The weather was much improved today, though that wind is still blowing hard. Todays highlight wasn't actually on the walk, but a bit earlier in the day when I visited the Portland Recycle Centre. Just as I was leaving the site a Reed Warbler started singing by the exit gate.
On the walk the main highlight was much the same as it has been for the past week, and that is a Chiffchaff singing close to Old Quarry Lane.
Birds Recorded:
Herring Gull
Wood Pigeon
Collared Dove
Dunnock
Robin
Blackbird
1 Common Whitethroat
1 Chiffchaff (heard)
Magpie
Carrion Crow
Jackdaw
Starling
House Sparrow
Chaffinch
Goldfinch
Greenfinch
Escapees, Ferals, Possibles Etc.
Feral pigeon
Dragonflies and Damselflies Recorded:
1 large dragonfly sp.
Butterflies Recorded:
1 Large White
1 Green-veined White
4 Speckled Wood
10+ Meadow Brown
4 Marbled White
3 Small Blue
Common Blue
Adonis Blue
The Marbled Whites have only just started to emerge over the past few days, and already this one is damaged. It wouldn't surprise me if a dragonfly has had a go at catching this individual. It's had a lucky escape.
Moths Recorded:
Garden Grass-veneer (Chrysoteuchia culmella)
Bees Recorded:
Wasps, Ichneumon Wasps, Parasitic Wasps and Gall Wasps Recorded:
1 Yellow-faced Spider Wasp (Auplopus carbonarius)
A Yellow-faced Spider Wasp (Auplopus carbonarius). It is also known as the Potter Spider Wasp and a new wasp for my P&W list.
Hoverflies Recorded:
6 Marmalade Hoverfly (Episyrphus balteatus)
2 Mimic Bee Hoverfly (Volucella bombylans)
Flies, Craneflies, Gnats and Midges Recorded:
Many unidentified flies
Bugs and Beetles Recorded:
7-spot Ladybird (Coccinella septempunctata) NONE. Where have they all disappeared to!!!
1 Common Green Shieldbug (Palomena prasina)
20+ Swollen-thighed Beetle (Oedemera nobilis)
3 Trivial Plant Bug (Closterotomus trivialis)
Spiders Recorded:
1 Nurseryweb Spider (Pisaura mirabilis)
Froghoppers Recorded:
1 Common Froghopper (Philaenus spumarius)
Plants:
Bramble (Rubus fruticosusa)
Common Knapweed (Centaurea nigra)
Dog Rose (Rosa canina)
Herb Robert (Geranium robertianum)
Herb Bennet (Geum urbanum)
Honeysuckle (Lonicera periclymenum)
Meadow Buttercup (Ranunculus arvensis)
Oxeye Daisies (Leucanthemum vulgare)
Pale Flax (Linum bienne)
Red Clover (Trifolium pratense)
Wayfaring-tree (Viburnum lantana)
Wild Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare)
Yellow-rattle (Rhinanthus minor)
Below are a few photos of what Obsidentify has ID'd as Hemp (Cannabis sativa). They are mostly likely the result of seeds used in bird food..
Portland Recycling Centre
Birds Recorded:
Herring Gull
Wood Pigeon
Collared Dove
Dunnock
Robin
Blackbird
1 Common Whitethroat
1 Chiffchaff (heard)
Magpie
Carrion Crow
Jackdaw
Starling
House Sparrow
Chaffinch
Goldfinch
Greenfinch
Escapees, Ferals, Possibles Etc.
Feral pigeon
Dragonflies and Damselflies Recorded:
1 large dragonfly sp.
Butterflies Recorded:
1 Large White
1 Green-veined White
4 Speckled Wood
10+ Meadow Brown
4 Marbled White
3 Small Blue
Common Blue
Adonis Blue
A Speckled Wood.
And another which looks to be in pristine condition.
There are lots of Meadow Browns about.
Here's another hiding in the undergrowth
This one appears to be in good nick.
And another Marbled White
A Common Blue
And another Common Blue which has seen better days.
