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
These two Small Heaths Coenonympha pamphilus were incredibly difficult to photograph. This.........
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.
.............one was the best of around a dozens shots.
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
2 Hummingbird Hawk-moth Macroglossum stellatarum
2 Cinnabar moth Tyria jacobaeae
My first Cinnabar moth Tyria jacobaeae........
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
Marmalade Hoverfly Episyrphus balteatus
Mimic Bee Hoverfly Volucella bombylans
And a Mimic Bee Hoverfly Volucella bombylans resting briefly on a Buddleia leaf
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.
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
Pyramidal Orchid Anacamptis pyramidalis
Wild Thyme Thymus drucei
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
It was a bit warm today, but there was plenty of shade for Ted.