9 Aug 20

 Wakeham

I was up fairly early this morning and it was pretty evident, as I made my way down the back garden, that the invertebrates had been up a lot earlier than me. It's almost as if they had a 6th sense, that today was going to be another scorcher and that the best time for them to be out was first thing this morning, when the temperature was a relatively cool 20.0°C.

The flower beds were alive with bees, hoverflies, a few micro moths and a couple of 22-Spot Ladybirds. Whilst passing through the back gardens was a Willow Warbler, no doubt fattening up on the hoards of insects for its southward journey.

By the afternoon the temperature had soared up to the high 20's and though the number of hoverflies dropped off, the Honey Bees just kept coming and by late afternoon there were a good 40 on the Lavender.

Also seen in the afternoon were a Dragonfly and Damselfly, neither unfortunately were identifiable. A Chalk Hill Blue spent the whole afternoon on the Lavender

Note: Blogger.com have completely changed the way you add your images and accompanying text. So the layout below is apparently the way ahead.

Here are a few images from today:

Mid afternoon and this scruffy Common Buzzard passed overhead, with several Herring Gulls helping it on its way.

This Chalk Hill Blue spent the whole afternoon flitting between the Lavender flowers.

Here it is disturbed by one of the many Honey Bees collecting pollen. This happened many times during the afternoon.

   Here the Chalk Hill Blue is moved on again.

A White-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus lucorum).

And another White-tailed Bumblebee. In total there were 4 on the Lavender and a couple more in the vegetable patch

An odd looking bee, in that if it were a male Red-tailed Bumblebee, then the head would be yellow not white. Or has the yellow just faded. If in fact that occurs.

And another Bumblebee, very similar to the one above, with a pale yellow head, so I guess these are both male Red-tailed Bumblebees (Bombus lapidarius).

One of the many Honey Bees (Apis mellifera) and unusually not on the Lavender, but in one of the gladioli or should that be gladioluses.

A Common Dronefly (Eristalis tenax) of which there were at least 5 of these hoverflies "buzzing" around the garden in an attempt to find the sunniest spots.

I haven't seen this hoverfly for quite a few months, but this morning I must have counted at least 7 of these Vagrant Hoverflies  (Eupeodes corollae)

Here is another one of the Vagrants on the Valerian.

A little easier to ID was this Pied Hoverfly (Scaeva pyrastri). Just the one seen.

And another fairly easy hoverfly to ID was this (as the name suggests) male Long Hoverfly (Sphaerophoria scripta)

And finally a fairly common and especially numerous hoverfly seen this year was this Marmalade Hoverfly (Episyrphus balteatus), with several in the garden this morning.

One of the many micro moths flying around the garden this morning.

Of all the micros seen, this was the only one I caught........

.........but I will be honest I haven't a clue what it is.

Not the first 22-spot Ladybird (Psyllobora 22-punctata) I have seen but........

............the first I have come across in the garden. In fact their were 5 in total and all on the leaves of one of the Courgettes. There are 2 forms of this ladybird. The first has a white pronotum and the other like these two have yellow pronotum's. Diagram Here.

And a mystery Grasshopper........

............which I cant find in any book or online.

An interesting fly, where its thorax in the daylight was a fluorescent green, sadly not picked up by the camera. Oh and one to ID later.

And of course Ted, who on seeing the fence is down is wondering whether to break for freedom.

Birds Recorded: Buzzard, Herring Gull, Great Black-backed Gull, Wood Pigeon, Collared Dove, Sand Martin, House Martin, Swallow, Blackbird, Willow Warbler, Long-tailed Tit, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Magpie, Carrion Crow, Jackdaw, House Sparrow, Chaffinch, Linnet and Goldfinch

Dragonflies and Damselflies Recorded: Dragonfly sp. and Damselfly sp.

Butterflies Recorded: Large White, Small White, Gatekeeper, Red Admiral and a Chalk Hill Blue

Moths Recorded: moth sp.

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

Wasps Recorded: Common Wasp (Vespula vulgaris)

Hoverflies Recorded: Marmalade Hoverfly (Episyrphus balteatus), Long Hoverfly (Sphaerophoria scripta), Common Dronefly (Eristalis tenax) Migrant Hoverfly (Meliscaeva auricollis) and Pied Hoverfly (Scaeva pyrastri)

Flies, Craneflies, Gnats and Midges Recorded: Fly sp.

Crickets and Grasshoppers Recorded: Grasshopper sp.

Bugs and Beetles Recorded: Five 22-spot Ladybird (Psyllobora 22-punctata)

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

2019
Today's Sightings Here

2018
Today's Sightings Here.

2017
Today' Sightings Here.

8 Aug 20

Easton Railway Cuttings, Wakeham Meadow and Old Quarry Lane

This afternoon Ted and I walked to the local shops and on the way back we took a detour through the Cuttings and Meadow. Unsurprisingly there wasn't too much about as the intense heat was keeping the butterflies and other invertebrates in the shade. It was hot!!

Highlights were a Willow Warbler, a few Chalk Hill Blues in the Cuttings and a Chalk Carpet moth along the Old Quarry Lane.

I also came across a Parasitic Fly, Eriothrix rufomaculata and a first for me on Portland.

Here are a few images and videos from today:

Easton Railway Cuttings and on the left behind the metal fencing, what used to be Bottom Combe Quarry and now another building site for 50 odd homes. Its never ending!!

The Cuttings and Ted photo-bombing my photo.

A Chalk Carpet, Scotopteryx bipunctaria

I came across a Buddleia that was absolutely alive with Honey Bees.

A Common Carder Bumblebee on a Field Scabious

An interesting looking fly, with a red, black and white striped abdomen.

Here is the side profile of this Parasitic Fly, Eriothrix rufomaculata and one that is a lepidopterists worse nightmare, in that the Larvae of this fly develop inside the larvae of moths.

And Ted having a good nose around.

Birds Recorded: Herring Gull, Wood Pigeon, Collared Dove, Willow Warbler, Great Tit, Wren, Magpie, Carrion Crow, House Sparrow, Chaffinch

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

Moths Recorded: Chalk Carpet (Scotopteryx bipunctaria)

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

Flies Recorded: Parasitic fly (Eriothrix rufomaculata)

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Wakeham

The moth trap went out last night at 8:30pm and I switched it off just after midnight. One of the problems is mice and rats scoffing any moth that lands by the side of the trap. So just a short trapping session.

When it was out there were plenty of moths about, including a very large "orange-coloured" Hawk-moth, which flew around the garden at speed. There was also a pipistrelle-type bat as well having a good feed, so even more reason to switch the trap of early.

However when I finally got around to checking the trap today, I realised that when I put it away, I hadn't put the cover over it properly and I probably lost a good 75% of the moths through a gap. Ahhhh.

At least there were still a few left including an Oak Eggar, and 2 new moths for my Portland List, a Buff Footman and Rosy Conch.

So last nights trappings were 15 moths of 11 species. It does make me wonder how many escaped!!

Here are the ones that didn't escape:

Moth A - Oak Eggar, Lasiocampa quercus (1)

Moth B - Silver Y, Autographa gamma (1)

Moth C - Buff Footman, Eilema depressa (1)

Moth D - Twenty-plume Moth, Alucita hexadactyla (1)

Moth E - Single-dotted Wave, Idaea dimidiata (1)

Moth F - Double-striped Pug, Gymnoscelis rufifasciata (1)

Moth G - Light Brown Apple Moth, Epiphyas postvittana (3)

Moth H - Privet Tortrix, Clepsis consimilana (2)

Moth I - Ox-tongue Conch, Cochylis molliculana (2)

Moth J - Brown House-moth, Hofmannophila pseudospretella (1)

Moth K - Rosy Conch, Cochylis roseana (1)

And the images:

Moth A - Oak Eggar, Lasiocampa quercus

The Oak Eggar warming up before take-off

Moth B - Silver Y, Autographa gamma. This is the first "dark brown" form I have come across on Portland

Moth C - Buff Footman, Eilema depressa

Moth D - Twenty-plume Moth, Alucita hexadactyla

Moth E - Single-dotted Wave, Idaea dimidiata

Moth F - If I have this correct this a very worn Double-striped Pug, Gymnoscelis rufifasciata

Moth G 1 - Light Brown Apple Moth, Epiphyas postvittana

Moth G 2 - Light Brown Apple Moth, Epiphyas postvittana

Moth G 3 - Light Brown Apple Moth, Epiphyas postvittana

Moth H 1 - Privet Tortrix, Clepsis consimilana

Moth H 1 - Privet Tortrix, Clepsis consimilana

Moth H 2 - Privet Tortrix, Clepsis consimilana

Moth I 1 - Ox-tongue Conch, Cochylis molliculana

Moth I 2 - Ox-tongue Conch, Cochylis molliculana

Moth J - Brown House-moth, Hofmannophila pseudospretella

Moth K - Rosy Conch, Cochylis roseana

Also in the Moth trap was this Fruit Fly, Tephritis ruralis

And some light entertainment by the Khaki Campbell's, this afternoon.

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

2019
Today's Sightings Here

2018
Today's Sightings Here.

2017
Today' Sightings Here.

7 Aug 20

Portland Bird Observatory

Well, I have only ever twitched a bird once in 50+ years. And on that occasion the bird in question had flown 20 minutes before I arrived. Today I had another "Twitch", when I paid the Obs a visit, not for a rare bird but for a moth and my second rare moth twitch in as many days.

Today's rarity was found in my friend's garden moth trap in Southwell and has never been recorded in the UK before. The moth was a Mediterranean Pug (Eupithecia breviculata), which originates across Europe and as far east as Greece and probably further.

There isn't any info (that I can find on this moth from here in the UK), but there is a German lepiforum forum Here which looks interesting

Here is an photo of it, courtesy of the Observatory, who have kindly put it on show on behalf of Debbie Here who trapped it in her garden.

Mediterranean Pug (Eupithecia breviculata)

Birds Recorded: Kestrel, Herring Gull, Great Black-backed Gull, Wood Pigeon, Sand Martin, House Martin, Swallow, Dunnock, Blackbird, Chiffchaff, Willow Warbler, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Wren, Magpie, Carrion Crow, Jackdaw, Starling, House Sparrow, Chaffinch, Linnet and Goldfinch

Dragonflies and Damselflies Recorded: Emperor Dragonfly

Butterflies Recorded: Large White, Small White, Meadow Brown, Gatekeeper and Red Admiral

Moths Recorded: Mediterranean Pug (Eupithecia breviculata)

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

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

2019
Today's Sightings Here

2018
Today's Sightings Here.

2017
Today' Sightings Here.

6 Aug 20

Mermaid Track, Rufus Castle, Penn's Copse, Penns Wood, Penn's Weare, St Andrew's Church Grounds and Penns Wood

A busy day so only a few photos from my walk early afternoon.

Wild Marjoram, Origanum vulgare, where I came across this....

Mint Moth (Pyrausta aurata) and........

........something else, in the centre of the frame. Another moth maybe!!

A Chalk Hill Blue which was showing signs of wear and tear.

This Hummingbird Hawk-moth was so close at times that it was almost impossible to photograph it.

Below are a few videos of the Hummingbird Hawk-moth in the hedgerow by Rufus Castle. And did it just lay egg!!

It was still quite breezy this afternoon but it wasn't stopping this Six-Spot Burnet Moth from flying around the south facing slopes at Church Ope Cove.

In the grounds of St Andrew's Church was this Rose Chafer.

And a walk along Penn's Weare wouldn't be complete without coming across a Bloody-nosed Beetle

Ted on the wrong path. Why doesn't that surprise me

Birds Recorded: Herring Gull, Great Black-backed Gull, Wood Pigeon, Collared Dove, Dunnock, Blackbird, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Wren, Magpie, Carrion Crow, Jackdaw, House Sparrow, Chaffinch, Linnet and Goldfinch.

Reptiles Recorded: Wall Lizard and Common Lizard

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

Moths Recorded: 1 Hummingbird Hawk-moth (Macroglossum stellatarum), 2 Carnation Tortrix (Cacoecimorpha pronubana), Six-Spot Burnet moth (Zygaena filipendulae) and Sycamore Piercer (Pammene aurita)

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), Long Hoverfly (Sphaerophoria scripta) and Common Dronefly (Eristalis tenax)

Bugs and Beetles Recorded: Rose Chafer (Cetonia aurata) and Common Red Soldier Beetles (Rhagonycha fulva)

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

2019
Today's Sightings Here

2018
Today's Sightings Here.

2017
Today' Sightings Here.