7 Jul 25

Wakeham

It was another day in the garden, this time mowing the lawn, trimming, pruning and tidying up. As it was yesterday there were two adult House Martins and a juvenile overhead.

Birds Recorded:

Herring Gulls
3 House Martin

Every year since we've been here on Portland the resident Herring Gulls, from a few doors down, have bred very successfully. This year is no exception and these two juveniles look like they have done pretty well to survive the intense heat we have had recently. Mind you with all that guano around them I think I would have left the nest by now.

Amphibians Recorded:
1 Palmate Newt Lissotriton helveticus - in the "Tractor Tyre" pond


Butterflies Recorded:
5 Large White Pieris brassicae
2 Small White Pieris rapae
1 Red Admiral Vanessa atalanta

Moths Recorded:

Large Yellow Underwing Noctua pronuba 

A Large Yellow Underwing Noctua pronuba I disturbed in one of the flowerbeds.

Bees Recorded:
Buff-tailed Bumblebee Bombus terrestris
Honey Bee Apis mellifera

Common Carder Bee Bombus pascuorum
Willughby's Leafcutter Bee Megachile willughbiella

And peering over the lavender is...........

...........a Common Carder Bee Bombus pascuorum

And a Willughby's Leafcutter Bee Megachile willughbiella. A species I first came across in the May 2018.

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

A wasp sp.

Hoverflies Recorded:
12+ Marmalade Hoverfly Episyrphus balteatus

1 Migrant Hoverfly Meliscaeva auricollis
1 Vagrant Hoverfly Eupeodes corollae

1 Thick-legged hoverfly Syritta pipiens

1 Syrphus sp.

A Marmalade Hoverfly Episyrphus balteatus......................

.................And another. In fact..........

.......................it was quite a good day for Marmalade Hoverflies with a good dozen or so seen.

And a Migrant Hoverfly Meliscaeva auricollis sat on Pellitory-of-the-wall Parietaria judaicais

Vagrant Hoverfly Eupeodes corollae

A Thick-legged hoverfly Syritta pipiens which also goes by the name of Compost Hoverfly

A Syrphus sp.

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


Bugs and Beetles Recorded:

Strawberry Seed Beetle Harpalus rufipes - deceased
3 Common Flower Bug Anthocoris nemorum

Obsidentify is 85% sure that this is a Strawberry Seed Beetle Harpalus rufipes. I found it deceased in the back garden.

Three Common Flower Bugs Anthocoris nemorum. I suspect there are two males trying to mate with a female!!