15 Jul 22

Old Quarry Lane and Wakeham Meadow

Ted and I had a fairy early walk this morning, before it got too hot for him.

Noticeable changes now, are that there appears to be fewer Marbled Whites, Meadow Browns and Ringlets on the wing. The Gatekeepers are still out in force, but apart from two Common Blues, I didn't come across any Chalkhill Blues today. Odd really, when you think that I saw my first one yesterday!!

As for moths the most abundant now are Garden Grass-veneers, Six-spot Burnet Moths and Meadow Greys.

If I have this wrong, then I apologies, but I had an absolutely pristine Red-tailed Bumblebee or have I been fooled and it is in fact a Mimic Bee Hoverfly (Volucella bombylans). If it is the latter it certainly had me duped, and not for the first time either. What struck me was that it never once went to the Knapweeds, but was constantly landing on large leaves in the meadow, a common trait of V. bombylans. Well the photo is below and under bees, but if convinced otherwise then it will move it under hoverflies!!

Also about was an Emperor Dragonfly, but only for a fleeting visit.

And it's always good to add a new insect to my Portland List, and today it was a pair of Lesser Golden Knapweed Flies (Chaetorellia jaceae)

Birds Recorded:
Herring Gull
Wood Pigeon
Collared Dove
Dunnock
Magpie
House Sparrow
Goldfinch


Dragonflies and Damselflies Recorded:
Emperor Dragonfly


Butterflies Recorded:
4 Large White
3 Small White
1 Green-veined White
2 Speckled Wood
6 Ringlet
5 Meadow Brown
20+ Gatekeeper
12+ Marbled White
2 Common Blue

Small White

Green-veined White

A Meadow Brown blending in with the parched grass in the meadow

Still plenty of Gatekeepers about

But numbers of Marbled Whites just dropping off now.

A faded male Common Blue.

And an equally faded female Common Blue

Moths Recorded:
#1 - 20+ Garden Grass-veneer (Chrysoteuchia culmella)

#2 - veneer sp.
#3 - 1 Sulphur Pearl (Sitochroa palealis)
#4 - 12+ Six-Spot Burnet moth (Zygaena filipendulae)
#5 - 6+ Meadow Grey (Scoparia pyralella)

#6 - 1 moth sp.

#1 - Garden Grass-veneer (Chrysoteuchia culmella)

#1 - Garden Grass-veneer (Chrysoteuchia culmella)

#1 - Garden Grass-veneer (Chrysoteuchia culmella)

#2 - veneer sp.

#3 - Sulphur Pearl (Sitochroa palealis)

#4 - Six-Spot Burnet moth (Zygaena filipendulae)

#5 - Meadow Grey (Scoparia pyralella)

#5 - Meadow Grey (Scoparia pyralella)

#6 - moth sp.

#5 - moth sp. Same as above.

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

Honey Bee (Apis mellifera)

A worker Red-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus lapidarius) or.............

.............is it actually a Mimic Bee Hoverfly (Volucella bombylans)

Hoverflies Recorded:
Marmalade Hoverfly (Episyrphus balteatus)
Dead Head Hoverfly (Myathropa florea)

Mimic Bee Hoverfly (Volucella bombylans) See notes above

A Dead Head Hoverfly sat on a Sycamore leaf.

Flies, Craneflies, Gnats and Midges Recorded:
Lesser Golden Knapweed Fly (Chaetorellia jaceae)

This is a pair of Lesser Golden Knapweed Flies (Chaetorellia jaceae) and...........

..............a new species of fruit fly to add to my Portland List.

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

On the left we have a Common Red Soldier Beetle and on the right a male Swollen-thighed Beetle.

A miridae sp.

Crickets and Grasshoppers Recorded:
Roesel's Bush-cricket (Metrioptera roeselii)

Common Green Grasshopper (Omocestus viridulus)
Meadow Grasshopper (Chorthippus parallelus)

Common Green Grasshopper (Omocestus viridulus)

And a Meadow Grasshopper (Chorthippus parallelus)

Ants Recorded:
Small Black Ant (Lasius niger)


Plants:

Common Ragwort (Jacobaea vulgaris)

Weld (Reseda luteola)

Old Man’s Beard (Clematis vitalba).

Elder (Sambucus nigra)

Common Ragwort (Jacobaea vulgaris)

And a close-up of the Common Ragwort flower-heads.

The name of this plant completely escaped me. It has lots of yellow flowers (still to open), but could I recall its name. Fortunately my good friend Ian, who was also out walking his dog, was very pleased to inform me that this is Weld and also goes by the alternative name of Dyers Rocket. Once he told me what it was I knew straight away. Honest Ian!! More on this plant Here.

This is Old Man’s Beard (Clematis vitalba) and also goes by the names of Travellers’ Joy and Wild Clematis.

This is Elder and............

............here are its berries, which will in time turn black and ready to pick; if the Blackbirds dont get to them first.

Note:

Warning though, Elder berries first need to ripe (black) and then cooked to destroy the glycosides present in the seeds. Unripe and uncooked berries can cause nausea and other gastro-intestinal upsets. More on Elder Here and Here.


Ted:

You can always tell when Ted is enjoying his walk, as he leads the way to the meadow. If he wasn't, we would be heading in the opposite direction!!