Port and Wey: 11 Aug 21

Old Quarry Lane, Wakeham Meadow and Easton Railway Cuttings

It was another sunny day, despite the weatherman saying it was going to be overcast. I'm so pleased he got it wrong as it was what a great day for butterflies, Day-flying moths and other invertebrates. And I even managed to see a Hummingbird Hawkmoth, albeit for a few seconds.

Birds Recorded:
Herring Gull
Wood Pigeon
4 House Martin
Dunnock
1 Willow Warbler
Blue Tit
Wren
Magpie
Carrion Crow
Jackdaw
House Sparrow
Chaffinch
Linnet
Goldfinch

A Willow Warbler making its way through the undergrowth.

Dragonflies and Damselflies Recorded:

2 Common Darter

For the past week or so there has been this female Common Darter along Old Quarry Lane.

Today she was joined by a male.

A side view of the male.

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

Just the one Small Skipper found today

Great to see a Wall Brown in the Easton Railway Cuttings. Shame about the twig.

And the same Wall Brown as above, but on the path this time.

The Gatekeepers are looking a bit worn now.

Some are getting quite tatty.

Here's one on a flowery Blackberry.

A male Common Blue

And I also came across quite a few female common Blues.

This one and...............

...........this one are the same female.

But here's a third female Common Blue.

Along the Easton Railway Cutting were these..........

............Chalk Hill Blues.

And another.

Moths Recorded:
Hummingbird Hawk-moth (Macroglossum stellatarum)

Jersey Tiger (Euplagia quadripunctaria)
Six-Spot Burnet moth (Zygaena filipendulae)
Yellow-spot Tortrix (Pseudargyrotoza conwagana)

It has been quite sometime since I have seen a Hummingbird Hawkmoth. This one was in the Cuttings for a short time. It was a case of point and shoot, and I got lucky.

It seems wherever I go there is a Jersey Tiger moth. This one was along Old Quarry Lane.

Yellow-spot Tortrix (Pseudargyrotoza conwagana)

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

A very pale Common Carder Bee. Well at least I think it is!!!

Hoverflies Recorded:
Marmalade Hoverfly (Episyrphus balteatus)
Common Dronefly (Eristalis tenax)

Lesser Hornet Hoverfly (Volucella inanis)

This has to be one of my best shots of a Common Dronefly. The lens was almost touching its legs.

Here's another Common Dronefly.

And a "dark form" individual.

Hopefully I have got this right and this is a Lesser Hornet Hoverfly (Volucella inanis), but is the abdomen round enough!!!

Hmm. This looks familiar, but another one to check later.

Flies, Craneflies, Gnats and Midges Recorded:
Yellow Bellied Fly (Sciara hemerobioides)

Parasitic fly (Eriothrix rufomaculata)

Yellow Bellied Fly (Sciara hemerobioides) using flash

And another using natural light.

Here are 7 maybe 8 Yellow Bellied Fly (Sciara hemerobioides)

This is the Parasitic fly (Eriothrix rufomaculata)

Bugs and Beetles Recorded:
Swollen-thighed Beetle (Oedemera nobilis)

Common Red Soldier Beetles (Rhagonycha fulva)

A female Swollen-thighed Beetle (Oedemera nobilis)

Common Red Soldier Beetle (Rhagonycha fulva)

Crickets and Grasshoppers Recorded:
Meadow Grasshopper (Chorthippus parallelus)

Slugs and Snails Recorded:
White-lipped Banded Snail (Cepaea hortensis)