Port and Wey: 13 Aug 21

Inmosthay Quarry and Tout Quarry

Well today's walk was a new one for me and Ted on Portland. I parked up behind Portland Heights Hotel, crossed the main road and we made our way down the track through Inmosthay Quarry to the tunnel under Wide Street.

On the other side of the tunnel was Tout Quarry, but instead of walking around Tout, Ted and I took a track to the north which, led us to a rocky outcrop above West Weare with an amazing views of Chesil Beach and Portland Harbour.

The walk was more about finding lots of butterflies and I wasn't disappointed with 11 possibly 12 species, including 2 Graylings.

Unusual sighting today though, was a jet black coloured lizard. No photos unfortunately but I certainly won't forget what I saw.

Birds Recorded:
1 Kestrel
Herring Gull
Great Black-backed Gull
Wood Pigeon
House Martin
Swallow
Pied Wagtail
Magpie
Carrion Crow
Jackdaw
Linnet
Goldfinch

Reptiles Recorded:
Lizard sp.
Slow-worm

Wherever there are metal sheets lying about, there is always the chance of seeing a Slow-worm under one.

And so it proved to be with this large adult under this one in Inmosthay Quarry

Butterflies Recorded:
4 Small Skipper
Large White
Small White
1 Green-veined White
3 Wall Brown
Meadow Brown
Gatekeeper
2 Grayling
1 Red Admiral
1 Painted Lady
Common Blue
10+ Chalk Hill Blue

Possibly a worn Summer brood female Green-veined White. The white lines on the black markings on each wing tip seem to match this Here. Also the pattern on the forward wing appears to be similar as well. If it is correct, it is my first Green-veined White this year.

A slightly battered Wall Brown

Still lots of Gatekeepers about.

A Grayling side on to the sun. Normally they are head on to the sun. I guess this one is warming itself up.

A female Chalk Hill Blue

And her underside wings

A male Chalk Hill Blue

And another worn male.

Here are 3 male and a female Chalk Hill Blue "courting"

It was a job to keep up with them

Moths Recorded:
Six-Spot Burnet moth (Zygaena filipendulae)

There were dozens of Six-spot Burnet moths in both the two quarries.

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

A worker Red-tailed Bumblebee

Hoverflies Recorded:
Plain-faced Dronefly (Eristalis arbustorum)

Yesterday I came across a female Plain-faced Dronefly (Eristalis arbustorum) in Wakeham Meadow and today I found this male in Inmosthay Quarry

Bugs and Beetles Recorded:
Rose Chafer (Cetonia aurata)

There was a fly-by Rose Chafer over Tout Quarry.

Crickets and Grasshoppers Recorded:
Common Field Grasshopper (Chorthippus brunneus)