After yesterday’s bug hunting guided walk, it was off to take a closer look as some of the wonderful insects and other creatures.
Sunbathing on the large heart-shaped leaves of Black Bryony were Dark Bush-crickets - long antennae twitching, dark bodies and almost non-existent wings. The ovipositor of the females making it easy to tell them apart from the males.
A Long-winged Conehead much more elegant, as was the Speckled Bush-cricket, both quite green and extremely well camouflaged.
The sound of grasshoppers rung out around me and 3 species spotted, the Meadow Grasshopper (short wings), Common Green Grasshopper (long wings) and the Field Grasshopper (which has a hairy chest – a fantastic identifier).
Across the National Nature Reserve the white flowers of the Wild Carrot a huge attraction to the orange and black Soldier Beetle, with 5 or 6 often on a single plant.
A variety of beetles, flies, bees and hoverflies galore, which will require more time to identify!!
Lots of butterflies from the large black, red and white Red Admirals, ginger and blue Small Tortoiseshells, a Painted Lady and some Large Whites.
The chocolate brown Ringlets looking velvety as they flitted and then perched on the Honeysuckle, and Small and Lulworth Skippers also showing themselves well.
The sound of a Green Woodpecker as it was disturbed from the telegraph pole by a group of 20 Jackdaws arriving. The woodpecker yaffling as it flew undulating up and down.
A Peregrine Falcon rose above the cliff edge, flew towards me, passed by and then swept around the corner, a wonderful view of this impressive bird of prey.