The sunny weather is still with us, but annoyingly so is that chilly easterly wind. No real highlights on the migration front, other than small flocks of Meadow Pipits heading north.
Yesterday, the day I decided not to visit the cove, there were two Large Tortoiseshells seen there. No luck today though, and the best I could do was a Comma and my first Holly Blue of the year in the grounds of St Andrew's Church.
Other first for the year were a Common Carder Bee and a Common Green Shieldbug both seen in Penn's Wood. Still no sign of any Hairy-footed Bumblebees though.
And a real surprise was a grasshopper chirping away in the grounds of St Andrew's Church. But could I find it. Nope!!
Birds Recorded:
Herring Gull
Wood Pigeon
Collared Dove
15+ Meadow Pipit
Dunnock
Robin
Blackbird
Long-tailed Tit
Great Tit
Blue Tit
Wren
Magpie
Carrion Crow
Jackdaw
Raven
Starling
House Sparrow
Chaffinch
Goldfinch
Reptiles Recorded:
10+ Wall Lizard
Birds Recorded:
Herring Gull
Wood Pigeon
Collared Dove
15+ Meadow Pipit
Dunnock
Robin
Blackbird
Long-tailed Tit
Great Tit
Blue Tit
Wren
Magpie
Carrion Crow
Jackdaw
Raven
Starling
House Sparrow
Chaffinch
Goldfinch
Reptiles Recorded:
10+ Wall Lizard
Here are a selection of photos and a video of a few of the Wall Lizards seen today.
Butterflies Recorded:
1 Comma
1 Holly Blue
Bees Recorded:
Honey Bees (Apis mellifera)
Buff-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus terrestris)
Red-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus lapidarius)
Wasps Recorded:
Common Wasp (Vespula vulgaris)
Hoverflies Recorded:
Marmalade Hoverfly (Episyrphus balteatus)
Common Dronefly (Eristalis tenax)
Chequered Hoverfly (Melanostoma scalare)
Hairy-eyed Flower Fly (Syrphus torvus)
Flies, Craneflies, Gnats and Midges Recorded:
Kelp Fly (Coelopa frigida)
Muscid Flies sp.
Bugs and Beetles Recorded:
7-spot Ladybird (Coccinella septempunctata)
Common Green Shieldbug (Palomena prasina)
And at long last my first Common Green Shieldbug of the year. This one is changing from its Winter brown colour to its Summer Green.
Crickets and Grasshoppers Recorded:
grasshopper sp.
Ted:
Butterflies Recorded:
1 Comma
1 Holly Blue
My second Comma of the year in the grounds of St Andrew's Church.
And my first Holly Blue of the year. Also in the grounds of St Andrew's Church.
Here's a short video of the female Holly Blue being blown about in that easterly wind
Honey Bees (Apis mellifera)
Buff-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus terrestris)
Red-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus lapidarius)
Early Bumblebee (Bombus pratorum)
Common Carder (Bombus pascuorum)
Common Carder (Bombus pascuorum)
More and more Honey Bees are appearing now............
...........and very busy they are to, flying from one Alexanders to another.
I'm pretty sure this is an Early Bumblebee (Bombus pratorum) on Russian Comfrey and my first this year.
Another first for the year was this Common Carder Bee. Also on Russian Comfrey in Penns Wood.
Common Wasp (Vespula vulgaris)
Hoverflies Recorded:
Marmalade Hoverfly (Episyrphus balteatus)
Common Dronefly (Eristalis tenax)
Chequered Hoverfly (Melanostoma scalare)
Hairy-eyed Flower Fly (Syrphus torvus)
Common Dronefly
Flies, Craneflies, Gnats and Midges Recorded:
Kelp Fly (Coelopa frigida)
Muscid Flies sp.
Bugs and Beetles Recorded:
7-spot Ladybird (Coccinella septempunctata)
Common Green Shieldbug (Palomena prasina)
So far so good with 7-Spot Ladybirds this year. It was a poor year for them last year on Portland's east coast
Crickets and Grasshoppers Recorded:
grasshopper sp.
Ted:
A bit happier here, now that he can see me.