5 Aug 20

Broadcroft Quarry Butterfly Reserve (West) and Fire Station Copse.

Always a good feel factor when the phone rings and the garage tell you that your car has passed its MOT. So it was off to pick it up via the Butterfly Reserve and The Copse behind the Fire Station Here. Surely this small woodland has a name. I will endeavour to find out.

So what did Ted and I see on our travels, well we had a Common Whitethroat in the reserve along with several Swallows and a Swift overhead. Also here was a Jersey Tiger moth as well as a few butterflies including Common Blues, Chalk Hill Blues and Gatekeepers. And what a Summer it has been for the latter, with good numbers seen daily, whilst the likes of Marbled Whites and Ringlets have come and gone in the time the "Keepers" have been around.

Here are a few images from today:

A Common Whitethroat in the Butterfly Reserve

Also here a Chalk Hill Blue

A Jersey Tiger Moth on Hemp Agrimony.

It looks like it's having a good top up.

Something tells me I got a bit too close 😂

Not a colour form of Grasshopper I have come across before. It could well be a fairly common one, but not a colour "scheme" I have come across before.

This is Field Bindweed (Convolvulus Arvensis)

It certainly has pretty flowers but those stems can grow up to 3 m long, climbing or creeping, and using other plants for support.

Looks like I've tired him out already. It was a relatively short walk to the garage via the butterfly reserve, but boy was it humid.

Birds Recorded: Herring Gull, Wood Pigeon, Swift, Swallow, Dunnock, Blackbird, Common Whitethroat, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Wren, Magpie, Carrion Crow, Jackdaw, Starling, House Sparrow, Chaffinch, Linnet and Goldfinch

Butterflies Recorded: Large White, Small White, Meadow Brown, Gatekeeper, Red Admiral, Common Blue and Chalk Hill Blue

Moths Recorded: Jersey Tiger (Euplagia quadripunctaria)

Bees Recorded: Honey Bees (Apis mellifera), Common Carder (Bombus pascuorum), Red-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus lapidarius) and White-tailed bumblebee (Bombus lucorum)

Crickets and Grasshoppers Recorded: Grasshopper sp.

Bugs and Beetles Recorded: Common Red Soldier Beetles (Rhagonycha fulva)

Wakeham

Before I got the phone call to say the car was ready to be picked up I spent the afternoon in the back garden. Lots of butterflies, with mainly Large and Small Whites, plus singles of Red Admiral and Gatekeeper.

So many Honey Bees on the Lavender, there must have been a good 30 with two different colourations. The "normal" orange abdomen and a few "dark grey" forms. Other bees noted were Red-tailed and White-tailed Bumblebees.

On the Ivy I came across a Single-dotted Wave (Idaea dimidiata), whilst on the pond (once I topped it up) there were several Semaphore Flies.

A Red-tailed Bumblebee

A Single-dotted Wave

A male Semaphore Fly

And a female Semaphore Fly (Poecilobothrus nobilitatus)

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

On this day..........

2019
Today's Sightings Here

2018
Today's Sightings Here.

2017
Today' Sightings Here.

4 Aug 20

Kings Barrow Quarry, Vaycroft Quarry, The Grove and Broadcroft Quarry Butterfly Reserve (West)

It's that time of year again when the car is due its MOT, so having dropped it off late afternoon, I headed off home via Kings Barrow Quarry and Broadcroft Quarry Butterfly Reserve.

There were a few bird highlights with Common Whitethroat and Blackcap seen and heard in Kings Barrow, but very little else.

Unfortunately it wasn't the best of days for butterflies either, as the temperature dropped quite considerably in the strong westerly wind. However a Wall Brown just north of the Young Offenders Institute was good to see.

On the moth front I came across a couple of Silver Y's, a few Six-Spot Burnet Moths and singles of Sycamore Piercer and an Orange-spot Piercer (Pammene aurana). The latter a new moth for my Portland Moth List.

Here are a few images and a video from today:

A male Chalk Hill Blue

And another

If I have got this right this is a female Chalk Hill Blue

This is a male Common Blue

And another.

And if you thought the male "blues" were difficult enough to tell apart, then what about the females. I'm going for a female Common Blue based on these images Here.

I did wonder if there were ..........

