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