21 Jul 25

Tramway Track and Tout Quarry

After a trip to the local Recycling Centre, Ted and I had a walk down the old Tramway Track to Tout Quarry and back. My quarry again was Silver-studded Blue butterflies, but yet again I drew a blank. However I did come across 100+ butterflies of 14 species, with the majority (50+) being Chalk Hill Blues. I don't think I've ever seen so many.

Birds Recorded:
1 Peregrine Falcon
Herring Gull
Wood Pigeon
1 Common Whitethroat
Magpie
Carrion Crow
Jackdaw
Goldfinch


Butterflies Recorded:

1 Essex Skipper Thymelicus lineola
1 Small Skipper Thymelicus sylvestris

1 Skipper Thymelicus sp.
10+ Large White Pieris brassicae
10+ Small White Pieris rapae
5 Wall Brown Lasiommata megera
2 Speckled Wood Pararge aegeria
5 Meadow Brown Maniola jurtina
6 Gatekeeper Pyronia tithonus
1 Marbled White Melanargia galathea
1 Grayling Hipparchia semele
2 Red Admiral Vanessa atalanta
3 Small Copper Lycaena phlaeas
10+ Common Blue Polyommatus icarus
50+ Chalk Hill Blue Polyommatus coridon

Well according to the Obsidentify app this 92% an Essex Skipper Thymelicus lineola

A Small Skipper Thymelicus sylvestris sat on Wild Marjoram Origanum vulgare

A very worn Skipper Thymelicus sp.

One of 5 Wall Browns Lasiommata megera seen on my walk.

Here is another.

And one more.

A Speckled Wood Pararge aegeria

A Meadow Brown Maniola jurtina on Wild Marjoram.

A Gatekeeper Pyronia tithonus

And my first Grayling Hipparchia semele of the year.

A Small Copper Lycaena phlaeas and...........

..............another one.

A Common Blue Polyommatus icarus

A Chalk Hill Blue Polyommatus coridon

And a female Chalk Hill Blue

Moths Recorded:
10+ Six-Spot Burnet moth Zygaena filipendulae

A Six-Spot Burnet moth Zygaena filipendulae and a...........

........another one.

And here are a pair mating.

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

A worker Red-tailed Bumblebee Bombus lapidarius on Hemp Agrimony Eupatorium cannabinum. A plant which also goes by the name of  'Raspberries and Cream'.

Wasps, Ichneumon Wasps, Parasitic Wasps and Gall Wasps Recorded:
1 Ichneumon Wasp sp.


Hoverflies Recorded:
3 Marmalade Hoverfly Episyrphus balteatus

8 Common Dronefly Eristalis tenax
1 Long Hoverfly Sphaerophoria scripta

A Common Dronefly Eristalis tenax also on Hemp Agrimony

A  Long Hoverfly Sphaerophoria scripta

Flies, Craneflies, Gnats and Midges Recorded:
Many unidentified flies
Flesh Fly Sarcophaga sp.
1 Small Beegrabber Thecophora atra

1 Red-spotted Parasite Fly Eriothrix rufomaculata
Greenbottle Lucilia sp.

A Small Beegrabber Thecophora atra

A Red-spotted Parasite Fly Eriothrix rufomaculata

A Greenbottle Lucilia sp.

Bugs and Beetles Recorded:
Common Red Soldier Beetle Rhagonycha fulva

Hairy Shieldbug Dolycoris baccarum
Long-legged Plant Bug Phytocoris varipes

A Common Red Soldier Beetle Rhagonycha fulva on a Field Scabious Knautia arvensis

Hairy Shieldbug Dolycoris baccarum

This is a Long-legged Plant Bug Phytocoris varipes. In front of it is an empty chrysalis.

Crickets and Grasshoppers Recorded:
Common Field Grasshopper Chorthippus brunneus
Meadow Grasshopper Chorthippus parallelus

A Common Field Grasshopper Chorthippus brunneus

And a Meadow Grasshopper Chorthippus parallelus

And another Meadow Grasshopper

And a "pink" Meadow Grasshopper. Here is an extract from the National Geographic for a Meadow Grasshopper Chorthippus parallelusax, which states "It is called erythrism an unusual and little-understood genetic mutation caused by a recessive gene similar to that which affects albino animals. This mutation results in one of two things happening or even a combination of the two; a reduce or even absence of the normal pigment and/or the excessive production of other pigments, in this case red which results in pink morphs". And here and here are more "pink" Meadow Grasshoppers I have found on Portland.

Spiders Recorded:
Bordered Orbweaver Neoscona adianta

A Bordered Orbweaver Neoscona adianta

Under this Wild Marjoram appears to be a deceased Common Blue, which was caught by this spider sp. below it.

Caterpillars Recorded:
5 Cinnabar moth Tyria jacobaeae

The caterpillar of the Cinnabar moth Tyria jacobaeae

Froghoppers Recorded:
Common Froghopper Philaenus spumarius

A Common Froghopper Philaenus spumarius

Plants:
Bramble Rubus fruticosusa
Buddleia Buddleja davidii
Common Hawkweed Hieracium vulgatum
Common Knapweed Centaurea nigra
Common Ragwort Jacobaea vulgaris
Common Teasel Dipsacus fullonum
Eyebright Euphrasia officinalis
Field Scabious Knautia arvensis
Hemp Agrimony Eupatorium cannabinum
Red Bartsia Odontites vernus
Wild Marjoram Origanum vulgare
Wayfaring-tree Viburnum lantana
Pyramidal Orchid Anacamptis pyramidalis
Japanese Knotweed Fallopia japonica
Dwarf Thistle Cirsium acaule
Carline Thistle Carlina vulgaris

Wild Marjoram Origanum vulgare

This Wayfaring-tree Viburnum lantana..................

.................was full of red berries which.............

...........like this one will start turning black.

This is a Pyramidal Orchid Anacamptis pyramidalis and.............

.............there were several still in flower.

If I'm not mistaken this plant in the centre is.........

..........the dreaded Japanese Knotweed Fallopia japonica, which has the ability to spread aggressively through underground rhizomes (roots) and can grow through cracks in concrete and tarmac. More on this invasive plant here and here.

This is a.............

...........Dwarf Thistle Cirsium acaule

And this plant is.....................

............a Carline Thistle Carlina vulgaris

General Shots:

In Tout Quarry a.........

..................fireplace carved out of the rock.

And the "Falling Man" is...........

............still falling.

Ted:

I can see you Ted. Just!!!

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Wakeham

As I was leaving the house for the Recycling Centre a Wall Brown landed on the window sill of my neighbours house. And a little earlier a Spitfire did a circuit over Portland.

Aircraft Today: