A lovely day here on Portland, still a bit of a chill, but the sun was out and so were a few butterflies including a pristine Painted Lady in the back garden.
Quarry Lane, Penn's Weare, East Weare, Rufus Castle and Bumpers Lane
A late afternoon walk at the back of the cottage and with the sun out it wasn't surprising to see so many butterflies on the wing. Apart from the Painted Lady in the back garden earlier, all the other butterflies I came across were Red Admirals, with at least 30 seen.
The pond just east of Quarry Lane is still drawing the birders, in the hope of seeing the Radde's Warbler, but that is well gone now. What has moved into the local area here are two more Water Rail. As one called from the reed bed so 2 others responded one to the north and another to the south.
Apart from the finches overhead the most numerous birds on the ground were Stonechats with at least 12 recorded. Overhead it was different with lots of Linnets and Chaffinches heading south, plus a flock of 8 Lesser Redpolls. Going in the opposite direction though I had 3 Siskins heading north!!
There are still small parties of Meadow Pipits and Skylarks going through, plus a few Pied Wagtails.
Local birds were, lots of Robins, Blackbirds, several Chiffchaffs and Goldfinches. A Great Spotted Woodpecker was in the Sycamores along Bumpers Lane, where there was also a Wheatear close by.
The only other warbler recorded apart from the Chiffchaffs was a Blackcap in Bumpers Lane.
Here a few images from this afternoon:
A female Stonechat
As above
And again
A different perch this time.
A different female Stonechat having a stretch
And another female Stonechat.
A male this time
And a better shot as I moved a few feet to my right.
A lone Wheatear
There are very few passing through now.
Two Kestrels
A Raven just 20 metres away from me. This was right next to Church Ope Cove.
A very photogenic Robin.
Definitely deserves another look.
A flock of Linnets landed right next to me.
This was all of them/
A Rusty Dot Pearl.
A Common Drone Fly soaks up the sun.
Looking across to Durdle Door
The Dorset coast in the back ground and the WWII Pill Box.
Sunset over Wakeham
Birds Recorded were: 1 Cormorant, 2 Kestrel, Herring Gull, Great Black-backed Gull, Wood Pigeon, 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker, Skylark, Meadow Pipit, Pied Wagtail, Dunnock, Robin, 12 Stonechat, 1 Wheatear, Blackbird, Song Thrush, 1 Blackcap, 12+ Chiffchaff, 15+ Goldcrest, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Wren, Magpie, Carrion Crow, Jackdaw, 2 Raven, 12 Starling, House Sparrow, Chaffinch, 8 Lesser Redpoll, Linnet, Siskin and Goldfinch.
Also recorded: 30 Red Admiral, 1 Udea ferrugalis (Rusty Dot Pearl), Ivy Bees, Honey Bees, White-tailed Bumble-bees, Wasp sps. and Common Drone Flies.