............2 Wall Browns. Turns out it is the same one, with the wear and tear in the same places.

And here it is again with wings folded.

Wall Brown

This shot and this......

...........one reminded me of the Gremlins film that came out in 1984.

A little less scary and it is quite obviously a Six-Spot Burnet Moth.

And a busy umbellifer with two moths and a fly sp. The bottom moth I'm pretty sure is an Orange-spot Piercer (Pammene aurana), which would be a first for me on Portland. And the one above it a Sycamore Piercer (Pammene aurita). I'm not sure what the fly is between them though.

A lovely photo of the horses in the Lower Horse Paddock, just a shame about the eyesore behind them.

And of course a photo of Ted, who has just about covered all the island as I have.

Birds Recorded: Buzzard, Kestrel, Herring Gull, Great Black-backed Gull, Wood Pigeon, Collared Dove, House Martin, Swallow, Dunnock, Blackbird, Common Whitethroat, Blackcap, Long-tailed Tit, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Wren, Magpie, Carrion Crow, Jackdaw, Raven, Starling, House Sparrow, Chaffinch, Linnet and Goldfinch

Butterflies Recorded: Large White, Small White, Wall Brown, Meadow Brown, Gatekeeper, Red Admiral, Comma, Common Blue and Chalk Hill Blue

Moths Recorded: 2 Silver Y (Autographa gamma), Six-Spot Burnet moth (Zygaena filipendulae), Sycamore Piercer (Pammene aurita) and an Orange-spot Piercer (Pammene aurana)

Bees Recorded: Honey Bees (Apis mellifera), Common Carder (Bombus pascuorum), Red-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus lapidarius) and White-tailed bumblebee (Bombus lucorum)

Hoverflies Recorded: Marmalade Hoverfly (Episyrphus balteatus) and Long Hoverfly (Sphaerophoria scripta)

Bugs and Beetles Recorded: Common Red Soldier Beetles (Rhagonycha fulva)

Ships Today

This is the British Passenger Ship "Wight Sun" on its way from Portland to Lymington. More on this vessel Here.

This is the French Cargo Ship "MN Pelican" on its way from Bilbao (Spain) to Poole. More on this vessel Here.

This is the Japanese Vehicles Carrier "Eridanus Leader" on its way from Livorno (Italy) to Zeebrugge (Belgium). More on this vessel Here.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

On this day..........

2019
Today's Sightings Here

2018
Today's Sightings Here.

2017
Today' Sightings Here.

3 Aug 20

Portland Bird Observatory and Obs Quarry

Another visit to the Obs and an interesting time sat watching the birds in the quarry.

It was a bit slow to start, but a family of 9 Goldfinches appeared, which were then joined by a pair of Linnets. Very briefly an adult Common Whitethroat put in an appearance on the east facing bank, but was spooked by dog walkers.

Next a very bright yellow Willow Warbler popped out onto the brambles and disappeared just as quick.

There was a bit of a commotion going on in another bramble patch and then I noticed two immature Common Whitethroats weaving their way through the undergrowth, before coming out into the open.

A dull looking leaf warbler was the next to be seen, this time a Chiffchaff, which turned out to be just as skulking as the Whitethroats.

Other birds noted in the quarry, were Wood Pigeon, Dunnock, Blackbird, Great Tit, Blue Tit and House Sparrow, whilst overhead a Swallow put in a good show by swooping over my head at very close quarters.

Here are a few images and a video from today

The Obs Quarry, which at first glance appeared to be devoid of birds.

That is until these Goldfinches turned up. There are 6 in this photo (honest) and 3 others close by.

A Common Whitethroat

Not easy at this time of year to tell Chiffs and Willow Warblers apart. I'm pretty sure this is a Willow Warbler with the long wing tips.

And light yellowish legs and feet.

Here is a short video of the Willow Warbler.

And a couple of efforts of......

........capturing a Swallow in flight. Just need to zoom in a bit more.

And a Common Darter along the track back to the Obs.

Ships Today

I did get one ship today, but I clean forgot to check it out when I got home.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

On this day..........

2019
Today's Sightings Here

2018
Today's Sightings Here.

2017
Today' Sightings Here.

2 Aug 20

Portland Bird Observatory

I can honestly say I have never been one for twitching, but today I had my first ever, and it wasn't for a bird but for a moth. So it was a quick visit to the Obs this afternoon, to see one of Britain's rarest moths, a Tawny Prominent (Harpyia milhauseri).

