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 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
Bugs and Beetles Recorded:
3 Trivial Plant Bug Closterotomus rivialis
Swollen-thighed Beetle Oedemera nobilis
#1 - fly sp.
#1 - fly sp.
A Pouting Woodlouse-fly Rhinophora lepida.
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
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