Port and Wey: July 2024

31 Jul 24

Old Quarry Lane and Wakeham Meadows

It felt like the lull before the storm this evening, as the humidity levels rose and clouds began to roll in from the west. Today's temperatures hit 26 in the shade, to hot for a walk, so Ted and I waited until just after 7:30pm before we ventured out.

I was going to say that there were no highlights, especially so late in the day, but what a surprise I had with 3 pristine Chalkhill Blues flying about in the meadow.

Birds Recorded:
Herring Gull
Wood Pigeon
Collared Dove
Dunnock
Wren
Magpie
House Sparrow
Goldfinch

Butterflies Recorded:
1 Gatekeeper
1 Common Blue
3 Chalkhill Blue

These two are......

...........freshly emerged Chalkhill Blues

Moths Recorded:
Silver Y (Autographa gamma)
20+ Yellow-spot Tortrix (Pseudargyrotoza conwagana)

The Yellow-spot Tortrix moths (Pseudargyrotoza conwagana) were out in force this evening.

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

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

Hoverflies Recorded:
2 Common Dronefly (Eristalis tenax)
Marmalade Hoverfly (Episyrphus balteatus)
Slender Melanostoma (Melanostoma scalare)

A Slender Melanostoma (Melanostoma scalare)

Flies, Craneflies, Gnats and Midges Recorded:

Long-legged Fly sp.

A Long-legged Fly sp.

Bugs and Beetles Recorded:
Common Red Soldier Beetle (Rhagonycha fulva)

Crickets and Grasshoppers Recorded:
Meadow Grasshopper (Chorthippus parallelus)

Slugs and Snails Recorded:
Large Red Slug (Arion ater)

Caterpillars Recorded:
Cinnabar moth

30 Jul 24

Old Quarry Lane, Wakeham Meadows and Wakeham Wildlife Site

After a very hot day, where the temperature hit 26.5°C in the shade, it took until 7:30pm before Ted and I could have a comfortable walk across the road.

The main highlights were 100+ Swifts, 10+ House Martins and a handful of Swallows which passed overhead from late afternoon into the evening

Birds Recorded:
Herring Gull

Wood Pigeon

Collared Dove

100+ Swift

10+ House Martin

5 Swallow

Dunnock

Wren

Magpie

Carrion Crow

Jackdaw

Starling

House Sparrow

Chaffinch

Goldfinch

There were at least 60 Swifts overhead during the late afternoon...........

................. and later in the evening a further 40, plus House Martins and Swallows.

Two Swifts slightly closer to where I was stood.

A Goldfinch singing in the evening sun.

Butterflies Recorded:
1 Gatekeeper
1 Common Blue

A male Common Blue

Moths Recorded:

4 Silver Y (Autographa gamma)

1 Six-Spot Burnet moth (Zygaena filipendulae) - deceased
1 Diamond-backed Moth (Plutella xylostella)
1 Straw Conch (Cochylimorpha straminea)

1 Triple-stripe Piercer (Grapholita compositella)
1 Yellow-spotted Tortrix (Pseudargyrotoza conwagana)

A deceased Six-Spot Burnet moth (Zygaena filipendulae) on Common Ragwort (Jacobaea vulgaris). The cause of death unknown!!

A Diamond-backed Moth (Plutella xylostella)

A Straw Conch (Cochylimorpha straminea)

This is a Triple-stripe Piercer (Grapholita compositella)

And my first Yellow-spotted Tortrix (Pseudargyrotoza conwagana) for the year.

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

A Common Carder bee (Bombus pascuorum)

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

With slightly cooler conditions at 7:52pm, the Common Wasps (Vespula vulgaris) were very active around their nest.

Hoverflies Recorded:

1 Slender Melanostoma (Melanostoma scalare)

The only hoverfly I came across was this Slender Melanostoma (Melanostoma scalare), which also goes by the name of Long-winged Duskyface.

Flies, Craneflies, Gnats and Midges Recorded:
Lesser Golden Knapweed Fly (Chaetorellia jaceae)

A Lesser Golden Knapweed Fly (Chaetorellia jaceae) on a Lesser Burdock (Arctium minus)

Bugs and Beetles Recorded:
Long-legged Plant Bug (Phytocoris varipes)

Cover Black Knee (Plagiognathus arbustorum)
Common Red Soldier Beetle (Rhagonycha fulva)

This is a Long-legged Plant Bug (Phytocoris varipes) and new bug for my Portland List.

