Despite there being a very light drizzle, I took a chance it didn't get any heavier and did another another walk around the reserve and lanes. I did take in a slight detour and had a look around a very overgrown Broadcroft Quarry Pool.
Main highlight was a Goldcrest calling from the conifers in the lower horse paddock, my first on Portland since April, though I did have one at Radipole in August. No doubt there will be many more, plus hopefully, a few Firecrests. Other birds of interest were a Blackcap and 2 Chiffchaffs on the reserve and a further 3 Chiffchaff along Broadcroft Quarry Lane.
It was also interesting to record two male Common Blues and a Small Copper on the reserve, plus many Common Nettle-tap moths along my walk.
I also had two new flies to add to my Portland list, which were a Tachinid Fly, Cylindromyia brassicaria (no common name) and a Dull Four-spined Legionnaire, Chorisops tibialis, both confirmed by a Diptera group I belong to.
Birds Recorded:
1 Sparrowhawk
1 Kestrel
Herring Gull
Wood Pigeon
Collared Dove
1 Meadow Pipit
2 Pied Wagtail
Dunnock
Robin
Blackbird
1 Blackcap
5 Chiffchaff
1 Goldcrest
Great Tit
Blue Tit
Wren
Magpie
Carrion Crow
Jackdaw
Starling
House Sparrow
Chaffinch
Linnet
Goldfinch
One of many Meadow Pipits I suspect I will see in the reserve, as the ponies are introduced here for the Winter. Last year there were quite few mipits, plus a few over-wintering Stonechats.
Butterflies Recorded:
Large White
Small White
Green-veined White
8+ Speckled Wood
2 Meadow Brown
5 Red Admiral
1 Small Copper
2 Common Blue
On the other hand the most numerous butterfly seen in the UK this year has been the Red Admiral. And definitely so on Portland
Moths Recorded:
12+ Common Nettle-tap (Anthophila fabriciana)
I must have come across a good dozen or so Common Nettle-tap moths. This one was on a Common Nettle, whilst.............
Bees Recorded:
Buff-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus terrestris)
Common Carder Bumblebee (Bombus pascuorum)
Honey Bee (Apis mellifera)
Wasps, Ichneumon Wasps, Parasitic Wasps and Gall Wasps Recorded:
Common Wasp (Vespula vulgaris)
Bugs and Beetles Recorded:
9 - Harlequin Ladybird (Harmonia axyridis)
Harlequin Ladybird form - succinea
Harlequin Ladybird form - spectabilis
2 Spot Ladybird
Spiders Recorded:
6 Garden Spider (Araneus diadematus)
Plants:
Ted:
Ships Today:
This is the Crude Oil Tanker "Wisdoms Daughter" fling the flag of Gabon. It is on its way from the Great Bitter Lake/Suez Canal (Egypt) to an unknown destination in the Baltic. More on this vessel here and Gabon here.
Birds Recorded:
1 Sparrowhawk
1 Kestrel
Herring Gull
Wood Pigeon
Collared Dove
1 Meadow Pipit
2 Pied Wagtail
Dunnock
Robin
Blackbird
1 Blackcap
5 Chiffchaff
1 Goldcrest
Great Tit
Blue Tit
Wren
Magpie
Carrion Crow
Jackdaw
Starling
House Sparrow
Chaffinch
Linnet
Goldfinch
And Broadcroft Quarry Lane still has around 3 Chiffchaffs feeding along its length.
Butterflies Recorded:
Large White
Small White
Green-veined White
8+ Speckled Wood
2 Meadow Brown
5 Red Admiral
1 Small Copper
2 Common Blue
It was interesting to hear that the least numerous of butterflies seen this year in the UK are...........
..................Speckled Woods. They obviously didn't count them...........
............. here on Portland, where they have been plentiful almost all of the year.
A grab shot of a pristine Small Copper on the reserve.
And one of the two male Common Blues still on the wing. This one was by the pools.
Moths Recorded:
12+ Common Nettle-tap (Anthophila fabriciana)
.............a few were on the..........
.............Ivy.
Bees Recorded:
Buff-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus terrestris)
Common Carder Bumblebee (Bombus pascuorum)
Honey Bee (Apis mellifera)
Wasps, Ichneumon Wasps, Parasitic Wasps and Gall Wasps Recorded:
Common Wasp (Vespula vulgaris)
Ichneumon Wasp sp.
Hoverflies Recorded:
Common Dronefly (Eristalis tenax)
Dead Head Hoverfly (Myathropa florea)
Marmalade Hoverfly (Episyrphus balteatus)
Plain-faced Dronefly (Eristalis arbustorum)
Common Dronefly (Eristalis tenax)
Dead Head Hoverfly (Myathropa florea)
Marmalade Hoverfly (Episyrphus balteatus)
Plain-faced Dronefly (Eristalis arbustorum)
Here are a couple of.........
......................Common Droneflies (Eristalis tenax)
A Dead Head Hoverfly
A Marmalade Hoverfly (Episyrphus balteatus)
And a Plain-faced Dronefly (Eristalis arbustorum)
Flies, Craneflies, Gnats and Midges Recorded:
#1 - Tachinid Fly (Cylindromyia brassicaria)#2 - Dull Four-spined Legionnaire (Chorisops tibialis)
#1 - Tachinid Fly (Cylindromyia brassicaria) a new fly for my Portland list
#1 - Tachinid Fly (Cylindromyia brassicaria)
#1 - Tachinid Fly (Cylindromyia brassicaria)
#2 - Dull Four-spined Legionnaire (Chorisops tibialis). And another new fly for my list.
9 - Harlequin Ladybird (Harmonia axyridis)
1 - 2 Spot Ladybird (Adalia bipunctata)
2 Spot Ladybird (Adalia bipunctata) - standard form
6 Garden Spider (Araneus diadematus)
A couple of Garden Spiders from...........
..................today. There were many more.
White Potato Vine (Solanum laxum 'Album')
This is White Potato Vine (Solanum laxum 'Album')
And here is a close-up of the flowers. More on this plant Here.
Ted:
Well done Ted. It doesn't look like it, but it's quite a steep hill
Ships Today:
This is the Cypriot Container Ship "Elbtrader" on its way from Antwerp to Belfast. More on this vessel Here.
This is the Dutch General Cargo Ship "Vantage" on its way from Antwerp to Cork. More on this vessel Here.