7 Jul 25

Wakeham

It was another day in the garden, this time mowing the lawn, trimming, pruning and tidying up. As it was yesterday there were two adult House Martins and a juvenile overhead.

Birds Recorded:

Herring Gulls
3 House Martin

Every year since we've been here on Portland the resident Herring Gulls, from a few doors down, have bred very successfully. This year is no exception and these two juveniles look like they have done pretty well to survive the intense heat we have had recently. Mind you with all that guano around them I think I would have left the nest by now.

Amphibians Recorded:
1 Palmate Newt Lissotriton helveticus - in the "Tractor Tyre" pond


Butterflies Recorded:
5 Large White Pieris brassicae
2 Small White Pieris rapae
1 Red Admiral Vanessa atalanta

Moths Recorded:

Large Yellow Underwing Noctua pronuba 

A Large Yellow Underwing Noctua pronuba I disturbed in one of the flowerbeds.

Bees Recorded:
Buff-tailed Bumblebee Bombus terrestris
Honey Bee Apis mellifera

Common Carder Bee Bombus pascuorum
Willughby's Leafcutter Bee Megachile willughbiella

And peering over the lavender is...........

...........a Common Carder Bee Bombus pascuorum

And a Willughby's Leafcutter Bee Megachile willughbiella. A species I first came across in the May 2018.

Wasps, Ichneumon Wasps, Parasitic Wasps and Gall Wasps Recorded:
1 Wasp sp.

A wasp sp.

Hoverflies Recorded:
12+ Marmalade Hoverfly Episyrphus balteatus

1 Migrant Hoverfly Meliscaeva auricollis
1 Vagrant Hoverfly Eupeodes corollae

1 Thick-legged hoverfly Syritta pipiens

1 Syrphus sp.

A Marmalade Hoverfly Episyrphus balteatus......................

.................And another. In fact..........

.......................it was quite a good day for Marmalade Hoverflies with a good dozen or so seen.

And a Migrant Hoverfly Meliscaeva auricollis sat on Pellitory-of-the-wall Parietaria judaicais

Vagrant Hoverfly Eupeodes corollae

A Thick-legged hoverfly Syritta pipiens which also goes by the name of Compost Hoverfly

A Syrphus sp.

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


Bugs and Beetles Recorded:

Strawberry Seed Beetle Harpalus rufipes - deceased
3 Common Flower Bug Anthocoris nemorum

Obsidentify is 85% sure that this is a Strawberry Seed Beetle Harpalus rufipes. I found it deceased in the back garden.

Three Common Flower Bugs Anthocoris nemorum. I suspect there are two males trying to mate with a female!!

6 Jul 25

Wakeham

It was a lazy day spent in the garden, with the odd occasion when I got up from my seat and had a look to see what was about.

Amphibians Recorded:
1 Palmate Newt Lissotriton helveticus


Butterflies Recorded:
4 Large White Pieris brassicae
3 Small White Pieris rapae
1 Green-veined White Pieris napi
1 Red Admiral Vanessa atalanta

A Large White Pieris brassicae which flew into the conservatory momentarily.

A Green-veined White Pieris napi

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

Colletes sp.

A Common Carder Bee Bombus pascuorum on Lavender Lavandula sp.

I'm beginning to wonder whether there is just the one Colletes sp. that keeps visiting the garden. I have only ever seen one at anytime. Surely there must be others!!

Wasps, Ichneumon Wasps, Parasitic Wasps and Gall Wasps Recorded:
1 Common Wasp Vespula vulgaris
1 wasp sp.

A Common Wasp Vespula vulgaris

A Wasp sp. Well...........

...............I presume it is.

I managed a video of it as it entered this piece of bark and then exited it. But I'm still non the wiser as to what species it is.

Sawflies Recorded:
Turnip Sawfly Athalia rosae

A Turnip Sawfly Athalia rosae in flight.

Hoverflies Recorded:
3 The Footballer Helophilus pendulus
1 Woodland Bulb Fly Eumerus ornatus

Syrphus sp.

The Footballer Helophilus pendulus on.........

...............the "Tractor Tyre" Pond......

.............Here is another one. This time on a lily in the "Bath" Pond. And .......

..........one more. This hoverfly is also known as the Tiger Marsh Fly.

This hoverfly is a Vagrant Hoverfly Eupeodes corollae

A Woodland Bulb Fly Eumerus ornatus

Flies, Craneflies, Gnats and Midges Recorded:
1 Small Beegrabber Thecophora atra

1 Giant Bristleshin Phaonia valida

Greenbottle Lucilia sp.
#1 - fly sp.

#2 - fly sp.

And a new addition to my Port and Wey list. This is a Small Beegrabber Thecophora atra

This a Giant Bristleshin Phaonia valida and another new fly for my list.

A Greenbottle Lucilia sp. on a California Poppy Eschscholzia californica

#1 - fly sp.

#2 - fly sp.

Bugs and Beetles Recorded:
Potato Capsid Closterotomus norwegicus
Common Nettle Bug Liocoris tripustulatus

A Potato Capsid Closterotomus norwegicus on an Oxeye Daisy Leucanthemum vulgare

A Common Nettle Bug Liocoris tripustulatus.........................

