There was a tweet to say there was a Common Rosefinch in the Sycamores at the end of Victoria Place. I joined 4 others there but to no avail.
Only birds here were Wood Pigeon, Swallow, Meadow Pipit, Pied Wagtail, Dunnock, Robin, Blackbird, Song Thrush, 2 Blackcap, 6 Chiffchaff, 1 Willow Warbler, 1 Spotted Flycatcher, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Wren, Magpie, Carrion Crow, House Sparrow, Chaffinch, Goldfinch and Greenfinch.
Tout Quarry
My first trip to Tout Quarry, just in case there were any Ring Ouzels about. No Ouzels but a few Blackbirds and a Song Thrush. Also about a Common Whitethroat, 2 Blackcaps and both Chiffchaff & Willow Warbler.
A Song Thrush. There are a few starting to appear on the island. It wont be long before the Redwings and Fieldfares start appearing.
.......it was spooked by something. A couple of flaps and it was off. Going back to the previous image was it attacked by a bee which is just above its head. Who knows, but whatever it was it gave it an almighty fright!
Bumpers Lane
A couple of hours (8:00 - 9:00am) spent walking around Bumpers Lane and some great highlights with 1 Curlew over, 10+ House Martin, 30+ Swallow, 30+ Pied Wagtail, 1 Grey Wagtail, 2 Wheatear, 1 Garden Warbler, 1 Common Whitethroat, 12+ Blackcap, 30+ Chiffchaff & Willow Warbler and my first Siskins of the Autumn, with 2 flying north of Bumpers Quarry.
Judging by the number of warblers in Bumpers Lane this morning there must be a huge number of them on Portland. And as the "tweets" keep coming in, unsurprisingly there have been at least 2 Yellow-browed Warblers reported so far.
The main bulk of the warblers were in the sallows along Bumpers lane and also in most of the Sycamores around the quarries.
Here are a few images from this morning:
.....I actually found it very difficult to tell them apart, apart from one Chiffchaff that burst into song.....
........."Normally" you would find that Chiffchaff legs are darker than Willow Warblers, but that is definitely not the case with a lot of the birds I saw this morning, with several "Chiffchaffs" with light coloured legs.
Birds Recorded: 1 Curlew, 3 Herring Gull, Wood Pigeon, Collared Dove, 10+ House Martin, 30+ Swallow, Meadow Pipit, 30+ Pied Wagtail, 1 Grey Wagtail, Dunnock, Robin, 2 Wheatear, Blackbird, 1 Song Thrush, 1 Garden Warbler, 1 Common Whitethroat, 12+ Blackcap, 30+ Chiffchaff & Willow Warbler, 2 Goldcrest, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Wren, Magpie, Rook, Carrion Crow, Jackdaw, Raven, House Sparrow, Chaffinch, Linnet, 2 Siskin, Goldfinch and 1 Greenfinch.
Also seen here a male Migrant Hawker and several Red Admirals.
The scrubland at the end of Victoria Place.
Tout Quarry
My first trip to Tout Quarry, just in case there were any Ring Ouzels about. No Ouzels but a few Blackbirds and a Song Thrush. Also about a Common Whitethroat, 2 Blackcaps and both Chiffchaff & Willow Warbler.
There were a few Red Admirals on the Ivy Flowers where I also came across a few Ivy Bees.
A few Images Here:
Tout Quarry Information Map
Tout Quarry
A huge drop.
Looking towards Portland Harbour
Cliff erosion. There was a coastal path here!
One of the 3 Kestrels here.
This Kestrel has caught something....
.......its green and fairly fat and long.........
........it looks very much like a caterpillar possibly one of the hawk-moth family.
Once eaten it was off to look for more.
A lone Wheatear keeps its beady eye on me.......
........same bird different perch.
A Chiffchaff
Another shot
and again.
A Common Whitethroat one shot and it was gone.
One minute this Common Buzzard was sat on the branch minding its own business when all of a sudden.......
Just love these little bees........
.........my favourite an Ivy Bee.
Birds Recorded Here: 1 Buzzard, 3 Kestrel, Wood Pigeon, Swallow, Meadow Pipit, Dunnock, Robin, Blackbird, 1 Song Thrush, 1 Common Whitethroat, 2 Blackcap, 4 Chiffchaff, 1 Willow Warbler, Great Tit, Wren, Carrion Crow, Jackdaw, Linnet and Goldfinch.
Bumpers Lane
A couple of hours (8:00 - 9:00am) spent walking around Bumpers Lane and some great highlights with 1 Curlew over, 10+ House Martin, 30+ Swallow, 30+ Pied Wagtail, 1 Grey Wagtail, 2 Wheatear, 1 Garden Warbler, 1 Common Whitethroat, 12+ Blackcap, 30+ Chiffchaff & Willow Warbler and my first Siskins of the Autumn, with 2 flying north of Bumpers Quarry.
Judging by the number of warblers in Bumpers Lane this morning there must be a huge number of them on Portland. And as the "tweets" keep coming in, unsurprisingly there have been at least 2 Yellow-browed Warblers reported so far.
The main bulk of the warblers were in the sallows along Bumpers lane and also in most of the Sycamores around the quarries.
Here are a few images from this morning:
One of many Sycamore trees that the Blackcaps, Willow Warblers and Chiffchaff are feeding in.
Another Sycamore....
......and this one by Bumpers Lane Quarry was also alive with Willow Warblers and Chiffchaffs.
Willow or Chiffchaff.......
Another flies up to catch an insect.
So many about.
And another.
And a more yellowy individual.......
......and off to another bush.
And another.
A male Chaffinch
A record shot of a House Martin overhead.
Birds Recorded: 1 Curlew, 3 Herring Gull, Wood Pigeon, Collared Dove, 10+ House Martin, 30+ Swallow, Meadow Pipit, 30+ Pied Wagtail, 1 Grey Wagtail, Dunnock, Robin, 2 Wheatear, Blackbird, 1 Song Thrush, 1 Garden Warbler, 1 Common Whitethroat, 12+ Blackcap, 30+ Chiffchaff & Willow Warbler, 2 Goldcrest, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Wren, Magpie, Rook, Carrion Crow, Jackdaw, Raven, House Sparrow, Chaffinch, Linnet, 2 Siskin, Goldfinch and 1 Greenfinch.