30 Jun 25

Wakeham

Dawn and I decided that the groundwork for the new outbuildings could wait a few days. Mainly because of the heat today and exhaustion from yesterday.

So instead we did a bit pruning, tying back a few plants and a general tidy up.

Main highlight today was a Chiffchaff, which landed on the fence next to the wildflower patch, before flying up and into the neighbours Hazel tree, which was covered in dozens of hoverflies and flies.

Also noted was another Ringlet, flitting about in the garden. And having topped up both ponds it was good to see that there was at least one Palmate Newt in the "Tractor Tyre" pond.


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

This Collared Dove was about to land on top of the feeders. As soon as it realised I was sat next to it, it was off.

As I was sat in my chair this juvenile Dunnock popped up onto the fence next to me.

A nice surprise in the garden was this Chiffchaff passing through.

Escapees, Ferals, Possibles Etc.
Feral pigeon


Amphibians Recorded:
1 Palmate Newt Lissotriton helveticus


Butterflies Recorded:
2 Large White Pieris brassicae
1 Small White Pieris rapae
1 Green-veined White Pieris napi
1 Ringlet Aphantopus hyperantus
1 Red Admiral Vanessa atalanta

A Green-veined White Pieris napi and.............

............another.

Moths Recorded:
1 Large Yellow Underwing Noctua pronuba

A Large Yellow Underwing Noctua pronuba which I disturbed when I was weeding the Rose Garden.

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

A Colletes sp.

Hoverflies Recorded:

Common Banded Hoverfly Syrphus ribesii.
20+ Marmalade Hoverfly Episyrphus balteatus

Obsidentify seems quite sure that this is a Common Banded Hoverfly Syrphus ribesii.

One of 20+ Marmalade Hoverflies Episyrphus balteatus in the garden.

Flies, Craneflies, Gnats and Midges Recorded:
Heleomyzid fly Suillia variegata

Common Stiletto Thereva nobilitata

Greenbottle Lucilia sp.

While I was photographing the Marmalade Hoverflies on the Oak leaves, I came across this Heleomyzid fly Suillia variegata. A new fly for my list

And another new fly for my list was this Common Stiletto Thereva nobilitata

Greenbottle Lucilia sp.

Bugs and Beetles Recorded:
None

29 Jun 25

Wakeham

It was a day spent in the back garden, preparing the ground for the new Shed and Summer House. Thankfully I had Dawn helping me, as it is quite a big task, and one which I probably shouldn't be undertaking. But it would be brilliant if we could have it completed for when I come out of hospital. whenever that might be!!

Highlight on the wildlife front was a Bullfinch (sex unknown) calling from next doors Hazel Tree and then flying off. All I got to see was a Bullfinch silhouette against the sun and hearing it call as it flew west. We don't get too many Bullfinches on Portland so a good tick for the year on the island.


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


Escapees, Ferals, Possibles Etc.
Feral pigeon


Dragonflies and Damselflies Recorded:
Hawker sp. - flew over the garden at speed.


Butterflies Recorded:
3 Large White Pieris brassicae
2 Small White Pieris rapae
2 Ringlet Aphantopus hyperantus - I don't recall ever seeing Ringlets in the garden. Today there were two.
1 Red Admiral Vanessa atalanta


Moths Recorded:
1 Common Nettle-tap Anthophila fabriciana
1 Hummingbird Hawk-moth Macroglossum stellatarum - As I was stood by the wildflower patch one flew up to me head and disappeared very quickly.


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

A bee sp. coming into land on a on Purple Loosestrife Lythrum salicaria. To the far right is a Trivial Plant Bug Closterotomus rivialis.

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


Hoverflies Recorded:
Marmalade Hoverfly Episyrphus balteatus
White-footed Hoverfly Platycheirus albimanus
Mega Syrph Megasyrphus erraticus

A Marmalade Hoverfly Episyrphus balteatus sat on the leaf of a Pellitory-of-the-wall Parietaria judaicais. Which reminds me to keep an eye out for the Pellitory Beauty moth Cosmopterix pulchrimella  More on this moth here where I photographed one last year.

A White-footed Hoverfly Platycheirus albimanus on Purple Loosestrife. Other names this hoverfly goes by are Grey-spotted Sedgesitter and Grey-spotted Boxer. It's just as well the Latin name remains constant.

A hoverfly I became aware of a week ago today is this Mega Syrph Megasyrphus erraticus. More on this very large Syrphus hoverfly here.

Flies, Craneflies, Gnats and Midges Recorded:
#1 - fly sp.

Pouting Woodlouse-fly Rhinophora lepida

 #1 - fly sp.

 #1 - fly sp.

A Pouting Woodlouse-fly Rhinophora lepida.

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

A Trivial Plant Bug Closterotomus rivialis also on on Purple Loosestrife

And another Trivial Plant Bug sat on the flowerhead of a Common Evening-primrose Oenothera biennis.

A Swollen-thighed Beetle Oedemera nobilis in a California Poppy Eschscholzia californica

Spiders Recorded:
Flower Spider Misumena vatia

Not sure if this is the same Flower Spider Misumena vatia from last week but it/another is sat in an Oxeye Daisy Leucanthemum vulgare

28 Jun 25

Ferrybridge

As I was passing Ferrybridge, I stopped off briefly to watch the Little Terns. Unfortunately there was a fair bit of sea fog drifting off the sea, over Chesil beach and across The Fleet, making visibility difficult at times.

However I did manage to see a couple of Little Terns, which were fishing right next to the Dorset Wildlife's Pontoon, where they operate their glass-bottom boat from.

Birds Recorded:
2 Oystercatcher
2 Herring Gull
2 Great Black-backed Gull

2 Little Tern
Starling
House Sparrow
8 Linnet

A Little Tern catching fish just off the bank I was stood on...........

............Just a shame I missed the bit where it caught one!! (In slow-motion)

Escapees, Ferals, Possibles Etc.
Feral pigeon

Bees Recorded:
1 Buff-tailed Bumblebee Bombus terrestris

A fully laden Buff-tailed Bumblebee Bombus terrestris on its way to the next Bramble flower.

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

Bugs and Beetles Recorded:
1 Swollen-thighed Beetle Oedemera nobilis
1 Common Red Soldier Beetle Rhagonycha fulva

A male Swollen-thighed Beetle Oedemera nobilis

A Common Red Soldier Beetle Rhagonycha fulva

Plants:
Rock Samphire Crithmum maritimum

This is Rock Samphire Crithmum maritimum.............

...........Also known as a Sea Fennel. More on this plant here.

General Shots:

The one time that the sea fog didn't cover The Fleet.

Ted:

Ted's there somewhere!

27 Jun 25

Wakeham

Below are a few photos from the back garden today.

Sat on this Oxeye Daisy Leucanthemum vulgare is a Colletes bee again. As to which one I still don't know. Obsidentify is 99% sure it is either Davies' Colletes C. daviesanus, Hairy-saddled Colletes C. fodiens or Bare-saddled Colletes C. similis. They are so similar, I don't think I'll be able to ID which one this is!!

And this small ichneumon wasp is.....

.............a Syrphid Parasite Wasp Syrphoctonus tarsatorius. AKA Diplazontine Wasp

A Greenbottle Lucilia sp. sat on an Oxeye Daisy.

Also on an Oxeye Daisy was this female Swollen-thighed Beetle Oedemera nobilis

This is Evening Primrose Oenothera biennis and is thriving very well in the garden since I collected seeds from Vaycroft Quarry in 2020. It is also known as Evening Star and Sundrop. Behind it is Purple Loosestrife Lythrum salicaria, which I have had since 1986, when I had one in my garden pond in Norfolk. Every time I moved I used to take a small piece and grow it in my next garden. Thirty-nine years on and it is still doing well.

