6 Jul 24

Penns Wood, St Andrew's Church, Church Ope Cove, Penn's Weare, Penn's Copse, Rufus Castle and Bumpers Lane

After the rain finally cleared this morning, it was off out for a good walk to the cove and back. A walk which I haven't done since 27 May. 

There were a few notable changes since my last visit, the main one being the repairs to the 151 steps down to the beach from Rufus Castle. The number of pot holes was beyond a joke and literally an accident just waiting to happen. Well I'm pleased to say they have all been filled in.

Main highlights were 3 singing Chiffchaffs around the cove and a Common Whitethroat singing along Bumpers Lane.

Despite the gale force winds there were quite a few butterflies about in the more sheltered spots, but where have all the "blue" butterflies gone!!

Strangely enough though there was a very "blue" coloured Marbled White along Bumpers Lane, which annoyingly flew off before I could photograph it. It was a really unusual colour.


Birds Recorded:
1 Buzzard
1 Kestrel
Herring Gull
Wood Pigeon
Collared Dove
Dunnock
Robin
Blackbird
Song Thrush
1 Common Whitethroat
3 Chiffchaff
Great Tit
Blue Tit
Wren
Magpie
Carrion Crow
Jackdaw
Starling
House Sparrow
Chaffinch
Linnet
Goldfinch



Reptiles Recorded:
5 Wall Lizard
1 Slow-worm

A Wall Lizard in the grounds of St Andrew's Church

Butterflies Recorded:

1 Lulworth Skipper

1 Large Skipper
6 Small Skipper
10+ Large White
20+ Meadow Brown
5 Gatekeeper
10+ Marbled White
1 Comma

A Lulworth Skipper

A Large Skipper

A Small Skipper

A Meadow Brown

And a Gatekeeper

Another Gatekeeper

And a Comma

And here.......

........are a.........

........few photos..........

.......of a Marbled White.

Moths Recorded:
1 Silver Y (Autographa gamma)


Bees Recorded:

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

Early Bumblebee (Bombus pratorum)

Garden Bumblebee (Bombus hortorum)
Hylaeus sp.

An Early Bumblebee (Bombus pratorum)

And another Early Bumblebee (Bombus pratorum)

A Garden Bumblebee (Bombus hortorum)

On the left a Hylaeus sp.

Hoverflies Recorded:

Hornet Mimic Hoverfly (Volucella zonaria)

Common Dronefly (Eristalis tenax)
Black-horned Smoothtail (Epistrophe grossulariae)

A Hornet Mimic Hoverfly (Volucella zonaria)

Common Dronefly (Eristalis tenax)

A Black-horned Smoothtail (Epistrophe grossulariae)

Flies, Craneflies, Gnats and Midges Recorded:
Waisted Beegrabber (Physocephala rufipes)

fly sp.

A Waisted Beegrabber (Physocephala rufipes)

On the right a fly sp.

Slugs and Snails Recorded:
Black Slug (Arion ater)

A Black Slug (Arion ater)

Ants Recorded:
Small Black Ant (Lasius niger)

Plants:

Hemp Agrimony (Eupatorium cannabinum)

Wild Marjoram (Origanum vulgare)
Biting Stonecrop (Sedum acre)

Pyramidal Orchid (Anacamptis pyramidalis)
Common Centaury (Centaurium erythraea)

Portland Russet (Malus x domestica)

This plant is...........

....Hemp Agrimony (Eupatorium cannabinum). It is also known as 'Raspberries and Cream'.

This plant is............

....................Wild Marjoram (Origanum vulgare)

These are.........

...............Biting Stonecrops (Sedum acre)

These are........

...........Pyramidal Orchids (Anacamptis pyramidalis)

These flowers are.....

..................Common Centaury (Centaurium erythraea)

Soon to be "Portland Russet".

General Shots:

Pennsylvania Castle Woods

The grounds of St Andrew's Church

Looking east from the church grounds

Church Ope Cove

And the.............

........newly established............

.........Bumpers Lane Wildlife Area, with the new sign showing you what can be found here.

Ted:

I know you're there somewhere.

Ted blending in with the rocks.

And he's off on a run.

Ships Today:

This is the Maltese Ro-Ro Cargo Ship "Delphine" on its way from Zeebrugge to Dublin. More on this vessel here.

Aircraft Today:

This is the privately owned Cirrus SR22T Registration G-GAPC on its way from Kemble to Guernsey. More on this aircraft here and here.