17 Jun 25

  Wakeham

It was another day in the back garden, sawing up the old sheds into bite-size pieces that will fit in the back of the car. I had planned on getting a skip, but Dawn and I decided to take it all to the Recycling Centre ourselves, instead of paying someone to take it.

Well this what it was like a few days ago and........

........today its all been cut up ready for a few tip runs tomorrow.

And during my breaks I had a wonder around the garden, and at long last a couple of butterflies which have been absent for awhile. Unfortunately neither stopped for a photo.

A first for the year was a Long Hoverfly Sphaerophoria scripta in the wildflower patch.

Butterflies Recorded:

1 Large White Pieris brassicae

1 Red Admiral Vanessa atalanta

Bees Recorded:
Buff-tailed Bumblebee Bombus terrestris
Common Carder Bee Bombus pascuorum
Early Bumblebee Bombus pratorum
Yellow-legged Mining Bee Andrena flavipe
1 Colletes sp.

1 Andrena sp.

1 Megachile sp.

This is one of the..............

....................Colletes family of bees. As to which one I'm unsure. The one thing I do know for sure is that it isn't an Ivy Bee Colletes hederae, as they appear at the end of September. Obsidentify has this as being 96% sure that's either C. daviesanus, C. fodiens or C. similis.

One of the Andrena bees

I'm not doing very well in ID'ing these bees other than this one is Megachile sp.

Hoverflies Recorded:
Marmalade Hoverfly Episyrphus balteatus
Narcissus Bulb Fly Merodon equestris
Long Hoverfly Sphaerophoria scripta

My first Long Hoverfly Sphaerophoria scripta in the garden this year.

Flies, Craneflies, Gnats and Midges Recorded:
Many unidentified flies
Greenbottle Lucilia sp.

A Greenbottle Lucilia sp. on an Oxeye Daisy Leucanthemum vulgare

Bugs and Beetles Recorded:
Swollen-thighed Beetle Oedemera nobilis
Trivial Plant Bug Closterotomus rivialis

A male and..............

.............female Swollen-thighed Beetle Oedemera nobilis

Trivial Plant Bug Closterotomus rivialis

And on this California Poppy Eschscholzia californica is a very very.........

.............small bug.

Spiders Recorded:

Flower Spider Misumena vatia

The Flower Spider Misumena vatia is still..........

..........on the Crown Daisy Glebionis coronaria

16 Jun 25

Tramway Track and Tout Quarry

After a trip to the tip, Ted and I had a walk along the old Tramline here to just past the road bridge here into Tout Quarry. My aim on this walk was firstly to stretch my legs plus see how many butterfly species I could find. Well I managed 12 species which I think was pretty good.

Other highlights were 5 Common Whitethroats along my walk, all collecting food for youngsters and some interesting moths notably 2 Hummingbird Hawkmoths, a Cinnabar moth and a Jersey Moth.


Birds Recorded:
Herring Gull
Wood Pigeon
Dunnock
Robin
Blackbird
5 Common Whitethroat
Wren
Magpie
Carrion Crow
Jackdaw
House Sparrow
Goldfinch


Escapees, Ferals, Possibles Etc.
Feral pigeon


Butterflies Recorded:
8 Dingy Skipper Erynnis tages
10+ Small Skipper Thymelicus sylvestris
1 Lulworth Skipper Thymelicus acteon
10+ Large Skipper Ochlodes sylvanus
1 Speckled Wood Pararge aegeria
2 Small Heath Coenonympha pamphilus
5 Meadow Brown Maniola jurtina
2 Gatekeeper Pyronia tithonus
6 Marbled White Melanargia galathea
1 Painted Lady Vanessa cardui
1 Silver-studded Blue Plebejus argus
8 Common Blue Polyommatus icarus

One of around 8 Dingy Skipper Erynnis tages along the Old Tram Track. And.............

..............here is another one sat on the seeds from last years Carline Thistle Carlina vulgaris

A Small Skipper Thymelicus sylvestris on Red Valerian Centranthus ruber. And....

