21 Aug 21

Penns Wood, St Andrew's Church, Penn's Weare, Penn's Copse, Rufus Castle and Mermaid Track

It was another muggy day with lots of cloud cover. There was a brief  interlude when the sun came out in the afternoon, but then later the clouds returned with that penetrating drizzle. At least I timed it right with my walk.

Mammals Recorded:
Bunny

Birds Recorded:
2 Kestrel
Herring Gull
Great Black-backed Gull
Wood Pigeon
Dunnock
Robin
Blackbird
1 Blackcap
3 Chiffchaff
Great Tit
Blue Tit
Magpie
Carrion Crow
House Sparrow
Chaffinch
Linnet
Goldfinch

One of quite a few Robins in Penns wood.

Before it flew off it grabbed a snack off the nettle.

Reptiles Recorded:
Wall Lizard

Despite the sun being out, I only saw a handful of Wall Lizards. Mind you with so many people heading down through the woods and church grounds to the beach, I should imagine there were quite a few lizards a little wary about showing themselves.


Dragonflies and Damselflies Recorded:
Migrant Hawker


Butterflies Recorded:
Large White
Small White
1 Wall Brown
Meadow Brown
Gatekeeper
3 Comma
Common Blue
Chalk Hill Blue

There were quite a few Commas about, especially in the Church Grounds.

And another.

Well it was definitely a "blue" day today along the Mermaid Track, with both Common Blue and Chalk Hill Blues sharing the same bit of grassland here on the right.

Best I get these right. Here are a pair of Common Blues.

A male Common Blue

Another male Common Blue

And rather worn female Common Blue

Now the Chalk Hill Blues. This is a male.

And another male

This is a female Chalk Hill Blue, as are the two below. But note the difference between them. This one is a light brown.

A "mid" brown and this.........

.........very dark female.

Just to show that I haven't brightened up one and darkened another. Here are two females and a male Chalk Hill Blue. There is quite a noticeable difference between the two females.

This is another female Chalk Hill Blue, but very worn.

And the pair of Chalk Hill Blues again.

And here with have a male Chalk Hill Blue on the left and for comparison a male Common Blue on the right.

A short video of the Common Blues and Chalk Hill Blues

Moths Recorded:
Silver Y (Autographa gamma)
Jersey Tiger (Euplagia quadripunctaria)

Vine's Rustic (Hoplodrina ambigua)

A Jersey Tiger. There have been quite a few on the island over the past few weeks.

And thank you to Simon Wood, who I was chatting with in the church grounds, for ID'ing this Vine's Rustic (Hoplodrina ambigua), which was flying around us. A first for me on Portland.

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

A Common Carder

This looks quite odd, but I think it is just a very pale Buff-tailed Bumblebee.

Hoverflies Recorded:
Dead Head Hoverfly (Myathropa florea)
Hornet Mimic Hoverfly (Volucella zonaria)
Common Dronefly (Eristalis tenax)

A Dead Head Hoverfly

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

A Common Field Grasshopper

Plants:
Blackthorn (Prunus spinosa). Also known as Sloe

Honeysuckle (Lonicera periclymenum)

Common Toadflax (Linaria vulgaris)

The Sloe berries are really coming on now.

Honeysuckle in flower and with berries

Common Toadflax also known as...........

 ..................Yellow Toadflax and Butter-and-eggs

Fungi Recorded:

1 - Fungi sp.

2 - Fungi sp

A bracket fungi which looks like "Chicken of the Wood", but is the colour right!!

Here it is close-up and I'm non the wiser. And behind it are some "yellow" fungi to ID.

Ted

Ted has found something. A few seconds later he was running away from whatever it was. I had a look myself but couldn't find anything.

Ships Today

This is the Cargo Ship "Endurance" flying the flag of Antigua Barbuda. It is on its way from Georgetown (Guyana) to Portland Harbour. More on this vessel Here.

This is the British Fishing Boat "Atlanta" returning to Weymouth after a fishing trip just off Portland's west coast line. More on this vessel Here.

This is the British Fishing Boat "Meerkat" returning to Weymouth after a fishing trip just off Portland. More on this vessel Here

And the one that got away. Well we know the name "Spartan", but that is as far I can go, as this fishing boat didn't show on the Marine Traffic Website.

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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.