hornets and horns

...one of the exciting things about having guests to stay is that I have absolutely no idea what I will end up blipping as a modicum of hosting activity is expected. Of course, as nominated driver and guide, I have a slightly unfair advantage when it comes to deciding where we go ;-)

It was an unexpected delight to find that the original wet forecast had changed and there was a good prospect for a warm day with plenty of sunny intervals - and they turned out to be right.

I mentioned yesterday, that we usually get asked to find sand lizards for our visitors. Since seeing my photos of raft spiders, this has become an unexpected additional request so, this morning, we went over to Arne RSPB reserve to see the spiders, dragons, and deer. While walking across one of the meadows, I noticed several Hornet Mimic Hoverflies Volucella zonaria. This distinctive hoverfly is one of our largest and, as its common name suggests, it is a very good hornet mimic.

This afternoon, we did the circular walk from Langton Matravers to Dancing Ledge and back via Seacombe. This is the walk that we last did while we were suffering from days of heavy rain, which had turned the path from Spyway Barn into a motorway of mud. On our way back up from Seacombe, the bull in a field of cows that we had to walk through, starting bellowing then stood up and came over to the footpath gate. The girls were not happy about going through the field but, as I was scratching the bulls forehead and ears, they decided to go for it, and all was well :-) While strolling along the Priest Road, we suddenly heard him bellowing really belligerently and will go and look for bodies later...