1 May 18

Pennsylvania Castle Wood, St Andrew's Church and Rufus Castle

A late afternoon walk and the main highlight was a Spotted Flycatcher and a male Blackcap in Pennsylvania Castle Wood. Also here 2 Willow Warblers.

Elsewhere another Willow Warbler by Rufus Castle and two pairs of Gannets heading south just off Church Ope Cove.

Here are a few images from this afternoon:

A bumblebee to ID. It was high up this tree trunk with.............

........15+ Bluebottle Flies above it. Really bizarre.

I keep ID'ing this as a Syrphus torvus. It was in the grounds of St Andrew's Church where there have been many of these hoverflies. I'm sure it is until someone tells me differently.

A fly to ID. It has a brown abdomen so hopefully I can ID it.

A pair of Herring Gulls on the cliff top at Church Ope Cove.

And way out to sea a pair of Gannets heading south. Even further out there was another pair heading in the same direction.

Birds Recorded: 4 Gannet, Cormorant, Herring Gull, Great Black-backed Gull, Wood Pigeon, Dunnock, Robin, Blackbird, 1 Blackcap, 3 Willow Warbler, 1 Spotted Flycatcher, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Wren, Carrion Crow, House Sparrow, Chaffinch and Goldfinch.

Also lots of bumblebees and hoverflies.

Wakeham

Well there was a Willow Warbler singing in the back garden until it got drowned out by this..............

It looks like work on the new Housing Estate has started early. According to the Development Management and Building Control at Weymouth & Portland Borough Council, work in Bumpers Lane for the development of 71 homes isn't supposed to start until after 12 May 18. If approved that is. Looks like someone didn't get the memo!!!!!!

An update the Pile Driver is being used to create the new roads in the estate, which will take around 3 weeks to complete. Its going to be a very noisy for awhile.

Planning Application Here.