Lower Horse Paddock, Higher Horse Paddock, Broadcroft Butterfly Reserve and France Quarries
It was a scenic walk to the garage, to pick up my car after the fan belt needed replacing. En route there was plenty to see as I chose to walk through the butterfly reserve instead of walking around it.
Main highlights were a few warblers singing with:
Common Whitethroat - 1 in the reserve
Blackcap - 1 in France Quarries, 1 along Easton Lane
Chiffchaff - 2 in France Quarries
Also noted was my first Waisted Beegrabber Physocephala rufipes of the year.
Birds Recorded:
Herring Gull
Wood Pigeon
Collared Dove
Dunnock
Robin
Blackbird
Song Thrush
1 Common Whitethroat
2 Blackcap
2 Chiffchaff
1 Long-tailed Tit
Wren
Magpie
Carrion Crow
Jackdaw
Starling
House Sparrow
Chaffinch
Linnet
Goldfinch
2 Greenfinch
A Chiffchaff singing in France Quarries
Escapees, Ferals, Possibles Etc.
Feral pigeon
Dragonflies and Damselflies Recorded:
1 Dragonfly sp.
Butterflies Recorded:
5 Skippers sp.
20+ Large White Pieris brassicae
15+ Small White Pieris rapae
5 Green-veined White Pieris napi
2 Speckled Wood Pararge aegeria
15+ Ringlet Aphantopus hyperantus
15+ Meadow Brown Maniola jurtina
20+ Gatekeeper Pyronia tithonus
15+ Marbled White Melanargia galathea
1 Comma Polygonia c-album
1 Small Blue Cupido minimus
5 Common Blue Polyommatus icarus
Moths Recorded:
5 Six-Spot Burnet moth Zygaena filipendulae
Bees Recorded:
Buff-tailed Bumblebee Bombus terrestris
Common Carder Bee Bombus pascuorum
Honey Bee Apis mellifera
Red-tailed Bumblebee Bombus lapidarius
Wasps, Ichneumon Wasps, Parasitic Wasps and Gall Wasps Recorded:
3 Wasp sps.
Hoverflies Recorded:
Dead Head Hoverfly Myathropa florea
Marmalade Hoverfly Episyrphus balteatus
Common Dronefly Eristalis tenax
Syrphus sp.
20+ Large White Pieris brassicae
15+ Small White Pieris rapae
5 Green-veined White Pieris napi
2 Speckled Wood Pararge aegeria
15+ Ringlet Aphantopus hyperantus
15+ Meadow Brown Maniola jurtina
20+ Gatekeeper Pyronia tithonus
15+ Marbled White Melanargia galathea
1 Comma Polygonia c-album
1 Small Blue Cupido minimus
5 Common Blue Polyommatus icarus
A Small White Pieris rapae
A very worn Speckled Wood Pararge aegeria
It has been a great Summer for Ringlets Aphantopus hyperantus this year. There have been quite a few on the wing.
A very pristine looking Gatekeeper Pyronia tithonus
A pair of Marbled Whites Melanargia galathea
And my very poor effort in capturing a Comma Polygonia c-album in flight.
A Small Blue Cupido minimus
A Common Blue Polyommatus icarus and............
.............another.
5 Six-Spot Burnet moth Zygaena filipendulae
Bees Recorded:
Buff-tailed Bumblebee Bombus terrestris
Common Carder Bee Bombus pascuorum
Honey Bee Apis mellifera
Red-tailed Bumblebee Bombus lapidarius
A Bumblebee, but as to which species it is will remain unsolved so Bombus sp. it will be.
Wasps, Ichneumon Wasps, Parasitic Wasps and Gall Wasps Recorded:
3 Wasp sps.
Hoverflies Recorded:
Dead Head Hoverfly Myathropa florea
Marmalade Hoverfly Episyrphus balteatus
Common Dronefly Eristalis tenax
Syrphus sp.
A Common Dronefly Eristalis tenax. A species which have been pretty scarce this year on my walks.
A Syrphus sp.
Greenbottle Lucilia sp.
2 Flesh Flies Sarcophaga sp. - Possibly
Thick-headed Fly Sicus ferrugineus
Waisted Beegrabber Physocephala rufipes
Bugs and Beetles Recorded:
Common Red Soldier Beetle Rhagonycha fulva
Swollen-thighed Beetle Oedemera nobilis
10+ 7-spot Ladybird Coccinella septempunctata
Thick-headed Fly Sicus ferrugineus
Waisted Beegrabber Physocephala rufipes
I'm not quite sure what is happening here. Possibly a pair of Flesh Flies Sarcophaga sp. mating!!
This unusual looking creature is a Thick-headed Fly Sicus ferrugineus
And another very odd looking fly...............
..............I came across was............
...............this Waisted Beegrabber Physocephala rufipes
Common Red Soldier Beetle Rhagonycha fulva
Swollen-thighed Beetle Oedemera nobilis
10+ 7-spot Ladybird Coccinella septempunctata
1 Common Nettle Flower Bug Plagiognathus arbustorum
1 Common Nettle Bug Liocoris tripustulatus
..............with quite a few in the hedgerows etc. And more importantly I have seen very few Harlequin Ladybirds Harmonia axyridis, which has the potential of wiping-out many of our native Ladybirds. More on Ladybirds here and Harlequins here.
This year has been pretty good for 7-spot Ladybirds Coccinella septempunctata.............
A Common Nettle Flower Bug Plagiognathus arbustorum
And this is a Common Nettle Bug Liocoris tripustulatus
Meadow Grasshopper Chorthippus parallelus
A Meadow Grasshopper Chorthippus parallelus
Plants:
Bramble Rubus fruticosusa
Buddleia Buddleja davidii
Common Knapweed Centaurea nigra
Common Ragwort Jacobaea vulgaris
Common Teasel Dipsacus fullonum
Elder Sambucus nigra
Hemp Agrimony Eupatorium cannabinum
Pyramidal Orchid Anacamptis pyramidalis
Greater Knapweed Centaurea scabiosa
Bramble Rubus fruticosusa
Buddleia Buddleja davidii
Common Knapweed Centaurea nigra
Common Ragwort Jacobaea vulgaris
Common Teasel Dipsacus fullonum
Elder Sambucus nigra
Hemp Agrimony Eupatorium cannabinum
Pyramidal Orchid Anacamptis pyramidalis
Greater Knapweed Centaurea scabiosa
These pink flowered plants are Pyramidal Orchids Anacamptis pyramidalis
And a close-up of one.
This is Greater Knapweed Centaurea scabiosa and for some...........
.............reason not a plant I have recorded before!!
Ships Today:
This is the Irish General Cargo Ship "Arklow Forest" on its way from Ostermoor (Germany) to Birkenhead. More on this vessel here.
