Port and Wey: 24 Jul 23

Bumpers Lane, The Cuttings Quarry, The Mermaid Track and Wakeham Railway Cuttings

It was another day of dodging the showers and as soon I saw a dry interlude it was off for a quick walk.

Unsurprisingly with the ground so wet, there were very few butterflies about, but lots of snails and slugs enjoying the damp conditions.

Birds Recorded:
Herring Gull
Wood Pigeon
Collared Dove
Dunnock
Blackbird
1 Blackcap (male singing)
Great Tit
Blue Tit
Wren
Magpie
Carrion Crow
Jackdaw
Starling
House Sparrow
Chaffinch
Linnet
Goldfinch

Butterflies Recorded:
2 Meadow Brown
5 Gatekeeper
3 Red Admiral
1 Painted Lady
2 Common Blue

A Gatekeeper on Wild Marjoram (Origanum vulgare)

Moths Recorded:
2 Six-Spot Burnet moth (Zygaena filipendulae)

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

A Buff-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus terrestris) on Budleia

A Common Carder (Bombus pascuorum) on Common Knapweed (Centaurea nigra)

Hoverflies Recorded:
Marmalade Hoverfly (Episyrphus balteatus)

Slugs and Snails Recorded:
White-lipped Banded Snail (Cepaea hortensis)
Garden Snail (Cornu aspersa)
Large Red Slug (Arion ater)
Black Slug (Arion ater)

A White-lipped Banded Snail (Cepaea hortensis)

This is a Large Red Slug (Arion ater) and....

...........the black form Black Slug (Arion ater)

General Shots:

Well they say you learn something new everyday. And this large rock.........

...........is about to have a Silklake Quarry sign placed on it. The quarry in question is the one where Ted likes to have a good old bark at the Foxes there and the one I have always called Bumpers Lane Quarry Here

Ted:

Oh dear Ted is not impressed in that not only does he have to wear his waterproof coat, but he's on a lead as well.

Ships Today:

This is the French Cable Layer "Pierre De Fermat" on its way from Portland Harbour to Brest (France). Here............

...........it is just passing Portland Bill. More on this vessel Here.

On the left is the British Frigate F234 "HMS Iron Duke" and on the right is the British Combat Vessel - L3008 "RFA Mounts Bay". Both just off Portland's east coast. More on "HMS Iron Duke" Here and RFA Mounts Bay Here.