26 Jun 25

Old Quarry Lane, Wakeham Meadows, Easton Railway Cuttings and Wakeham Wildlife Site

Today was all about the butterflies with well over 150 seen of 11 species. Incredibly I didn't see a single "Blue" butterfly.

Other highlights were 3 Swallows, a Common Whitethroat by the cuttings, two Blackcaps around the wildlife site and a Chiffchaff singing from the top of one of the trees along Old Quarry Lane.

Birds Recorded:
Herring Gull
Wood Pigeon
Collared Dove
3 Swallow
Dunnock
Blackbird
1 Common Whitethroat
2 Blackcap
1 Chiffchaff
Wren
Magpie
Carrion Crow
Jackdaw
Starling
House Sparrow
Chaffinch
Goldfinch

This Chiffchaff was singing............

...............in Old Quarry Lane

Escapees, Ferals, Possibles Etc.
Feral pigeon


Dragonflies and Damselflies Recorded:
1 Dragonfly sp. (A large blue-coloured individual along Easton Railway Cuttings)

This is what you call jammy photography with no skill required. Just face the lens at a fast moving dragonfly, fire off twenty or so shots, whilst trying to keep up with it, and hope for the best. The best of the bunch of a Emperor Dragonfly Anax imperator.

Butterflies Recorded:
4 Small Skipper Thymelicus sylvestris
20+ Large White Pieris brassicae
20+ Small White Pieris rapae
5 Green-veined White Pieris napi
5 Speckled Wood Pararge aegeria
10+ Ringlet Aphantopus hyperantus
20+ Meadow Brown Maniola jurtina
10+ Gatekeeper Pyronia tithonus
20+ Marbled White Melanargia galathea
2 Red Admiral Vanessa atalanta
2 Peacock  Aglais io

A Small Skipper Thymelicus sylvestris in Easton Railway Cuttings

A Small White Pieris rapae

Green-veined White Pieris napi

A Speckled Wood Pararge aegeria

Despite seeing a good number of Ringlets Aphantopus hyperantus, I just couldn't find a settled one to photograph. The best I could do was this one flying across in front of me. Moving on!!

A very worn Meadow Brown Maniola jurtina.

I'll hold my hand up and admit that when I photographed this Meadow Brown, I thought there was just the one butterfly. A pair of mating Meadow Browns in Easton Railway Cuttings.

As the Meadow Browns begin to fade so the freshly emerged Gatekeepers Pyronia tithonus begin to show.

On the flower of this Bramble (Rubus fruticosusa) were a Marbled White (Melanargia galathea), Common Carder Bee (Bombus pascuorum), a spider sp. and a bug sp.

And another Marbled White.

Just the one Red Admiral Vanessa atalanta seen today.

A Peacock Aglais io sat on a Cotoneaster.

Moths Recorded:

Vestal moth Rhodometra sacraria
Garden Grass-veneer Chrysoteuchia culmella

Hook-streaked Grass-veneer Crambus lathoniellus

Cinnabar moth Tyria jacobaeae

And it wasn't just a great day for butterflies, but I also came my first Vestal moth Rhodometra sacraria since I moved here on 30 May 17.

A Garden Grass-veneer Chrysoteuchia culmella.

And a Hook-streaked Grass-veneer Crambus lathoniellus

My first Cinnabar moth Tyria jacobaeae this Summer. I came across this individual in Easton Railway Cuttings. Ever year I see many larvae but only the occasional adult moth.

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

A Red-tailed Bumblebee Bombus lapidarius on Common Knapweed Centaurea nigra.

Another Common Knapweed and just taking off another Red-tailed Bumblebee Bombus lapidarius. Above it is a male Swollen-thighed Beetle Oedemera nobilis, below a bee sp. and far left a Syrphus Hoverfly sp. in flight.

A Buff-tailed Bumblebee Bombus terrestris heads towards these Bramble flowers.

And we have lift off as this Honey Bee Apis mellifera leaves these Bramble flowers..........

