Port and Wey: 27 Jul 22

Blackdown Woods

It was another trip to Blackdown Wood (here) today and this time I had an extended walk. There were many highlights with 16 butterfly species seen, including my first ever Brown Argus.

Blackdown Wood

My route from the "red" spot.

Mammals Recorded:
Grey Squirrel

Birds Recorded:
1 Buzzard
1 Pheasant
2 Herring Gull
1 Stock Dove
Wood Pigeon
3 Green Woodpecker
1 Great Spotted Woodpecker
Dunnock
Robin
Blackbird
Mistle Thrush
2 Chiffchaff
7+ Willow Warbler
2 Goldcrest
Great Tit
Blue Tit
Wren
3 Jay
Carrion Crow
Jackdaw
Chaffinch
Linnet
Goldfinch
4 Bullfinch
7 Yellowhammer

There were plenty of birds about including several Willow Warblers.

Reptiles Recorded:
Common Lizard

Dragonflies and Damselflies Recorded:
4 hawker sp.

Butterflies Recorded:
Small Skipper
Large White
Small White
Green-veined White
2 Brimstone
Speckled Wood
Ringlet
Meadow Brown
Gatekeeper
1 Marbled White
4 Red Admiral
1 Peacock
3 Comma
1 Small Copper
2 Brown Argus
Common Blue

A female (left) and male Small Skippers. To the far right a pair of Common Red Soldier Beetles.

Lots of Green-veined Whites about

And quite a few are looking a bit tatty now.

And another Green-veined White

This stunning yellow butterfly is a Brimstone.

The poor camera really didn't cope well with all that yellow.

A smart looking Ringlet. On Portland they have all but gone this Summer.

A Meadow Brown, missing part of its wing.

And there must have been another brood of Gatekeepers, they..........

..............were everywhere.

Just one Marbled White seen!!

One of the 3 Commas I saw on my walk.

And a Small Copper.

There were lots of Common Blues about as well.

Here's another male Common Blue

And my first ever Brown Argus. This is the male and........

............this is the female.

The female Brown Argus with her wings folded up.

Moths Recorded:

#1 - moth sp.

#2 - moth sp.

#3 - moth sp.

#4 - moth sps. (Three similar looking moths)

#1 - moth sp.

#2 - moth sp.

#3 - moth sp.

#4 - moth sp.

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

A Red-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus lapidarius)

A Common Carder (Bombus pascuorum) and...........

..........another taking off.

Wasps Recorded:
Common Wasp (Vespula vulgaris)

European Paper Wasp (Polistes dominula)

A Common Wasp (Vespula vulgaris) on Ragwort

The closest I can get to ID'ing this wasp is a European Paper Wasp.

Ichneumon Wasps Recorded:
7+ Ichneumon Wasp sps.

Sawflies Recorded:
50+ sawfly sp.

Whatever this sawfly is, there.............

.............were dozens of them around the brambles.

And another.

Hoverflies Recorded:
Marmalade Hoverfly (Episyrphus balteatus)
Tapered Dronefly (Eristalis pertinax)

Orange-belted Hoverfly (Xylota segnis)

Tapered Dronefly (Eristalis pertinax)

An Orange-belted Hoverfly (Xylota segnis)

And another view of it.

Flies, Craneflies, Gnats and Midges Recorded:
#1 - Red Spotted Parasite Fly (Eriothrix rufomaculata)
#2 - Notch-horned Cleg-fly (Haematopota pluvialis)

#3 - Yellow Dung Fly (Scathophaga stercoraria)

#4 - Thick-headed Fly (Sicus ferrugineus)

#5 - fly sp.

#1 - Red Spotted Parasite Flies (Eriothrix rufomaculata)

#2 - The last time I walked around these woods there were these really annoying flies called Notch-horned Cleg-fly (Haematopota pluvialis). They are members of the Horsefly family and they bite!! More on Notch here.

#3 - Yellow Dung Fly (Scathophaga stercoraria)

#4 - Thick-headed Fly (Sicus ferrugineus)

#5 - fly sp.

Bugs and Beetles Recorded:
#1 - Common Green Shieldbug (Palomena prasina)
#2 - shieldbug sp
#3 - Common Red Soldier Beetles (Rhagonycha fulva)

#4 - Swollen-thighed Beetle (Oedemera nobilis)!!

#5 - Miridae sp.