A very long walk today (11:25am - 1:50pm) which started at Sweet Hill Road past the farm buildings, into the Top Fields, past the copse, across the road down to the South Coast Coastal Path, along the coast path north before cutting back across the fields just south of Southwell and back to the car.
Lots of highlights with a Peregrine plucking a pigeon and being harassed by two more Peregrines and a Kestrel. Also 12 Wheatear seen along the coast path, where I also had a Lesser Whitethroat and 2 Rock Pipits. Earlier there was a Common Whitethroat by the farm buildings and in the copse 3 Chiffchaffs.
As I was walking along the coast path two Redshank flew north and out to sea at least 20 Gannets with lots diving into shoals of fish.
On the butterfly front another Clouded Yellow along the coast path, where there were also Red Admirals, a Painted Lady and several Common Blues.
Here are a few images from my walk:
My Southwell Walk.
The track leading off Sweet Hill Road..........
............ up to the farm buildings.
In the Top Field a Peregrine Falcon on the hunt.
A few seconds later and it has its prey.........
.......which hasn't gone unnoticed.........
.........so its up and away........
.........closely followed by a Carrion Crow.......
......and then another Peregrine comes in for a piece.
This Peregrine is having none of it and takes off again with its quarry, which looks like a pigeon
A Peregrine eating a pigeon on a windy Portland
Portland Lighthouse (centre) and the Bird Observatory to the left.
A Red Admiral on Eupatorium cannabinum, commonly known as Hemp-agrimony
A Great Black-backed Gull in the fields above the Observatory. This individual has a ring on its right leg.
In the fields were Wheatears....
..........with a few on the posts.
The quarries along the east were alive with Linnets and more Wheatears
Here are 6 Linnets on the rock face..........
...........and more Wheatears.
This bird was catching flies in amongst the rocks.
While another preferred the low cut grass.
This one was jumping on its prey.
While others........
......just looked on.
A Wheatear feeding.
Looking north............
...........and straight down. That's some drop!
A Rock Pipit keeps one eye on me........
.......and its mate watches me from the other side.
Not a brilliant photo of a beautiful butterfly.....
.........a Clouded Yellow, which was in hurry to get from one flower to the next.
A Gatekeeper
The footpath to the Farm.
Southwell
And a female Common Blue in the field here.
Birds Recorded: 20+ Gannet, 3 Peregrine Falcon, 2 Kestrel, 2 Redshank, Black-headed Gull, Herring Gull, 3 Great Black-backed Gull, Wood Pigeon, 10 House Martin, 8 Swallow, 2 Meadow Pipit, 2 Rock Pipit, 1 Pied Wagtail, Dunnock, 12 Wheatear, 2 Blackbird, 1 Common Whitethroat, 1 Lesser Whitethroat, 3 Chiffchaff, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Wren, Magpie, Rook, Carrion Crow, Jackdaw, Starling, House Sparrow, Chaffinch, 60+ Linnet, 15+ Goldfinch and 5 Greenfinch.
Butterflies: Large White, Small White, 1 Clouded Yellow, 2 Speckled Wood, 5 Meadow Brown, 3 Gatekeeper, 3 Red Admiral, 1 Painted Lady, 1 Comma, 1 Small Copper, 1 Holly Blue, 8 Common Blue.
Also seen 1 Emperor Dragonfly and 3 Six-spot Burnet Moths.