Port and Wey: 19 Jul 22

Wakeham

With temperatures expected to rise above 40.0°C in some parts of the UK, plus thunderstorms on their way across the English Channel, I decided it would be wise to stay at home for the day.

In fact as I type up today's Blog, I hear the temperature reached 40.3°C at Coningsby, Lincolnshire and as for the thunderstorms, well they arrived around 2:00pm with some really heavy downpours. More on the heatwave Here.

At 13:58 there were around 20 lightening strikes around Portland.

And after 14:00hrs the weather front moved over us, heading north-east

So before the weather front moved in, I spent the morning in the back garden, with a bit dead-heading and of course making notes of the wildlife in and around the garden.

On the bird front there were a few Swallows chattering away overhead, and there were also a few juvenile Blue Tits calling from the neighbour's garden.

I also had three moth species including a new one for my Portland Moth List.

Birds Recorded:
Herring Gull
Wood Pigeon
Collared Dove
Swallow
Dunnock
Blackbird
Blue Tit
Magpie
Carrion Crow
Jackdaw
Starling
House Sparrow
Linnet
Goldfinch

Amphibians Recorded:
1 Frog
2 Palmate Newt

Both the above seen in the "Tractor Tyre" Pond

Dragonflies and Damselflies Recorded:
Blue-tailed Damselfly

A male Blue-tailed Damselfly

Butterflies Recorded:
Small White

Moths Recorded:
Light Brown Apple Moth (Epiphyas postvittana)

Common Footman (Eilema lurideola)
Apple Leaf Miner moth (Lyonetia clerkella)

Light Brown Apple Moth (Epiphyas postvittana)

Common Footman (Eilema lurideola)

Last year on the 24 Sep 21 I came across the "mines" of the Apple Leaf Miner moths (Lyonetia clerkella) on the Cherry Tree. Today I came across my first Apple Leaf Miner Moth next to the Cherry Tree.

Here is a side-profile of the Apple Leaf Miner Moth. More on this moth Here. Oh and I nearly forget a first for my Portland Moth List

Bees Recorded:
Honey Bees (Apis mellifera)
Garden Bumblebee (Bombus hortorum)

Honeybee on Lavender

A worker Garden Bumblebee (Bombus hortorum) on Hot Lips (Salvia microphylla)

Wasps Recorded:
Common Wasp (Vespula vulgaris)

A Common Wasp (Vespula vulgaris) drinking from the "Tractor Tyre" Pond.

And another Common Wasp (Vespula vulgaris). This time in the "Bath" Pond.

Hoverflies Recorded:
None seen

Flies, Craneflies, Gnats and Midges Recorded:
Thick-headed Fly (Sicus ferrugineus)
Semaphore Fly (Poecilobothrus nobilitatus)

Annoyingly I only managed the one photo. I'm pretty certain it is one of the Conopid Flies and most likely the Thick-headed Fly (Sicus ferrugineus)

Bugs and Beetles Recorded:
miridae sp.