A Small Blue
Garden Grass-veneer (Chrysoteuchia culmella)
Twin-barred Knot-horn (Homoeosoma sinuella)
My first Garden Grass-veneer (Chrysoteuchia culmella) for this Summer.
And my first Twin-barred Knot-horn (Homoeosoma sinuella) as well.
Early Bumblebee (Bombus pratorum)
Honey Bee (Apis mellifera)
Common Carder Bee (Bombus pascuorum)
Honey Bee (Apis mellifera)
Common Carder Bee (Bombus pascuorum)
Buff-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus terrestris)
A Common Carder Bee (Bombus pascuorum) on a bramble flower.
A Buff-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus terrestris)
1 Yellow-faced Spider Wasp (Auplopus carbonarius)
1 Common Wasp (Vespula vulgaris)
Black-headed Mason Wasp (Odynerus melanocephalus)
A Common Wasp (Vespula vulgaris)
Black-headed Mason Wasp (Odynerus melanocephalus)
Hoverflies Recorded:
6 Marmalade Hoverfly (Episyrphus balteatus)
2 Mimic Bee Hoverfly (Volucella bombylans)
3 Dead Head Hoverfly (Myathropa florea)
1 Thick-legged hoverfly (Syritta pipiens)
Syrphus sp.
Syrphus sp.
A Mimic Bee Hoverfly (Volucella bombylans) - form bombylans
The Dead Head Hoverflies (Myathropa florea) were very camera shy today.
At least the Marmalade Hoverflies (Episyrphus balteatus) were more approachable.
And they even "hovered" for me.
A Thick-legged hoverfly (Syritta pipiens)
Syrphus sp.
Many unidentified flies
2 Thick-headed Fly (Sicus ferrugineus)
#1 - fly sp.
A Thick-headed Fly (Sicus ferrugineus)
#1 - fly sp.
7-spot Ladybird (Coccinella septempunctata) NONE. Where have they all disappeared to!!!
1 Common Green Shieldbug (Palomena prasina)
20+ Swollen-thighed Beetle (Oedemera nobilis)
3 Trivial Plant Bug (Closterotomus trivialis)
1 Cinnamon Bug (Corizus hyoscyami)
#1 - beetle sp.
Crickets and Grasshoppers Recorded:
Common Field Grasshopper (Chorthippus brunneus)
A Common Green Shieldbug (Palomena prasina)
A male Swollen-thighed Beetle (Oedemera nobilis) in the flower of a Dog Rose (Rosa canina)
Trivial Plant Bug (Closterotomus trivialis)
Cinnamon Bug (Corizus hyoscyami)
#1 - And this very very small beetle is............
............a ???????
Common Field Grasshopper (Chorthippus brunneus)
Dark Bush-cricket (Pholidoptera griseoaptera)
Slugs and Snails Recorded:
Garden Snail (Cornu aspersa)
A Dark Bush-cricket (Pholidoptera griseoaptera)
And another.
Garden Snail (Cornu aspersa)
The wet weather has certainly seen an increase in snails, like this Garden Snail (Cornu aspersa).
1 Nurseryweb Spider (Pisaura mirabilis)
Cucumber Green Orb Spider (Araniella sp.)
Cucumber Green Orb Spider (Araniella sp.)
1 Common Froghopper (Philaenus spumarius)
A Common Froghopper (Philaenus spumarius). More on this species here.
Bramble (Rubus fruticosusa)
Common Knapweed (Centaurea nigra)
Dog Rose (Rosa canina)
Herb Robert (Geranium robertianum)
Herb Bennet (Geum urbanum)
Honeysuckle (Lonicera periclymenum)
Meadow Buttercup (Ranunculus arvensis)
Oxeye Daisies (Leucanthemum vulgare)
Pale Flax (Linum bienne)
Red Clover (Trifolium pratense)
Wayfaring-tree (Viburnum lantana)
Wild Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare)
Yellow-rattle (Rhinanthus minor)
Pale Flax (Linum bienne)
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This Reed Warbler was a bit of a surprise as it burst into song at the Portland Recycling Centre at midday.