I had an extended walk today and finally discovered where Yeolands Quarry Pool is situated. This pool in Broadcroft Quarry here, has been an excellent spot to see Red-veined Darters on Portland. I have only ever seen one on Portland here and one in Majorca here., but it looks like I will be visiting this pool quite a few times from Spring onwards.
Highlights today were 1 Meadow Pipit and 2 Pied Wagtail in the butterfly reserve and 3 Chiffchaff, one along Old Quarry Lane, one along Wakeham Railway Cuttings (east) again and a third one on the edge of the Lower Horse Paddock.
Just one butterfly seen, a Red Admiral along Old Quarry Lane.
There were no bees seen, but I did come across many Common Wasps with at least 4 queens noted.
Just two hoverflies seen, a Common Dronefly and a Marmalade Hoverfly
On the bug front just one Common Green Shieldbug, and I came across all three forms of Harlequin Ladybirds
Birds Recorded:
1 Buzzard
1 Kestrel
Herring Gull
8 Great Black-backed Gull
Wood Pigeon
Collared Dove
1 Meadow Pipit
2 Pied Wagtail
Dunnock
Robin
Blackbird
2 Chiffchaff
Great Tit
Blue Tit
Wren
Magpie
Carrion Crow
Jackdaw
30+ Starling
House Sparrow
Chaffinch
Linnet
Goldfinch
1 Buzzard
1 Kestrel
Herring Gull
8 Great Black-backed Gull
Wood Pigeon
Collared Dove
1 Meadow Pipit
2 Pied Wagtail
Dunnock
Robin
Blackbird
2 Chiffchaff
Great Tit
Blue Tit
Wren
Magpie
Carrion Crow
Jackdaw
30+ Starling
House Sparrow
Chaffinch
Linnet
Goldfinch
A Common Buzzard...............
..................over Penns Weare.
A Great Black-backed Gull heading south.
Escapees, Ferals, Possibles Etc.
Feral pigeon
Feral pigeon
Butterflies Recorded:
1 Red Admiral Vanessa atalanta
1 Red Admiral Vanessa atalanta
Wasps, Ichneumon Wasps, Parasitic Wasps and Gall Wasps Recorded:
20+ Common Wasp Vespula vulgaris
20+ Common Wasp Vespula vulgaris
A large Common Wasp Vespula vulgaris, possibly a queen.
Hoverflies Recorded:
1 Common Dronefly Eristalis tenax
1 Marmalade Hoverfly Episyrphus balteatus
1 Common Dronefly Eristalis tenax
1 Marmalade Hoverfly Episyrphus balteatus
A Common Dronefly Eristalis tenax catching the last lot of sunshine before the clouds moved in.
A Marmalade Hoverfly Episyrphus balteatus
Flies, Craneflies, Gnats and Midges Recorded:
A few unidentified flies
Locust Blowfly Stomorhina lunata
A few unidentified flies
Locust Blowfly Stomorhina lunata
#1 - fly sp.
#2 - fly sp.
#3 - fly sp.
A Locust Blowfly Stomorhina lunata.
#1 - fly sp.
#2 - fly sp.
#3 - fly sp.
Bugs and Beetles Recorded:
1 Common Green Shieldbug Palomena prasina
7 Harlequin Ladybird Harmonia axyridis - form succinea
1 Harlequin Ladybird Harmonia axyridis - form spectabilis
1 Harlequin Ladybird Harmonia axyridis - form conspicua
1 Common Green Shieldbug Palomena prasina
7 Harlequin Ladybird Harmonia axyridis - form succinea
1 Harlequin Ladybird Harmonia axyridis - form spectabilis
1 Harlequin Ladybird Harmonia axyridis - form conspicua
Just the one Common Green Shieldbug Palomena prasina found today
Harlequin Ladybird Harmonia axyridis - form succinea
Harlequin Ladybird Harmonia axyridis - form succinea
Harlequin Ladybird Harmonia axyridis - form succinea
Harlequin Ladybird Harmonia axyridis - form succinea
Two Harlequin Ladybirds Harmonia axyridis - form succinea
Harlequin Ladybird Harmonia axyridis - form spectabilis
And a Harlequin Ladybird Harmonia axyridis - form conspicua. Or is it!! Form conspicua would normally have a black dot in the red spot. But some don't. What a complex family Harlequins are.
Trees and Shrubs:
Yellow-wort Blackstonia perfoliata
What was odd about the large bed of Nasturtiums Tropaeolum majus was that there weren't any caterpillars of the Large or Small White butterflies munching it. Even at this time of year I would have expected to have seen a few.
This is the British Offshore Support Vessel "RFA Proteus" anchored up in Weymouth Bay. More on this vessel here.
Ash Fraxinus excelsior
Hawthorn Crataegus monogyna
Sycamore Acer pseudoplatanus
Sycamore Acer pseudoplatanus
Blackthorn Prunus spinosa
Buddleia Buddleja davidii
Scarlet Firethorn Pyracantha coccinea
Cotoneaster Cotoneaster sp.
Dog Rose Rosa canina
Bramble Rubus fruticosusa
Field Maple Acer campestre
The leaves are certainly..............
...........turning on this Field Maple Acer campestre
Other Plants:
Brown Knapweed Centaurea jacea
Hawkweed Oxtongue Picris hieracioides
Honeysuckle Lonicera periclymenum
Ivy Hedera helix
Large Bindweed Calystegia silvatica
Wild Clematis Clematis vitalba
Mayweed Tripleurospermum sp. or Matricaria chamomilla
Bulrushes Scirpoides holoschoenus
Nasturtium Tropaeolum majus
White Potato Vine Solanum laxum 'Album'
....................Sea Mayweed Tripleurospermum maritimum, Scentless Mayweed T. inodorum or Scented Mayweed Matricaria chamomilla. More on these plants here.
Common Nettle Urtica dioica
At Shepherds' Dinner I found this Yellow-wort Blackstonia perfoliata
And this large clump of flowers is either..........
On the edge of Yeolands Pool are these Bulrushes Scirpoides holoschoenus
Over hanging the path alongside the Lower Horse Paddock these...........
............White Potato Vines Solanum laxum 'Album' were flowering well.
A large patch of..............
................Common Nettles Urtica dioica.
General Shots:
Yeolands Pool...................
Ted:
Ted was really going for it today. So much energy!!
Ships today:
This is the Liberian Container Ship "Zeus Lumos" on its way from Singapore to Felixstowe. More on this vessel here.
This is the Portuguese Container Ship "Fine Schepers" on its way from Ringaskiddy (Ireland) to Zeebrugge (Belgium). More on this vessel here.
This is the Maltese Ro-Ro Cargo Ship "Leonine" on its way from Zeebrugge to Dublin. More on this vessel here.
And my mystery vessel today is!!!
