18 Aug 21

Radipole Lake Nature Reserve

With some personal stuff to do in Weymouth, I had the opportunity to have a walk to the North Screen from where I parked the car in Goldcroft Avenue. The walk was about 50 minutes to the Screen and back, and though there were very few birds about, there were plenty of other things of note

Birds Recorded:
Black-headed Gull
Herring Gull
Wood Pigeon
House Martin
Dunnock
Chiffchaff
Long-tailed Tit
Great Tit
Blue Tit
Wren
Carrion Crow
House Sparrow
Chaffinch
Goldfinch


Dragonflies and Damselflies Recorded:
Common Darter

dragonfly sp.

The most numerous of "dragonflies" seen the reserve were these male Common Darters.

There were dozens along the path towards the screen.

Another male Common Darter. There were just two females seen.

A dragonfly sp. Certainly smaller than an Emperor.

Butterflies Recorded:
Large White
Small White
Green-veined White
Speckled Wood
Red Admiral
Painted Lady
Small Copper


Bees Recorded:
Honey Bees (Apis mellifera)
Common Carder (Bombus pascuorum)

A Honey Bee

And a Common Carder. These two species appeared to be the only ones along this path!!

Ichneumon Wasps Recorded:
Ichneumon sp

I could keep guessing as to which Ichneumon wasp this could be. There are several very similar looking species. So today this will be just a Ichneumon sp

Hoverflies Recorded:
Marmalade Hoverfly (Episyrphus balteatus)
Dead Head Hoverfly (Myathropa florea)
Common Dronefly (Eristalis tenax)
Tapered Dronefly (Eristalis pertinax)
The Footballer (Helophilus pendulus)

Plain-faced Dronefly (Eristalis arbustorum)

The Footballer (Helophilus pendulus)

And another The Footballer (Helophilus pendulus)

A male Plain-faced Dronefly (Eristalis arbustorum)

And a female Plain-faced Dronefly (Eristalis arbustorum)

I haven't seen too many Tapered Droneflies this year.

Here it is again head-on.

And its cousin the Common Dronefly

Flies, Craneflies, Gnats and Midges Recorded:
Waisted Beegrabber (Physocephala rufipes)

Four-banded Beegrabber (Conops quadrifasciatus)

Yellow Bellied Fly (Sciara hemerobioides)

House Fly (Graphomya maculata) 

This Waisted Beegrabber (Physocephala rufipes) just caught my eye as I was heading back to the car. This is one of the Thick-headed family of flies.

I didn't get the chance to see this Thick-headed Fly head on, but I'm wondering if this might be a Four-banded Beegrabber (Conops quadrifasciatus). I will check.

On Portland there are dozens of these Yellow Bellied Flies (Sciara hemerobioides). And on the reserve as well it seems.

This is the House Fly (Graphomya maculata). There doesn't appear to be a common name for this fly, but in Germany it is called a Gefleckte Hausfliege. Which translated into English is the Spotted House Fly. Quite an appropriate name for this male from the Muscidae Family. There is an excellent website where it gives the common name to scientific names for England, France, Germany and Holland. More on this website Here.

Bugs and Beetles Recorded:

Common Red Soldier Beetles (Rhagonycha fulva)

One of many Common Red Soldier Beetles on the umbellifers

Scorpionflies Recorded:

Possible German Scorpionfly (Panorpa germanica)

This could be a German Scorpionfly (Panorpa germanica), but is it.......

............possibly a female Meadow Scorpionfly (Panorpa vulgaris).

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

1 - snail sp.
2 - snail sp

A White-lipped Banded Snail

1 - snail sp.

1 - snail sp.

2 - snail sp.

Caterpillars Recorded:

Timothy Tortrix (Aphelia paleana)

This is caterpillar of the Timothy Tortrix moth. A moth incidentally I haven't come across yet.

Plants Recorded:

Purple Loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria)

Purple Loosestrife, a plant I know very well, as I have planted cuttings from the original plant I had back in 1984. And it's thriving very well in the back garden.

General Shots:

Radipole Reed Beds

The track from the screen looking back to the main road. In the sun and sheltered spots there were many invertebrates.

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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.