Its getting boring now, this covid, especially the sore throat. The temperature is under control with Paracetamols every 4 hours, but swallowing is horrendous. Well, as long as it doesn't get any worse, I'm sure it will pass very soon.
So it was my covid exercise walk across to the Meadow this morning, for a bit of fresh air and a stretch of the legs. Though what struck me was the humidity. I thought it was warm indoors, but in the more sheltered spots along my walk, it was pretty hot and humid.
Main highlights today were several Marbled Whites on the wing, plus my first Ringlets of the year, with at least 8 seen along Old Quarry Lane and the hedges in the meadow.
And may have found a new spider to add to my Portland list.
Moths Recorded:
20+ Garden Grass-veneer (Chrysoteuchia culmella)
1 Thistle Ermine (Myelois circumvoluta)
moth sp
Bees Recorded:
Honey Bees (Apis mellifera)
Buff-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus terrestris)
Red-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus lapidarius)
Common Carder (Bombus pascuorum)
Ichneumon Wasps Recorded:
Ichneumon sp.
Hoverflies Recorded:
Marmalade Hoverfly (Episyrphus balteatus)
The Footballer (Helophilus pendulus)
Narcissus Bulb Fly (Merodon equestris)
Flies, Craneflies, Gnats and Midges Recorded:
#1 - fly sp.
Bugs and Beetles Recorded:
#1 - Swollen-thighed Beetle (Oedemera nobilis)
#2 - miridae sp.
#3 - Soldier Beetle (Malthinus flaveolus)
Crickets and Grasshoppers Recorded:
Great Green Bush Cricket (Tettigonia viridissima)
Dark Bush-cricket (Pholidoptera griseoaptera)
Common Green Grasshopper (Omocestus viridulus)
Slugs and Snails Recorded:
White-lipped Banded Snail (Cepaea hortensis)
Garden Snail (Cornu aspersa)
Spiders Recorded:
Running Crab Spider (Philodromus albidus) - Possibly
Nurseryweb Spider (Pisaura mirabilis)
Plants:
Ivy Broomrape (Orobanche hederae)
Ted:
Birds Recorded:
Herring Gull
Wood Pigeon
Collared Dove
Dunnock
Robin
Blackbird
Long-tailed Tit
Great Tit
Blue Tit
Wren
Magpie
Carrion Crow
Jackdaw
House Sparrow
Chaffinch
Linnet
Goldfinch
Butterflies Recorded:
1 Large Skipper
4 Large White
5 Speckled Wood
8+ Ringlet
7+ Meadow Brown
7 Marbled White
1 Common Blue
Herring Gull
Wood Pigeon
Collared Dove
Dunnock
Robin
Blackbird
Long-tailed Tit
Great Tit
Blue Tit
Wren
Magpie
Carrion Crow
Jackdaw
House Sparrow
Chaffinch
Linnet
Goldfinch
Butterflies Recorded:
1 Large Skipper
4 Large White
5 Speckled Wood
8+ Ringlet
7+ Meadow Brown
7 Marbled White
1 Common Blue
Large Skipper
Ringlet
Marbled White
Meadow Brown
20+ Garden Grass-veneer (Chrysoteuchia culmella)
1 Thistle Ermine (Myelois circumvoluta)
moth sp
moth sp.
Honey Bees (Apis mellifera)
Buff-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus terrestris)
Red-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus lapidarius)
Common Carder (Bombus pascuorum)
bee sp.
Red-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus lapidarius)
On the left is a Swollen-thighed Beetle, but what is the mystery bee next to it.
Ichneumon sp.
Ichneumon sp.
And another view of the Ichneumon sp.
Marmalade Hoverfly (Episyrphus balteatus)
The Footballer (Helophilus pendulus)
Narcissus Bulb Fly (Merodon equestris)
The Footballer (Helophilus pendulus)
This is a Narcissus Bulb Fly (Merodon equestris): form validus
Flies, Craneflies, Gnats and Midges Recorded:
#1 - fly sp.
#2 - Thick-headed Fly (Sicus ferrugineus)
#1 - fly sp.
#2 - Thick-headed Fly (Sicus ferrugineus)
#1 - Swollen-thighed Beetle (Oedemera nobilis)
#2 - miridae sp.
#3 - Soldier Beetle (Malthinus flaveolus)
#1 - Swollen-thighed Beetle (Oedemera nobilis)
#1 - And another Swollen-thighed Beetle with slightly different green colouration
#2 - miridae sp. on an Ox-eyed Daisy
Soldier Beetle (Malthinus flaveolus)
Great Green Bush Cricket (Tettigonia viridissima)
Dark Bush-cricket (Pholidoptera griseoaptera)
Common Green Grasshopper (Omocestus viridulus)
Dark Bush-cricket (Pholidoptera griseoaptera)
White-lipped Banded Snail (Cepaea hortensis)
Garden Snail (Cornu aspersa)
White-lipped Banded Snail (Cepaea hortensis)
Running Crab Spider (Philodromus albidus) - Possibly
Nurseryweb Spider (Pisaura mirabilis)
This is possibly a Running Crab Spider (Philodromus albidus). If so it would be a first for me on Portland
Nurseryweb Spider (Pisaura mirabilis)
Ivy Broomrape (Orobanche hederae)
Ivy Broomrape (Orobanche hederae)
With just cloud cover today, Ted really enjoyed our walk. He is certainly not a big fan of the sun.