17 May 25

Tout Quarry

It was off to Tout Quarry this morning, to see what butterfly species were about. In total I recorded 7 species, with 4 Wall Browns and several Adonis Blues noted.

Also in the quarry I came across a Common Whitethroat and a Lesser Whitethroat sharing the same patch of scrubland to the east of quarry close to Wide Street. Also in this section of the quarry there was a Blackcap, 4 Greenfinch and 2 Great Tit. The latter taking food to youngsters which were in a nest in a crevice of one of the rock faces.

Birds Recorded:
Herring Gull
Wood Pigeon
5 Sand Martin
4 Swallow
Robin
Blackbird
2 Common Whitethroat
1 Lesser Whitethroat
1 Blackcap
2 Great Tit
Wren
Magpie
Carrion Crow
Jackdaw
Raven
House Sparrow
Chaffinch
Goldfinch
4 Greenfinch

A Common Whitethroat singing and................

................sat at the top of the same tree later on was this Lesser Whitethroat.

And it wasn't just the whitethroats singing............

.................but a few male Greenfinch's were also in good voice.

Escapees, Ferals, Possibles Etc.
Feral pigeon


Butterflies Recorded:
5 Dingy Skipper
Large White
Small White
Green-veined White
4 Wall Brown
6  Adonis Blue

One of at least 5 Dingy Skippers seen in the quarry.

Here is another one which is slightly paler.

An Adonis Blue

Moths Recorded:

#1 - moth sp.

#1 - moth sp.

#1 - As above

Bees Recorded:
Honey Bee (Apis mellifera)

Blue Mason Bee (Osmia caerulescens)

The Honey Bees (Apis mellifera) were really liking the Scotch Roses (Rosa spinosissima)

A Blue Mason Bee (Osmia caerulescens)

Hoverflies Recorded:
1 Barred Anthill Hoverfly (Xanthogramma citrofasciatum)

This is a Barred Anthill Hoverfly (Xanthogramma citrofasciatum) and also goes by the name of Barred Dayglower


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


Bugs and Beetles Recorded:
7-spot Ladybird (Coccinella septempunctata) - larvae
Swollen-thighed Beetle (Oedemera nobilis)

A female Swollen-thighed Beetle (Oedemera nobilis) on Coltsfoot (Tussilago farfara)

Plants:

Coltsfoot (Tussilago farfara)
Scotch Rose (Rosa spinosissima)

Bramble (Rubus fruticosusa)

White Campion (Silene latifolia)

Cotoneaster (Cotoneaster sp.)

Ivy Broomrape (Orobanche hederae)

Black Mustard (Brassica nigra)

From a distance you would be forgiven in thinking that these white flower heads belong to Large Bindweed (Calystegia silvatica). In fact they..........................

.................are Scotch Roses (Rosa spinosissima)

A Bramble in flower (Rubus fruticosusa)

This tall white flowered plant is...........

..................White Campion (Silene latifolia) and looking through my records Tout Quarry is the only location on Portland where I have found it before.

Cotoneaster (Cotoneaster sp.)

Ivy Broomrape (Orobanche hederae)

And this Deadly Nightshade lookalike is in fact.........

............Bittersweet (Solanum dulcamara) and is another nightshade with toxic berries which will cause you serious illness. More on this plant here.

This is..............

..................Black Mustard (Brassica nigra)

Ted:

Sorry Ted, leads have to be attached at Tout Quarry. Sadly the 6 other dog walkers I passed I can't read.