................ for another.

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

An Ichneumon Wasp sp. with a Common Red Soldier Beetle Rhagonycha fulva photo-bombing my shot.

Hoverflies Recorded:
1 Hornet Plumehorn Volucella zonaria
1 Pellucid Hoverfly Volucella pellucens

8+ Marmalade Hoverfly Episyrphus balteatus

2 Dead Head Hoverfly Myathropa florea

My first Hornet Plumehorn Volucella zonaria of the year.

And another first for the year was this Pellucid Hoverfly Volucella pellucens. AKA Pied Plumehorn

A very poor shot of a Marmalade Hoverfly Episyrphus balteatus

A Dead Head Hoverfly Myathropa florea

Flies, Craneflies, Gnats and Midges Recorded:
Pieris Parasite Fly Epicampocera succincta

Thick-headed Fly Sicus ferrugineus

Greenbottle Lucilia sp.

House Fly Hydrotaea sp.

Flesh Fly Sarcophaga sp.

A new fly for my list. This is a Pieris Parasite Fly Epicampocera succincta. More on this fly here.

There is not a single thing right about this photo. However you can just make out the shape of a Sweat Bee sp. in the centre of this Field Scabious Knautia arvensis and the yellow head of a Thick-headed Fly Sicus ferrugineus on the far right.

A Greenbottle Lucilia sp.

A House Fly Hydrotaea sp.

And a Flesh Fly Sarcophaga sp.

A Tachinid fly Phania funesta

Bugs and Beetles Recorded:

30+ Swollen-thighed Beetle Oedemera nobilis
30+ Common Red Soldier Beetle Rhagonycha fulva
1 Harlequin Ladybird Harmonia axyridis - form succinea
2 Common Green Shieldbug Palomena prasina

My first Common Red Soldier Beetle Rhagonycha fulva this year. And........

.............they were everywhere.

A Harlequin Ladybird Harmonia axyridis - form succinea

A pair of Common Green Shieldbug Palomena prasina mating.

Crickets and Grasshoppers Recorded:
1 Dark Bush-cricket Pholidoptera griseoaptera
Common Field Grasshopper Chorthippus brunneus

A Dark Bush-cricket Pholidoptera griseoaptera

A Common Field Grasshopper Chorthippus brunneus

Lacewings and Scorpionflies Recorded:
Common Green Lacewing Chrysoperla carnea

A Common Green Lacewing Chrysoperla carnea

Slugs and Snails Recorded:
Garden Snail Cornu aspersa
White-lipped Banded Snail Cepaea hortensis
Large Red Slug Arion ater


Spiders Recorded:
1 Cucumber Green Orb Spider Araniella cucurbitina

On the underside of this Field Scabious is a Cucumber Green Orb Spider Araniella cucurbitina with a Greenbottle Lucilia sp.

Plants:
1 Pyramidal Orchid Anacamptis pyramidalis
Biting Stonecrop Sedum acre
Hedge Bedstraw Galium album

Rosebay Willowherb Chamaenerion angustifolium

Common Toadflax Linaria vulgaris

Old Man’s Beard Clematis vitalba

It was good to see that...........

...............there was at least one Pyramidal Orchid Anacamptis pyramidalis in flower.

And these yellow flowering plants are.................

.............Biting Stonecrop Sedum acre.

This is Hedge Bedstraw Galium album

This tall pink flowered plant........

........is Rosebay Willowherb Chamaenerion angustifolium. It also goes by the name of Fireweed. More on this plant here and here.

Common Toadflax Linaria vulgaris. AKA Yellow Toadflax and Butter-and-eggs

Old Man’s Beard Clematis vitalba. AKA Travellers’ Joy and Wild Clematis.

General Photos:

Despite the intensive scrub removal there were still quite a few butterflies about in the old Easton Railway Cuttings. Hopefully next Spring it will look amazing again.

Ted:

Ted taking it easy. At least there was shade, water and a treat when he caught up with me.