A Pelagic Cruise

It was back to Weymouth this morning and out again on "Coastal Vibes" for a second attempt at a sea watch along the coastline from Weymouth to Durdle Door. Our original trip was cancelled, just as we left the harbour, as it was deemed to rough for the cruise.

The sea was perfect for the cruise, but sadly there was very little to see on the bird front, apart from a Hobby and a Common Tern, both seen as we returned to Weymouth.

The main highlight was watching the Bottlenose Dolphins showing off, alongside.

Mammals

10+ Bottlenose Dolphins

One of the many Bottlenose Dolphins seen this morning

And two more

Bottlenose Dolphin just off Osmington Mills here.

Birds recorded:

1 Fulmar

12+ Cormorant

1 Canada Goose

1 Hobby

1 Oystercatcher

Black-headed Gull

Mediterranean Gull

Herring Gull

Great Black-backed Gull

1 Common Tern

2 Rock Pipit

4 Pied Wagtail

1 Chiffchaff

Magpie

Carrion Crow

Starling

A Fulmar, honest!!

A fly-by Cormorant

A Canada Goose on one of the breakwaters in Portland Harbour.

My first Hobby..........

.....this year was hunting out to sea. Quite bizarre!!

An Oystercatcher balancing quite well on one leg.

General shots and videos:

The Jurassic Coastline between Ringstead and Durdle Door

The beach at Durdle Door

Durdle Door

Durdle Door

Ships today:

This is the British Frigate F81 "HMS Sutherland" just off Portland. More on this vessel here.

And this is the German Frigate F219 "FGS Sachsen" tied up in Portland Harbour. More on this vessel here.

This is the British PO9 Fishing Boat "Freya May".

This is the British Commercial Fishing Vessel WH218 "Odyssey".

Fleurie

Fleurie

Gyrinus with HMS Sutherland on the horizon.

Weymouth Harbour with the British Sea Cadets Sailing Vessel "TS Royalist" taking centre stage. More on this vessel here.

Radipole Lake In Late May

It was another very sunny and warm day, and after a shopping trip in Weymouth, I had a walk to the North Hide at RSPB Radipole Lake. As you would expect in May there was quite a bit of bird activity , especially around the Sand Martin's nest site, where a Grey Heron decided to visit!!

Other birds of note were a very distant view of a Marsh Harrier to the north of the reserve, plus 5 species of warbler, all of which very vocal.

Dragonflies and Damselflies were very abundant, but where were all the butterflies. All I noted was 6 of 3 species which was pretty dire.

Birds Recorded:
1 Grey Heron
1 Marsh Harrier
1 Kestrel
Black-headed Gull
Herring Gull
Wood Pigeon
30+ Sand Martin
Blackbird
Song Thrush
10+ Reed Warbler
5 Cetti's Warbler
4 Blackcap
3 Chiffchaff
1 Willow Warbler
Great Tit
Blue Tit
Magpie
Carrion Crow
Chaffinch
Goldfinch
Greenfinch
Reed Bunting

A Sand Martin mobs the Grey Heron which was standing on the Sand Martin's nesting site.

That must be some itch. A Grey Heron on top of the Sand Martin's nest site.

Dragonflies and Damselflies Recorded:
Banded Demoiselle Calopteryx splendens
Beautiful Demoiselle Calopteryx virgo

Blue-tailed Damselfly Ischnura elegans 
Common Blue Damselfly Enallagma cyathigerum

Azure Damselfly Coenagrion puella

A male Banded Demoiselle Calopteryx splendens

And another male Banded Demoiselle

A female Banded Demoiselle Calopteryx splendens

Another female Banded Demoiselle

A male....................

...................Beautiful Demoiselle Calopteryx virgo

A Blue-tailed Damselfly Ischnura elegans

Another Blue-tailed Damselfly Ischnura elegans form violacea

A male Common Blue Damselfly Enallagma cyathigerum

A male Azure Damselfly Coenagrion puella

Butterflies Recorded:
1 Speckled Wood Pararge aegeria
4 Red Admiral Vanessa atalanta
1 Painted Lady Vanessa cardui

Red Admiral Vanessa atalanta

Painted Lady Vanessa cardui

Moths Recorded:
2 Silver Y Autographa gamma


Bees Recorded:
Buff-tailed Bumblebee Bombus terrestris
Common Carder Bee Bombus pascuorum
Honey Bee Apis mellifera
Red-tailed Bumblebee Bombus lapidarius

Andrena sp.

Red-tailed Bumblebee Bombus lapidarius

Andrena sp.

Hoverflies Recorded:
Common Dronefly Eristalis tenax
Dead Head Hoverfly Myathropa florea
The Footballer Helophilus pendulus

The Footballer Helophilus pendulus aka Tiger Marsh Fly

Flies, Craneflies, Gnats and Midges Recorded:
Many unidentified flies
Alder Fly Sialis lutaria

Alder Fly Sialis lutaria

Bugs and Beetles Recorded:
7-spot Ladybird Coccinella septempunctata
Harlequin Ladybird Harmonia axyridis - form succinea

Soldier Beetle Silis ruficollis

7-spot Ladybird Coccinella septempunctata

A Harlequin Ladybird Harmonia axyridis - form succinea

Next to this male Banded Demoiselle is a............... 

.................Soldier Beetle Silis ruficollis

Plants:

Southern Marsh Orchid Dactylorhiza praetermissa
Cow Parsley Anthriscus sylvestris
Hawthorn Crataegus monogyna
Meadow Buttercup Ranunculus arvensis
Yellow Iris Iris pseudacorus

A Southern Marsh Orchid Dactylorhiza praetermissa

And another Southern Marsh Orchid Dactylorhiza praetermissa

Yellow Iris Iris pseudacorus

This is...................