............another Small Skipper also a Red Valerian.

The only Lulworth Skipper Thymelicus acteon I found.

And there were good 10+  Large Skippers Ochlodes sylvanus as well.

Just the one Speckled Wood Pararge aegeria found.

These two Small Heaths Coenonympha pamphilus were incredibly difficult to photograph. This.........

.............one was the best of around a dozens shots.

The Meadow Browns Maniola jurtina were very flighty and when they landed were pretty difficult to photograph as they headed for the undergrowth.

And a pristine Gatekeeper Pyronia tithonus. The only Gatekeeper I recorded.

The Marbled Whites Melanargia galathea were also very mobile. At least one stopped briefly for a photo.

A Painted Lady Vanessa cardui on Red Valerian.

I came across plenty of Common Blues Polyommatus icarus. This..............

..................one was on a Common bird's-foot-trefoil Lotus corniculatus

A Silver-studded Blue Plebejus argus and the only I found

Moths Recorded:
2 Hummingbird Hawk-moth Macroglossum stellatarum
2 Cinnabar moth Tyria jacobaeae

My first Cinnabar moth Tyria jacobaeae........

...............this year. There were two Hummingbird Hawk-moths Macroglossum stellatarum, but neither stopped for a photo.

Bees Recorded:
Buff-tailed Bumblebee Bombus terrestris
Common Carder Bee Bombus pascuorum
Red-tailed Bumblebee Bombus lapidarius

A Red-tailed Bumblebee Bombus lapidarius on the flower of a Common bird's-foot-trefoil Lotus corniculatus

Hoverflies Recorded:
Marmalade Hoverfly Episyrphus balteatus
Mimic Bee Hoverfly Volucella bombylans

And a Mimic Bee Hoverfly Volucella bombylans resting briefly on a Buddleia leaf

Flies, Craneflies, Gnats and Midges Recorded:
Many unidentified flies
Greenbottle Lucilia sp.


Bugs and Beetles Recorded:
Swollen-thighed Beetle Oedemera nobilis


Crickets and Grasshoppers Recorded:
Meadow Grasshopper Chorthippus parallelus

One of many Meadow Grasshoppers Chorthippus parallelus along this walk.

Plants:
Bramble Rubus fruticosusa
Common Knapweed Centaurea nigra
Common Ragwort Jacobaea vulgaris
Hemp Agrimony Eupatorium cannabinum 
Meadow Buttercup Ranunculus arvensis
Red Clover Trifolium pratense
Yellow-rattle Rhinanthus minor

Carline Thistle Carlina vulgaris

Tutsan Hypericum androsaemum
Pyramidal Orchid Anacamptis pyramidalis

Wild Thyme Thymus drucei

And Hemp Agrimony Eupatorium cannabinum, which is just coming into flower. This plant is AKA 'Raspberries and Cream'.

According to the PlantNet App this is a Tutsan Hypericum androsaemum and one of the St John's-worts Hypericaceae Family

And one of many Pyramidal Orchids Anacamptis pyramidalis in flower. And..........

.................here a few more.

Wild Thyme Thymus drucei which also goes by the Latin name of Thymus praecox

Ted:

It was a bit warm today, but there was plenty of shade for Ted.

15 Jun 25

Wakeham

A day in the garden again enjoying the warm sunshine.

Below are a few photos from today:

bee sp.

A Garden Bumblebee Bombus hortorum on Red Valerian Centranthus ruber

A Yellow-legged Mining Bee Andrena flavipe

A Thick-legged hoverfly Syritta pipiens on an Oxeye Daisy Leucanthemum vulgare and...

.............another Thick-legged hoverfly on another Oxeye Daisy. Seems to be a popular daisy.

A male Swollen-thighed Beetle Oedemera nobilis on a California Poppy Eschscholzia californica........

.............and a female on a Crown Daisy Glebionis coronaria

And the Flower Spider Misumena vatia waiting on its favourite Crown Daisy Glebionis coronaria for its next meal. And an hour...........

..............later it had caught what looks like a House Fly from the Muscidae family.