19 Sep 23

Lower Horse Paddock, Higher Horse Paddock, Broadcroft Butterfly Reserve, Broadcroft Quarry Lane, Bumpers Lane, Silklake Quarry, The Cuttings, The Mermaid Track, Wakeham Railway Cuttings, Wakeham Meadows and Old Quarry Lane

Ted and I did pretty well today as we battled a very strong south-westerly which at times was gusting over 40mph. Needless to say there wasn't too much about, but I did at least find 3 Blackcaps and an unusual sighting of an Ivy Bee on the flower head of a Ragwort.

Birds Recorded:
Herring Gull
Wood Pigeon
Dunnock
Robin
Blackbird
3 Blackcap
Great Tit
Blue Tit
Wren
Magpie
Carrion Crow
Jackdaw
Starling
House Sparrow
Chaffinch
Goldfinch

Juvenile Goldfinches


Butterflies Recorded:
1 Large White
1 Speckled Wood
6 Red Admiral

A Red Admiral sheltering in the brambles


Bees Recorded:
Buff-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus terrestris)
Common Carder Bumblebee (Bombus pascuorum)
Honey Bee (Apis mellifera)
Ivy Bee (Colletes hederae)

A Buff-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus terrestris) on Ivy (Hedera helix)

It's lift off as this Common Carder Bumblebee (Bombus pascuorum) looks for another flower.

The Ivy Bees are getting a bit easier to photograph as more starting appearing. 

A first for me was this..........

...................Ivy Bee on Common Ragwort (Jacobaea vulgaris).  More on this here:


Wasps, Ichneumon Wasps, Parasitic Wasps and Gall Wasps Recorded:
Common Wasp (Vespula vulgaris)

A Common Wasp on Ivy


Hoverflies Recorded:
Common Dronefly (Eristalis tenax)
Plain-faced Dronefly (Eristalis arbustorum)
Dead Head Hoverfly (Myathropa florea)
Long Hoverfly (Sphaerophoria scripta)
Marmalade Hoverfly (Episyrphus balteatus)
Syrphus sp.

A Common Dronefly (Eristalis tenax) on Ivy

This Common Dronefly is on Common Ragwort as is........

................Plain-faced Dronefly (Eristalis arbustorum)

A Dead Head Hoverfly (Myathropa florea) sat on the Ivy

In this Common Ragwort flower head is a Long Hoverfly (Sphaerophoria scripta)

A Syrphus sp.


Flies, Craneflies, Gnats and Midges Recorded:
Cranefly (Tipula confusa)

And my first Cranefly (Tipula confusa) on Portland. More on this cranefly here.


Bugs and Beetles Recorded:
Dock Bug (Coreus marginatus)
Harlequin Ladybird (Harmonia axyridis) - form succinea
Harlequin Ladybird (Harmonia axyridis) - form spectabilis

A Dock Bug (Coreus marginatus) nymph

Harlequin Ladybird (Harmonia axyridis) - form succinea

Harlequin Ladybird (Harmonia axyridis) - form succinea

Harlequin Ladybird (Harmonia axyridis) - form spectabilis


Slugs and Snails Recorded:
Black Slug (Arion ater agg)

With all the rain we have had, I'm not surprised the slugs and snails are out force. This is the dark form of Black Slug (Arion ater agg). More on this slug here.


Plants:
Hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna)
Old Man’s Beard (Clematis vitalba)

Hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna)

Old Man’s Beard (Clematis vitalba) which is...........

...................also known as Travellers’ Joy and Wild Clematis.


Ted:

It's that lost dog again!


Ships Today:

This is the British Offshore Support Ship "RFA Protues" on its way from Portland to an unknown destination. More on this vessel here and here.