......................... on the leaves of the Pellitory-of-the-wall Parietaria judaicais

A Common Flower Bug Anthocoris nemorum also on an Oxeye Daisy

5 Jul 25

Old Quarry Lane and Wakeham Meadows

It was a quick walk down the lane to the meadow and back, before the rain arrived. It was certainly a lot fresher than of late, and I could have done with a jacket, in the cold north-westerly.

Main highlight was not one but two Chiffchaffs singing at the far end of the lane. And also noted were 4 moth species, which made a change from the normal two I almost record daily in the meadow.


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


Escapees, Ferals, Possibles Etc.
Feral pigeon


Butterflies Recorded:
5 Large White Pieris brassicae
5 Small White Pieris rapae
1 Green-veined White Pieris napi
1 Speckled Wood Pararge aegeria
4 Ringlet Aphantopus hyperantus
3 Meadow Brown Maniola jurtina
6 Gatekeeper Pyronia tithonus
3 Marbled White Melanargia galathea
1 Red Admiral Vanessa atalanta
1 Common Blue Polyommatus icarus

A Green-veined White Pieris napi

Just the one Speckled Wood Pararge aegeria seen today.

And a Ringlet Aphantopus hyperantus

 Meadow Brown Maniola jurtina

And another Meadow Brown Maniola jurtina

And a Gatekeeper Pyronia tithonus

A Marbled White Melanargia galathea

And just the one Common Blue Polyommatus icarus seen

Moths Recorded:

15+ Six-Spot Burnet moth Zygaena filipendulae
1 Garden Grass-veneer Chrysoteuchia culmella
1 Dwarf Cream Wave Idaea fuscovenosa

Tawny Sycamore Piercer Pammene aurita

One of many Six-Spot Burnet moths Zygaena filipendulae seen this morning. This one is on Common Knapweed Centaurea nigra.

A Garden Grass-veneer Chrysoteuchia culmella

And a new moth for my Port & Wey List. This is a Dwarf Cream Wave Idaea fuscovenosa, which I found in the meadow.

And my first...........

..............Tawny Sycamore Piercer Pammene aurita of the year on a Sycamore Acer pseudoplatanus leaf .

Bees Recorded:
Buff-tailed Bumblebee Bombus terrestris
Common Carder Bee Bombus pascuorum
Honey Bee Apis mellifera
Red-tailed Bumblebee Bombus lapidarius
Orange-tailed Mining Bee Andrena haemorrhoa

A male Red-tailed Bumblebee Bombus lapidarius on Common Knapweed

An Orange-tailed Mining Bee Andrena haemorrhoa. You can just make out the orange tip on the tail. This Andrena bee also goes by the name of Early Mining Bee.

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

A Common Wasp Vespula vulgaris.....................

................... on Wild Fennel Foeniculum vulgare

Hoverflies Recorded:
Common Dronefly Eristalis tenax
Marmalade Hoverfly Episyrphus balteatus
Syrphus sp.

A Common Dronefly Eristalis tenax

A Marmalade Hoverfly Episyrphus balteatus hovering and actually keeping very steady for the camera.

And a Syrphus sp.

Flies, Craneflies, Gnats and Midges Recorded:
Many unidentified flies
2 Banded Burdock Fly Terellia tussilaginis 

Greenbottle Lucilia sp.

Flesh Fly Sarcophaga sp.

And a new fly to add to my list. This is a Banded Burdock Fly Terellia tussilaginis on Greater Burdock Arctium lappa in the lane. There is actually a second Banded Burdock Fly directly behind it. You can just make out the brown banding on the wing tips.

A Greenbottle Lucilia sp.

A Flesh Fly Sarcophaga sp.

Bugs and Beetles Recorded:
Common Red Soldier Beetle Rhagonycha fulva
Potato Capsid Closterotomus norwegicus
Swollen-thighed Beetle Oedemera nobilis
Common Nettle Flower Bug Plagiognathus arbustorum

1 Tortoise Bug Eurygaster testudinaria

A Common Red Soldier Beetle Rhagonycha fulva on Common Ragwort Jacobaea vulgaris

In the flower-head of this Large Bindweed Calystegia silvatica is a male Swollen-thighed Beetle Oedemera nobilis

On this Common Knapweed is a Potato Capsid Closterotomus norwegicus (top) and (below) two Common Nettle Flower Bugs Plagiognathus arbustorum.

And having taken the photo of the Marbled White and sifting through the images, I realised I had also photographed this Tortoise Bug Eurygaster testudinaria. This individual is the final instar. More on this bug here. and here.

Crickets and Grasshoppers Recorded:
1 Dark Bush-cricket Pholidoptera griseoaptera
30+ grasshopper sps.

Slugs and Snails Recorded:
Garden Snail Cornu aspersa
White-lipped Banded Snail Cepaea hortensis

Spiders Recorded:

Black-palp Wolf Spider Pardosa nigriceps

A Black-palp Wolf Spider Pardosa nigriceps carrying a sac of eggs

Caterpillars Recorded:

40+ Cinnabar moth Tyria jacobaeae

It's a mystery to be honest, but there are around a dozen caterpillars of the Cinnabar moth.............

................on these Common Ragworts Jacobaea vulgaris, and dozens more on other plants. Yet I've only seen a couple of "adult" Cinnabar moths here in the meadow in 8 years since I've been visiting this location. Odd!!!!