21 Sep 21

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

And yet another lovely warm day and long may it last. Main highlight today was the incredible show of Common Droneflies. Every flowering Ivy plant I passed had absolutely dozens on them. If I said there were 500+, it could have easily been double that.

In amongst the Common Droneflies were Dead Head Hoverflies, Honey Bees, Ivy Bees, Buff-tailed Bumblebees and a few Red Admiral butterflies. An amazing sight and sound. Those hoverflies don't half "buzz".

There were fewer migrants on this particular walk, with just 8 Chiffchaff and 2 Swallows.

Birds Recorded:
Cormorant
Herring Gull
Wood Pigeon
2 Swallow
Dunnock
Robin
Blackbird
8 Chiffchaff
Great Tit
Blue Tit
Wren
Magpie
Carrion Crow
House Sparrow
Chaffinch
Linnet
Goldfinch

This juvenile Wood Pigeon had the right idea, by keeping in the shade. It didn't seem to bothered that I was only a few metres away.

Reptiles Recorded:
Wall Lizard

When the suns out you can guarantee there will be...........

.................a few Wall Lizards out basking in the sun.

Butterflies Recorded:
Large White
Small White
Speckled Wood
Meadow Brown
Red Admiral
Comma

This has been an excellent few months for Red Admirals. So many on the wing and such vivid colours.

Bees Recorded:
Honey Bees (Apis mellifera)
Buff-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus terrestris)
Common Carder (Bombus pascuorum)
Ivy Bee (Colletes hederae)

And at long last some decent numbers of Ivy Bees. This bee was first seen in the British Isles in Dorset in 2001, having arrived from continental Europe. It's a real stunner of a bee and a species that is solely dependant on Ivy flowers. Hence the reason it is a "seasonal" bee and can only be seen between September and the end of October, maybe the start of November, depending on the amount of Ivy still in flower.

In years past, you could find large gatherings on just one Ivy plant. But with so many........

...........flowers coming out at the same time, the Ivy Bees are well spread. A bit of a comparison here with an Ivy Bee and a Honey Bee on the right.

This Ivy Bee is sharing with a Common Dronefly

Here's a short video of one of the dozens of Ivy Bees seen this afternoon.

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

Yellow-girdled Dasysyrphus (Dasysyrphus tricinctus)
Plain-faced Dronefly (Eristalis arbustorum)
Dead Head Hoverfly (Myathropa florea)

Dead Head Hoverfly

Love the name of this one. It is a Yellow-girdled Dasysyrphus

A male Plain-faced Dronefly (Eristalis arbustorum)

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

There are still plenty of grasshoppers chirping away. This one is a Common Field Grasshopper.

Scorpionflies Recorded:
German Scorpionfly (Panorpa germanica)

or

Possibly a female Meadow Scorpionfly (Panorpa vulgaris).

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

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

Ted:

Ted meets a Cat

Spot the cat!!!

There was a lot of barking and snarling, but no one got hurt. The cat went one way and Ted the other. That's the first time I've seen a cat in Church Ope Cove.

Ted looking a lot less stressed, than he was with the cat.

Ships Today

This is the Lithuanian Cargo Ship "Lyrika" on its way from Treport (France) to Teignmouth. More on this vessel Here.

This is the British Sailing Vessel "Challenger 4" on its way from Brixham to Portland Harbour. More on this vessel Here.

This is the British Destroyer "HMS Dragon" still just off Portland. More on this vessel Here.