This is the plant bug Plagiognathus arbustorum. It has no common name but in Finland it is known as katvemustapolvi, which in English translates to Cover Black Knee.

A Common Red Soldier Beetle (Rhagonycha fulva)

Crickets and Grasshoppers Recorded:

Meadow Grasshopper (Chorthippus parallelus)

Caterpillars Recorded:
Cinnabar moth

The Cinnabar moth caterpillars is still about in good numbers on the Common Ragwort (Jacobaea vulgaris).

Ted

Ted is certainly enjoying these late evening walks.

29 Jul 24

Old Quarry Lane, Wakeham Meadows and Wakeham Wildlife Site

After a very hot day, Ted and I finally got to go on a walk around 6:30pm. It was still pretty warm, but not that oppressive heat which Ted would certainly not have enjoyed.

Unsurprisingly there were no real highlights, apart from dozens of micro-moths which annoyingly I just couldn't keep up with to get a photograph.

Birds Recorded:
Herring Gull
Wood Pigeon
Collared Dove
Dunnock
Wren
Magpie
Carrion Crow
Jackdaw
Starling
House Sparrow
Chaffinch
Goldfinch

Butterflies Recorded:
1 Large White
1 Meadow Brown
1 Red Admiral
1 Peacock
1 Common Blue

A Common Blue

Moths Recorded:
20+ micro moths

2 Six-Spot Burnet moth (Zygaena filipendulae)

A worn Six-Spot Burnet moth (Zygaena filipendulae)

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

bee sp.

A Honey Bee (Apis mellifera) on a Budleia

bee sp.

Hoverflies Recorded:
Dead Head Hoverfly (Myathropa florea)

Long Hoverfly (Sphaerophoria scripta)

hoverfly sp.

A Dead Head Hoverfly (Myathropa florea)

Long Hoverfly (Sphaerophoria scripta)

hoverfly sp.

Flies, Craneflies, Gnats and Midges Recorded:

House Fly (Neomyia sp.)

A House Fly (Neomyia sp.)

fly sp.

Bugs and Beetles Recorded:
Common Green Capsid (Lygocoris pabulinus)
Common Red Soldier Beetle (Rhagonycha fulva)

Southern Border Meadow Skink Beetle (Acetropis gimmerthalii) - Unlikely!!

A Common Red Soldier Beetle (Rhagonycha fulva)

This is one of the Miridae family and possibly Acetropis gimmerthalii. There is no Common name for this species, but in Sweden it is called Sydlig Gräns Ängsskinnbagge which in English translates to Southern Border Meadow Skink Beetle. Sadly as I can't ID it from this photo it will have to remain as miridae sp. Great shame as I love the Swedish name.

Crickets and Grasshoppers Recorded:
Meadow Grasshopper (Chorthippus parallelus)

Slugs and Snails Recorded:
Smooth Glass Snail (Aegopinella nitidula)

A Smooth Glass Snail (Aegopinella nitidula) and a new snail for my Portland List.

Spiders Recorded:

Crab Spider (Misumena vatia)

Crab Spider (Misumena vatia)

Caterpillars Recorded:
Cinnabar moth

There are still quite a few Cinnabar moth caterpillars in the meadow.

Ted:

Ted enjoying the cooler conditions.

Aircraft today:

A micro-light passes over Wakeham. Apparently this version is known as a Paratrikes (Powered Parachutes). More on microlights here.

28 Jul 24

Wakeham

No walk today, as I spent the day working in the garden, followed by our first BBQ of the year.

Highlights noted as I worked away were small parties of Swifts, House Martins and Swallows passing through.

Birds Recorded:

Herring Gull

Wood Pigeon

Collared Dove

10 Swift

12+ House Martin

11 Swallow

Dunnock

Robin

Wren

Magpie

Carrion Crow

Jackdaw

Starling

House Sparrow

Chaffinch

Linnet

Goldfinch

These are a few of.......

............the Swifts over Wakeham this afternoon.

Butterflies Recorded:
4 Large White
1 Green-veined White
2 Red Admiral

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