This Tawny Prominent is a very rare visitor from the continent, with just two previous records, the first was 1966 in West Sussex and the second 1993 in Kent. This one here was caught in Weymouth yesterday and apparently was on the outside of the moth trap. So that a wider audience could see this rarity it was on show at the Obs yesterday and today.

Wakeham

The rest of the afternoon was spent in the garden, watching the world go by. Highlights were a Slow-worm in its usual spot and a couple of moths. The first was a Mint Moth on the Mint of course and the second moth was a Rusty Dot Pearl in the Vegetable patch.

At this time of year the butterflies are starting to look a bit battered. This is a Gatekeeper with a chunk out of its wing.

The other night I had a Mint Moth in the moth trap, and here it is in the daylight, on Mint of course.

A Rusty Dot Pearl

Another attempt at capturing a Honeybee in flight.

It's a bit easier videoing them. Also in amongst the Honeybees was a White-tailed Bumblebee

Here we have a male Red-tailed Bumblebee.

And if I have this correct, this is a second generation Yellow-legged Mining Bee. The first Andrena flavipes appear between March to May, and then again from June to early August. More on this Bee Here.

A Large White caterpillar making short work of the Nasturtiums.

A big stare from Benji.

And no wonder!!! He's looking at Ted and thinking how on earth did you get in that state.

Polly's Cottage

And a finally a happy ending to this little fella who fell down the chimney.

Well I'm not sure how long he was there, but..........

......above the board in the corner of the fireplace was a juvenile House Sparrow calling away. After I managed to drop the board..........

..........there was this little fella at the back of the chimney stack.

Once free, he was taken outside and away he flew. We like happy endings.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

On this day..........

2019
Today's Sightings Here

2018
Today's Sightings Here.

2017
Today' Sightings Here.

1 Aug 20

Easton Railway Cuttings, Wakeham Meadow and Old Quarry Lane

It was a quick walk this morning as I was feeling a bit under the weather.

Main highlight today was not one, but two Large Tortoiseshells in the Cuttings. They are impressive butterflies, and as per normal they were both flighty, so sadly no photos.

Also in the cuttings was a family of Common Whitethroats, a Blackcap and a Willow Warbler.

Here are a few images and videos from today:

Looking south down the old Easton Railway Cutting.

In the bushes on the right was a family of Common Whitethroats. This appears to be one of the juveniles.

A Common Carder Bumblebee

And what appears to be another bee, but is in fcat a Mimic Bee Hoverfly - Volucella plumata

A moth in the meadow, which I will check later

Garden Grass-veneer

Thick-headed Fly (Sicus ferrugineus)

And here it is again busy exploring this Field Scabious.

And Ted, yet again scooping the water out of his bowl

Birds Recorded: Herring Gull, Wood Pigeon, Collared Dove, Dunnock,Blackbird, Common Whitethroat, Blackcap, Willow Warbler, Great Tit, Wren, Magpie, Carrion Crow, Raven, House Sparrow, Chaffinch and Goldfinch

Butterflies Recorded: Large White, Small White, Meadow Brown, Gatekeeper, Red Admiral, 2 Large Tortoiseshell, Common Blue and Chalk Hill Blue

Moths Recorded: Sycamore Piercer (Pammene aurita), Garden Grass-veneer (Chrysoteuchia culmella) and a moth sp.

Bees Recorded: Honey Bees (Apis mellifera), Common Carder (Bombus pascuorum), Red-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus lapidarius) and White-tailed bumblebee (Bombus lucorum)

Hoverflies Recorded: Marmalade Hoverfly (Episyrphus balteatus) and Mimic Bee Hoverfly (Volucella plumata) 

Flies, Craneflies, Gnats and Midges Recorded: Thick-headed Fly (Sicus ferrugineus) and a Saw-fly sp.

Bugs and Beetles Recorded: Swollen-thighed Beetle (Oedemera nobilis) and Common Red Soldier Beetles (Rhagonycha fulva)

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

On this day..........

2019
Today's Sightings Here

2018
Today's Sightings Here.

2017
Today' Sightings Here.