..............Multiflora Rose Rosa multiflora

Hot Weather And Cool Moths

This mornings check on the moth trap was an incredible sight, with hundreds of micro-moths in and outside the trap. Most were Diamond-back Moths Plutella xylostella, with an estimated 150+.

There were also plenty of larger moths, also in and around the trap with 4 Pale Tussock Calliteara pudibunda, 20 Marbled Minor agg. Oligia strigilis agg., 13 Shuttle-shaped Dart Agrotis puta, 15 Heart & Dart Agrotis exclamationis, 4 *Cream-spot Tiger Arctia villica, and 1 *Small Elephant Hawk-moth Deilephila porcellus to name but a few.

In total there were 261+ moths of 26 species, including a moth sp., a new moth for my P&W moth list and 6 firsts for the year.

Key
  *First for year
**New for P&W moth list

2026 Moth List Here.

Moths recorded:

It was nigh impossible to get an accurate count, as many moths took off as soon as I opened up the trap. So numbers are best guess for a majority of the species.

#1      *Small Elephant Hawk-moth Deilephila porcellus x1

#2        Portland Ribbon Wave Idaea degeneraria x4

#3      *Satin Wave Idaea subsericeata x1

#4        Black-headed Conch Cochylis atricapitana x5

#5        White-point Mythimna albipuncta x1

#6     **Shore Marble Lobesia littoralis x1

#7        Marbled Minor agg. Oligia strigilis agg. x20

#8        Clouded Silver Lomographa temerata x1

#9        Diamond-back Moth Plutella xylostella x150+

#10    *Cream-spot Tiger Arctia villica x4

#11      Pale Tussock Calliteara pudibunda x4

#12      Small Mottled Willow Spodoptera exigua x12

#13      Shuttle-shaped Dart Agrotis puta x13

#14      Treble Lines Charanyca trigrammica x4

#15      Brimstone Moth Opisthograptis luteolata x3

#16      Heart & Dart Agrotis exclamationis x15

#17    *Green Pug Pasiphila rectangulata x1

#18    *Garden Grass-veneer Chrysoteuchia culmella x2

#19      Light Brown Apple Moth Epiphyas postvittana x6

#20      Brown House-moth Hofmannophila pseudospretella x3

#21     *Small Dusty Wave Idaea seriata x1

#22   **Paraswammerdamia/Swammerdamia sp. x1

#23      Common Swift Korscheltellus lupulina x1

#24      Vine's Rustic Hoplodrina ambigua x5

#25      Turnip Moth Agrotis segetum x2

#1 *Small Elephant Hawk-moth Deilephila porcellus

#1 *Small Elephant Hawk-moth Deilephila porcellus

#1 *Small Elephant Hawk-moth Deilephila porcellus

#1 *Small Elephant Hawk-moth Deilephila porcellus (Slow-motion with no sound)

#2 Portland Ribbon Wave Idaea degeneraria 

#3 *Satin Wave Idaea subsericeata

#4 Black-headed Conch Cochylis atricapitana

#5 White-point Mythimna albipuncta

#6 **Shore Marble Lobesia littoralis

#6 **Shore Marble

#7 Marbled Minor agg. Oligia strigilis agg.

#7 Another Marbled Minor agg. Oligia strigilis agg.

#8 Clouded Silver Lomographa temerata

#9 Diamond-back Moth Plutella xylostella 

#10 *Cream-spot Tiger Arctia villica

#10 Another *Cream-spot Tiger Arctia villica

#11 Pale Tussock Calliteara pudibunda 

#11 Another Pale Tussock

#11 And another Pale Tussock

#11 And one more Pale Tussock

#11 Pale Tussock

#11 Pale Tussock

#11 Pale Tussock

#11 Pale Tussock taking off.

#12 Small Mottled Willow Spodoptera exigua

#12 Another Small Mottled Willow Spodoptera exigua

#13 Shuttle-shaped Dart Agrotis puta

#14 Treble Lines Charanyca trigrammica

#15 Brimstone Moth Opisthograptis luteolata

#16 Heart & Dart Agrotis exclamationis

#16 Another Heart & Dart Agrotis exclamationis

#17 *Green Pug Pasiphila rectangulata

#18 *Garden Grass-veneer Chrysoteuchia culmella

#18 Another *Garden Grass-veneer Chrysoteuchia culmella

#19 Light Brown Apple Moth Epiphyas postvittana

#19 Another Light Brown Apple Moth Epiphyas postvittana

#20 Brown House-moth Hofmannophila pseudospretella

#21 *Small Dusty Wave Idaea seriata

#22 **Paraswammerdamia/Swammerdamia sp.

#22 **Paraswammerdamia/Swammerdamia sp.

#22 **Paraswammerdamia/Swammerdamia sp.

#23 Common Swift Korscheltellus lupulina

#24 Vine's Rustic Hoplodrina ambigua

#25 Turnip Moth Agrotis segetum

More on:

#6   **Shore Marble Lobesia littoralis here and here.

#22 **Paraswammerdamia/Swammerdamia sp. here.

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Also in the trap was an ichneumon wasp, ladybirds, a barkfly and and 2 midges.

The common name for this ichneumon wasp Enicospilus ramidulus is the Nocturnal Ichneumon Wasp, as these wasps are most often observed around lights at night.

Harlequin Ladybird Harmonia axyridis - form conspicua

Another Harlequin Ladybird Harmonia axyridis - form conspicua

Another Harlequin Ladybird Harmonia axyridis - this time the form succinea

Possibly a Barkfly Blaste quadrimaculata

Midge Chironomidae sp.

Another Midge Chironomidae sp.