Port and Wey: 31 Jul 25

Tramway Track and Tout Quarry

After a trip to the local Recycling Centre, Ted and I had our usual walk down the old Tramway Track to Tout Quarry, and then back again.

My last walk here was ten days ago when I was hoping to see a few Silver-studded Blue butterflies. I blanked that day and also today, though to be fair it is a bit late in the season to see them on the wing.

I did see quite a few "blue" butterflies though. The majority were Chalk Hill Blues again with a few Common Blues about.

Two Hummingbird Hawk-moths were good to see, though it was a bit strange not to see a single Six-Spot Burnet moth.

What wasn't surprising was seeing a few dragonflies about. Though watching one being chased by a Red Admiral was a bit bizarre!!

Other highlights were a Willow Warbler flying across the track in front of me and a lizard which moved so quick I couldn't see if it was a Wall Lizard or Common Lizard.

Birds Recorded:
Herring Gull
Wood Pigeon
1 Willow Warbler
Great Tit
Blue Tit
Wren
Magpie
Carrion Crow
House Sparrow
Linnet
Goldfinch
Greenfinch

I'm pretty sure this............

............is a Willow Warbler.

A male Linnet sat on a Buddleia Buddleja davidii

Escapees, Ferals, Possibles Etc.
Feral pigeon

Reptiles Recorded:
1 Lizard sp.

Dragonflies and Damselflies Recorded:
Migrant Hawker Aeshna mixta

A female Migrant Hawker Aeshna mixta. Glad to be corrected if wrong.

Butterflies Recorded:
10 Large White Pieris brassicae
10 Small White Pieris rapae
3 Wall Brown Lasiommata megera
8 Meadow Brown Maniola jurtina
3 Gatekeeper Pyronia tithonus
1 Grayling Hipparchia semele
6 Red Admiral Vanessa atalanta
1 Painted Lady Vanessa cardui
1 Small Copper Lycaena phlaeas
20+ Common Blue Polyommatus icarus
40+ Chalk Hill Blue Polyommatus coridon

This Wall Brown Lasiommata megera has seen better days.

A Gatekeeper Pyronia tithonus

Unlike my last visit, this Grayling Pyronia tithonus was on........................

........................ the Tout Quarry side of the tunnel and not along the old Tramway Track.

A Red Admiral Vanessa atalanta on a Buddleia

A Small Copper Lycaena phlaeas

A male Common Blue Polyommatus icarus

A male Chalk Hill Blue Polyommatus coridon

A pair of Chalk Hill Blues

Moths Recorded:
2 Hummingbird Hawk-moth Macroglossum stellatarum

One of the two Hummingbird Hawk-moths Macroglossum stellatarum seen this afternoon.

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

A worker Red-tailed Bumblebee Bombus lapidarius

Hoverflies Recorded:
10+ Common Dronefly Eristalis tenax
1 Long Hoverfly Sphaerophoria scripta

On this Hemp Agrimony Eupatorium cannabinum are two Common Droneflies Eristalis tenax. Note the difference in colour and pattern. The following is an extract from iNaturalist here, which explains why:

' The amount of orange on the abdomen depends on the temperature during pupation (warmer => more orange). Eristalis tenax is particularly variable in this respect with dark specimens being entirely black, and some specimens from warmer climates being almost entirely orange! '

A Long Hoverfly Sphaerophoria scripta

Flies, Craneflies, Gnats and Midges Recorded:
Many unidentified flies

Bugs and Beetles Recorded:
1 Swollen-thighed Beetle Oedemera nobilis

A female Swollen-thighed Beetle Oedemera nobilis

Crickets and Grasshoppers Recorded:
Common Field Grasshopper Chorthippus brunneus

A Common Field Grasshopper Chorthippus brunneus

Caterpillars Recorded:

Cinnabar moth Tyria jacobaeae

A caterpillar of the Cinnabar moth Tyria jacobaeae on this Common Ragwort Jacobaea vulgaris

Plants:
Bramble Rubus fruticosusa
Buddleia Buddleja davidii
Carline Thistle Carlina vulgaris
Common Knapweed Centaurea nigra
Common Ragwort Jacobaea vulgaris
Field Scabious Knautia arvensis
Hemp Agrimony Eupatorium cannabinum
Red Valerian Centranthus ruber
Sycamore Acer pseudoplatanus
Wild Marjoram Origanum vulgare
Pyramidal Orchid Anacamptis pyramidalis