse.


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


Ichneumon Wasps Recorded:
1 Ichneumon suspiciosus

On the this Japanese Spindle in Penns Wood, is what I believe to be the Ichneumon wasp Ichneumon suspiciosus.


Hoverflies Recorded:
Marmalade Hoverfly (Episyrphus balteatus)
Long Hoverfly (Sphaerophoria scripta)
Dead Head Hoverfly (Myathropa florea)
Common Dronefly (Eristalis tenax)

At the bottom of Penns Wood were dozens of these Dead Head Hoverflies enjoying the sun.


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

A very very small fly which I came across on Penn's Weare. I don't think there is any chance of ID'ing this little fella.


Bugs and Beetles Recorded:
Devil's Coach Horse (Ocypus olens)

Not seen on my walk but when I got home I came across this........

.............Devil's Coach Horse (Ocypus olens)


Crickets and Grasshoppers Recorded:
Common Green Grasshopper (Omocestus viridulus)

Can you spot the Common Green Grasshopper (Omocestus viridulus)

It is pretty well camouflaged, but it's in the dead centre of this image.


Spiders Recorded:
Noble False Widow (Steatoda nobilis)

I'm probably way off the mark, but I'm wondering whether this spider is a............

...................Noble False Widow (Steatoda nobilis)

I also came across this when I got home.


General Shots:

A very busy beach at Church Ope Cove.


Ted:

And Ted back up on the wall overlooking the cove.


Ships Today

This is the British Sailing Ship "Queen Galadriel" on its way from Poole to an unknown destination. More on this vessel Here

There is quite a bit of info on Queen Galadriel on these websites below.




Aircraft Today:

This is the Zenith Zenair CH601 HDS aircraft flying over Portland today. More on this aircraft Here.


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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.