Port and Wey: 12 Jul 22

Lower Horse Paddock, Upper Horse Paddock and Broadcroft Butterfly Reserve

It was another sweltering hot day, but at least there was some cloud cover to keep the temperature down a few degrees. However with the cloud cover it did mean the humidity was somewhat increased.

So it was a morning walk with Ted to the butterfly reserve and back, before the heat built up.

Main highlight was exceptionally high numbers of Gatekeepers again. Yesterday there were hundreds at Lynch Cove and Tidmoor Cove, and here on the reserve today there were lots on the wing.

I also had what I believe to be an Inlaid Grass-veneer (Crambus pascuella). If confirmed it would a first for me on Portland.

Also seen was a Common Lizard sat on the brambles. It must have been a good spot for catching flies!!

Birds Recorded:
Herring Gull
Wood Pigeon
Collared Dove
2 Swift
1 Pied Wagtail
Dunnock
Blackbird
1 Common Whitethroat
1 Blackcap
Great Tit
Blue Tit
Wren
Magpie
Carrion Crow
Jackdaw
Starling
House Sparrow
Linnet
Goldfinch

A Woodpigeon has its beady eye on me and Ted.

This male House Sparrow was letting everyone know that this was his Bramble patch

Reptiles Recorded:
1 Common Lizard

I haven't seen that many Common Lizards on Portland and certainly not sat a metre off the ground in a bramble patch.

And it seemed quite happy for me to get a photo right up close.

Here it is waiting for "breakfast" to arrive.

Butterflies Recorded:
Large Skipper
Large White
Small White
1 Wall Brown
1 Speckled Wood
Ringlet
Meadow Brown
80+ Gatekeeper
Marbled White
2 Small Blue
1 Common Blue

A female Small White

Wall Brown

Speckled Wood

Ringlet

Gatekeeper

Marbled White

Small Blue

A Common Blue

Moths Recorded:
Garden Grass-veneer (Chrysoteuchia culmella)
Six-Spot Burnet moth (Zygaena filipendulae)

Inlaid Grass-veneer (Crambus pascuella)

Ox-tongue Conch (Cochylis molliculana)

Six-Spot Burnet moth (Zygaena filipendulae)

And another Six-Spot Burnet moth

This is I believe an Inlaid Grass-veneer (Crambus pascuella) and a first for me on Portland.

And an Ox-tongue Conch (Cochylis molliculana)

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

Honey Bee (Apis mellifera) on a mallow sp.

Hoverflies Recorded:
Marmalade Hoverfly (Episyrphus balteatus)

Flies, Craneflies, Gnats and Midges Recorded:

Broad Centurian (Chloromyia formosa)

A Broad Centurian (Chloromyia formosa)

And another male Broad Centurian

Bugs and Beetles Recorded:
#1 - Common Red Soldier Beetles (Rhagonycha fulva)
#2 - Swollen-thighed Beetle (Oedemera nobilis)
#3 - miridae sp.

#4 - miridae sp.

Common Red Soldier Beetle (Rhagonycha fulva)

A male Swollen-thighed Beetle (Oedemera nobilis)

#3 - miridae sp.

#4 - And another miridae sp.

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

Lacewings and Scorpionflies Recorded:
lacewing sp.

lacewing sp.

Slugs and Snails Recorded:
Brown-lipped Banded Snail (Cepaea nemoralis)
Garden Snail (Cornu aspersa)

Spiders Recorded:
Crab Spider (Misumena vatia)