2 Jul 25

Old Quarry Lane, Wakeham Wildlife Site and Wakeham Meadows 

It was a bit fresher today and a lot windier as well. So a good time to take Ted for a walk without him overheating.

Main highlights were the number of butterflies seen including 2 species of "blue" butterflies which were absent on my last visit here on 26 Jun.

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


Escapees, Ferals, Possibles Etc.
Feral pigeon


Butterflies Recorded:
6 Essex Skipper Thymelicus lineola
10+ Large White Pieris brassicae
10+ Small White Pieris rapae
5 Green-veined White Pieris napi
2 Speckled Wood Pararge aegeria
10+ Ringlet Aphantopus hyperantus
10+ Meadow Brown Maniola jurtina
15+ Gatekeeper Pyronia tithonus
20+ Marbled White Melanargia galathea
1 Small Blue Cupido minimus
4 Common Blue Polyommatus icarus

Hmm. The App Obsidentify has this as 100% an..........

............Essex Skipper. The only explanation I have, is that an Essex Skipper has a more straw-coloured underwing than a Small Skipper.

And another skipper which Obsidentify also 100% identifies as an Essex Skipper. It can't be wrong twice surely.

And a third individual, which youve guessed it, Obsidentify is 100% certain is an Essex Skipper. I can safely say I have recorded my first Essex Skippers Thymelicus lineola on Portland. There is a very good skipper ID website here.

A Small White Pieris rapae with two bees accompanying it as it........... 

...........heads to this Bramble Rubus fruticosusa

A Ringlet Aphantopus hyperantus in flight. A lucky shot with everything in sharp focus for a change.

Two Gatekeepers Pyronia tithonus

In amongst the many Marbled Whites Melanargia galathea seen today, were 3 or 4 smaller individuals. I appreciate it's not that obvious in this photo here, but this one was one of the smaller ones, and almost half the size of the majority flying about. Apparently at the larva stage, if they haven't eaten sufficient food, they will pupate as small caterpillars and emerge as smaller adults. It is certainly the first time I have seen this with Marbled Whites. The only other butterfly species I have seen this occur is with Common Blues Polyommatus icarus.

A Small Blue Cupido minimus.

A Common Blue Polyommatus icarus

Moths Recorded:
1 Six-Spot Burnet moth Zygaena filipendulae
1 Garden Grass-veneer Chrysoteuchia culmella

This is a recently emerged Six-Spot Burnet moth Zygaena filipendulae and................

...........this is the chrysalis it emerged from.

And another Six-Spot Burnet moth Zygaena filipendulae. This time on a Common Knapweed Centaurea nigra. And the..........

............blue colouration on the antennae, is I believe helps in identifying and distinguishing different species within the burnet moth group.

And a Garden Grass-veneer Chrysoteuchia culmella

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

A Honey Bee Apis mellifera on Bramble Rubus fruticosusa flowers.

A male Red-tailed Bumblebee Bombus lapidarius on  Common Knapweed

Wasps, Ichneumon Wasps, Parasitic Wasps and Gall Wasps Recorded:

4 Gall Wasp Dipoloepis rosaea
1 Ichneumon Wasp sp.

A Robin's Pincushion on a Dog Rose Rosa canina. It is a gall caused by the larvae of a tiny gall wasp, Dipoloepis rosaea. More on this Here.

A Ichneumon Wasp sp.

Hoverflies Recorded:
Mimic Bee Hoverfly Volucella bombylans

Dead Head Hoverfly Myathropa florea
Marmalade Hoverfly Episyrphus balteatus
Syrphus sp.

And this hoverfly trying to stare me out.................

..........is a Mimic Bee Hoverfly Volucella bombylans.

A Dead Head Hoverfly Myathropa florea

A Syrphus sp.

The flowers of this Wild Fennel Foeniculum vulgare......................................

....................were alive with hoverflies and flies, as were several other flowerheads close-by.

And it wasn't just the Wild Fennel flowers attracting the hoverflies and flies but also the Common Carrots Daucus carota

Flies, Craneflies, Gnats and Midges Recorded:
Many unidentified flies
Greenbottle Lucilia sp.
5 Red-spotted Parasite Fly Eriothrix rufomaculata

A Red-spotted Parasite Fly Eriothrix rufomaculata on Common Ragwort Jacobaea vulgaris

Bugs and Beetles Recorded:

2 Swollen-thighed Beetle Oedemera nobilis
10+ Common Red Soldier Beetle Rhagonycha fulva
10+ Potato Capsid Closterotomus norwegicus

A  Common Red Soldier Beetle Rhagonycha fulva

Potato Capsids Closterotomus norwegicus

Crickets and Grasshoppers Recorded:
Common Field Grasshopper Chorthippus brunneus

A Common Field Grasshopper Chorthippus brunneus

Plants:
Bramble Rubus fruticosusa
Common Knapweed Centaurea nigra
Common Ragwort Jacobaea vulgaris
Common Teasel Dipsacus fullonum
Hemp Agrimony Eupatorium cannabinum AKA 'Raspberries and Cream'
Wild Fennel Foeniculum vulgare

Ted:

He's a very patient dog. I'm coming Ted.