Despite a stiff north-westerly it was actually quite warm this afternoon, well it was in the more sheltered spots. So just for a change, I decided to extend my walk, which in hindsight wasn't the best of ideas, as my back was pretty sore when I got back.
However it was good to get out to see what was about, with the main highlight being the number of Speckled Wood butterflies on the wing. I came across a good twenty or more, and that was just on my route. So there must have been countless numbers on the rest of the island.
Birds Recorded:
Herring Gull
Wood Pigeon
Collared Dove
1 Meadow Pipit
Dunnock
Robin
Blackbird
1 Chiffchaff
3 Long-tailed Tit
Great Tit
Blue Tit
Wren
Magpie
Carrion Crow
Jackdaw
Starling
House Sparrow
Chaffinch
Linnet
Goldfinch
A Meadow Pipit in the Higher Horse Paddock
And also hidden in amongst the leaves and branches was this Chiffchaff in Broadcroft Quarry Lane.
Butterflies Recorded:
Large White
Small White
Green-veined White
20+ Speckled Wood
2 Meadow Brown
1 Red Admiral
3 Common Blue
Just one of the many Speckled Woods out this afternoon
A female Meadow Brown
And a female Common Blue on Common Ragwort (Jacobaea vulgaris)
Bees Recorded:
Buff-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus terrestris)
Common Carder Bumblebee (Bombus pascuorum)
Honey Bee (Apis mellifera)
Red-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus lapidarius)
Common Furrow-bee (Lasioglossum calceatum)
A Buff-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus terrestris) on Common Ragwort
Also on the Common Ragwort was this very faded male Red-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus lapidarius)
To the left of these two Honey Bees (Apis mellifera) is a female Swollen-thighed Beetle (Oedemera nobilis)
A Common Furrow-bee (Lasioglossum calceatum)
Wasps, Ichneumon Wasps, Parasitic Wasps and Gall Wasps Recorded:
Common Wasp (Vespula vulgaris)
So far so good in that I haven't upset the Common Wasps in their nest here in the meadow.
And a close-up of one of the Common Wasps
Common Dronefly (Eristalis tenax)
Dead Head Hoverfly (Myathropa florea)
Long Hoverfly (Sphaerophoria scripta)
Marmalade Hoverfly (Episyrphus balteatus)
Marmalade Hoverfly (Episyrphus balteatus)
A Common Dronefly (Eristalis tenax)
And a Long Hoverfly (Sphaerophoria scripta)
Bugs and Beetles Recorded:
Dock Bug (Coreus marginatus)
Swollen-thighed Beetle (Oedemera nobilis)
A Dock Bug (Coreus marginatus)
Crickets and Grasshoppers Recorded:
Common Field Grasshopper (Chorthippus brunneus)
Common Green Grasshopper (Omocestus viridulus)
Speckled Bush-cricket (Leptophyes punctatissima)
Common Field Grasshopper (Chorthippus brunneus)
Common Green Grasshopper (Omocestus viridulus)
Speckled Bush-cricket (Leptophyes punctatissima)
A Common Field Grasshopper (Chorthippus brunneus)
A Common Green Grasshopper (Omocestus viridulus) and..........
..........a head on view.
This is a.............
................male Speckled Bush-cricket (Leptophyes punctatissima)
Plants:
Bramble (Rubus fruticosusa)
The Brambles are bearing lots of Blackberries this year.
Ships Today:
