8 May 22

Wakeham

It was a morning spent repairing an 8 foot Portland Stone wall between our cottage and the neighbours back garden. Over the years a Buddleia had grown right up between the stones and was in danger of dislodging some of large stones at the top.

After completing a very satisfying job, it was a bit too warm for a walk with Ted, so I spent most of the afternoon chilling out in the back garden.


Mammals Recorded:
mouse sp.

As I lifted up the corrugated sheet to check for any Slow-worms this mouse made a dash to the edge of the sheet.

Birds Recorded:
Herring Gull
Wood Pigeon
Collared Dove
Dunnock
Robin
Blackbird
Long-tailed Tit
Great Tit
Blue Tit
Wren
Magpie
Carrion Crow
Jackdaw
Starling
House Sparrow
Chaffinch
Linnet
Goldfinch

A Dunnock singing 2 metres away from where I was sat in the garden

Reptiles Recorded:
Slow-worm skin

I didn't find any Slow-worms under the sheet but other than the mouse I did find this shedded Slow-worm skin. So they are still about!

Amphibians Recorded:
Frog
Palmate Newt

One of the Frogs in the "Tyre" Pond

Whilst in the "Bath" Pond were hundreds of tadpoles.

Its going to be awhile before I can tell whether they are Toads or Frogs.

Here's a short video of the taddies swimming about with a few other creatures.

Butterflies Recorded:
Orange-tip
Large White

A female Orange-tip

And another view

Bees Recorded:
Honey Bees (Apis mellifera)
Buff-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus terrestris)
Early Mining Bee (Andrena haemorrhoa)

Furrow Bee sp.

An Early Mining Bee maybe.............

.........Yep it is, with its reddish tip on its rear.

One of the Furrow Bees

And again.

Hoverflies Recorded:
Narcissus Bulb Fly (Merodon equestris)

Cheilosia sp. (Possibly)

Narcissus Bulb Fly  - form narcissi

Possibly a Cheilosia sp.

Flies, Craneflies, Gnats and Midges Recorded:
Fruit Fly (Trypeta artemisiae) - Possibly

This might possibly be the Fruit Fly (Trypeta artemisiae)

Here's another view of it.

Bugs and Beetles Recorded:
Rosemary Beetles (Chrysolina americana)

Common Pondskater (Gerris lacustris)

A Rosemary Beetle in the Lavender.

Well this is a new addition to the garden. This is a Common Pondskater (Gerris lacustris) and is a new arrival to the "Bath" Pond.


Crickets and Grasshoppers Recorded:
Dark Bush-cricket nymph (Pholidoptera griseoaptera)


Spiders Recorded:
Copper Sun-jumper (Heliophanus cupreus)

A Copper Sun-jumper in amongst the petals of the Water Buttercup

7 May 22

Old Quarry Lane, Wakeham Meadow, Lower Horse Paddock, Upper Horse Paddock, Broadcroft Butterfly Reserve, Broadcroft Quarry Lane and Bumpers Lane

Well today's weather was probably the best we have had in a long while, with blue skies, sunshine and very little wind.

There were no migrants seen today and all the warblers I came across were all in their established breeding sites. Unusually though, a Song Thrush was showing really well at the bottom of Broadcroft Quarry Lane. Normally if one sees you, its off. But not this one today.

On the butterfly front I saw my first Small Skipper of the year, and as I tried to photograph it, I tripped over a bramble, lacerating the top of my foot. Yep I was also wearing my sandals for the first time this year. Hmm!!!

Birds Recorded:
Herring Gull
Wood Pigeon
Dunnock
Robin
Blackbird
Song Thrush
3 Common Whitethroat
2 Lesser Whitethroat
2 Blackcap
Long-tailed Tit
Great Tit
Blue Tit
Wren
Magpie
Carrion Crow
Jackdaw
2 Raven
Starling
House Sparrow
Chaffinch
Linnet
Goldfinch
Greenfinch

There haven't been too many times that I have been this close to a Song Thrush.

It certainly doesn't seem bothered that I'm walking down the lane past it.

And its mate singing from the other side of the lane

One of two Ravens soaring way way above my head.

And an unusual stance by this male Linnet.

In fact he seemed quite well balanced as he was singing.

Butterflies Recorded:
1 Small Skipper
2 Orange-tip
4 Large White
2 Small White
3 Green-veined White
1 Wall Brown
2 Small Blue
4 Holly Blue

I think this has been one of the best years for Green-veined Whites that I have seen, since I moved here almost 5 years ago.

And apart from several Holly Blues, there are also quite a few.......

..............Small Blues out now.

Moths Recorded:
Vetch Piercer (Grapholita jungiella)
Cocksfoot Moth (Glyphipterix simpliciella) - Possibly

There are lots of Vetch Piercers out at the moment

I'm not 100% sure, but I think this is a very worn Cocksfoot Moth

Bees Recorded:
Honey Bees (Apis mellifera)
Buff-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus terrestris)
Red-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus lapidarius)
Common Carder (Bombus pascuorum)
Early Mining Bee (Andrena haemorrhoa)
Red Mason Bee (Osmia bicornis)
nomad sp.

A very smart looking Early Mining Bee which of late, I might have been recording as a Grey-patched Mining Bee. The buff colour on its rear end is Andrena haemorrhoa and is not found on Andrena nitida.

Ichneumon Wasps Recorded:
Ichneumon sp

And the one that got away. An Ichneumon wasp which disappeared into the long grass, before I could ID it.

Hoverflies Recorded:
Marmalade Hoverfly (Episyrphus balteatus)
Spring Epistrophe (Epistrophe eligans)
Dead Head Hoverfly (Myathropa florea)

Its been awhile since I have seen either a Common Dronefly or a Tapered Dronefly. At the moment it's just Spring Epistrophes and the...........

...............odd Dead Head Hoverfly.

Flies, Craneflies, Gnats and Midges Recorded:
Tiger Cranefly (Nephrotoma flavescens)

St Mark's Fly (Bibio marci)

A Tiger Cranefly (Nephrotoma flavescens)

St Mark's Fly (Bibio marci)

Slugs and Snails Recorded:
White-lipped Banded Snail (Cepaea hortensis)

A White-lipped Banded Snail

Spiders Recorded:
Nursery Web Spider (Pisaura mirabilis)

#1 spider sp.

A Nursery Web Spider on the prowl

#1 spider sp.

Pupae Recorded:
pupae sp.

A chrysalis in a nettle!!

Plants:
Lesser Celandine (Ficaria verna)
Hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna)

There is still a good show of Lesser Celandines.

And the flowers on the Hawthorns look absolutely amazing this year.

Ted:

Ted seems a lot happier today, now that I have remembered his treats.

And not obvious in the photo, but Ted is actually sat right on top of the "bump" with great view looking south over the butterfly reserve.

It was a tad warm today, but apart from Ted's treats, he had plenty of water and shade.

Ships Today:

This is the Liberian Reefer "Caribbean Star" on its way from Antwerp to Abidjan (Ivory Coast). More on this vessel Here.

And an aircraft carrier just off Portland Bill. But which one HMS Prince of Wales or HMS Queen Elizabeth!!

6 May 22

Old Quarry Lane, Wakeham Meadow, Wakeham Railway Cuttings and Bumpers Lane

Well it might have been sunny and warm in sheltered spots, but out in the open it was absolutely freezing, with a bitter south-westerly.

No real highlights today, not like yesterday's warbler feast. In fact the best I could do was 3 Common Whitethroats, 2 Lesser Whitethroats and 3 Blackcaps.

On the insect front I had a new beetle to add to my Portland List. A Common Grammoptera (Grammoptera ruficornis), which is one of our smallest longhorn beetles in the UK.

Birds Recorded:
Herring Gull

Great Black-backed Gull

Wood Pigeon

Collared Dove

3 Swallow

Dunnock

Robin

Blackbird

3 Common Whitethroat

2 Lesser Whitethroat

3 Blackcap

Great Tit

Blue Tit

Wren

Magpie

Carrion Crow

Jackdaw

Starling

House Sparrow

Chaffinch

Linnet

Goldfinch

A Common Whitethroat in the meadows.

The Lesser Whitethroat is still along Wakeham Railway Cuttings.

And as I was photographing the White-tailed Bumblebees in this "wild" Apple Tree a male Chaffinch dropped in briefly for a photo shoot.

Reptiles Recorded:
Wall Lizard
Slow-worm

A Wall Lizard above the Cuttings

And close to Wakeham Meadows were these 4 Slow-worms

Butterflies Recorded:
Orange-tip
Large White
Small White
Green-veined White
Wall Brown

Speckled Wood
Small Tortoiseshell

A Wall Brown in the meadows

A Speckled Wood along Old Quarry Lane

Bees Recorded:
Honey Bees (Apis mellifera)
Buff-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus terrestris)
Common Carder (Bombus pascuorum)
White-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus lucorum)

Red Mason Bee (Osmia bicornis)

#1 bee sp.

#2 bee sp.

A White-tailed Bumblebee

And its rear view.

A Red Mason Bee (Osmia bicornis) on the "wild" Apple Tree along Bumpers Lane.

And another view of the Red Mason Bee

#1 bee sp.

#2 bee sp.

Hoverflies Recorded:

Cheilosia sp. (Possibly)

Cheilosia sp.!!

Flies, Craneflies, Gnats and Midges Recorded:
St Mark's Fly (Bibio marci)

Noon Fly (Mesembrina meridiana)

Noon Fly (Mesembrina meridiana)

Bugs and Beetles Recorded:

Common Grammoptera (Grammoptera ruficornis)

As is often the case, whilst you photograph one thing, you end up photographing something else as well. In this case I was photographing the Red Mason Bee (top left) and unbeknown to me I had photographed this beetle as well. The closest I can get to ID'ing it is that it is most likely the Common Grammoptera - Grammoptera ruficornis. More on this beetle Here.

Ted:

Ted sea watching

A sad Ted, as he realises I dont have anymore treats.

Aircraft Today:

This is G-SACI Piper PA-28-161 flying over Portland. Its Flightpath from today can be seen Here. More on this aircraft Here.

Ships Today:

This is the Dutch General Cargo Ship "Waaldijk" on its way from Renteria (Spain) to Poole. More on this vessel Here.

This is the Dutch Oil/Chemical Tanker "Stella Polaris" on its way from Rotterdam to Dublin. More on this vessel Here.

This is the British Law Enforcement boat "Solent Guardian" on its way from Dartmouth to Portland harbour. More on this vessel Here.