At 6:50am I was up and just sorting some stuff out in the back garden when a Tree Pipit flew over the house and across towards the paddocks. I nice tick for the year.
Here's the flight call of a Tree Pipit courtesy of Xeno-canto
Wakeham Wood, Penns Wood, St Andrew's Church, Penns Copse, Rufus Castle and Mermaid Track
A slightly cool and overcast start to my walk but by the time I got home the sun was beating down.
Main highlights were: 1 Lesser Whitethroat, 1 Blackcap and Chiffchaff in Wakeham Wood, 1 Blackcap and 1 Chiffchaff in Penns Wood, 1 Willow Warbler in Penns Weare and 1 Blackcap, 1 Chiffchaff and 1 Willow Warbler along the Mermaid Track.
Also and at long last I finally got to photograph a very orange moth that has been flying around Penns Weare for the past few days. I have seen several but none have ever stopped to be ID'd, until today that is. Looking back through my moth gallery it looks very much like they are Carnation Tortrix, Cacoecimorpha pronubana.
Here are a few images from this morning:
Wakeham Wood and Track. Today there was a Lesser Whitethroat, Blackcap and a Chiffchaff.
Brown-tail Moth caterpillars outside their tent.
And a few more.
In the grounds of St Andrew's Church a Dead Head Fly
On Penns Weare a 7-spot Ladybird on an Alexanders.
My mystery moth which for a few days had evaded me..........
.........today one of the two I spotted came to rest. A Carnation Tortrix.
Nursery Web Spider - Pisaura mirabilis
Not strictly a wild plant but a Lilac growing wild in Wakeham Wood.
This is one of the Hawkbits, but as to which one, I'm not sure yet.
An apple tree...........
.......which is most likely to be a Crab Apple, Malus sylvestris
Birds Recorded this morning: Herring Gull, Wood Pigeon, 1 Swallow, 1 Tree Pipit, Dunnock, Robin, Blackbird, 1 Lesser Whitethroat, 3 Blackcap, 3 Chiffchaff, 2 Willow Warbler, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Wren, Magpie, Carrion Crow, Jackdaw, Starling, House Sparrow, Chaffinch, Linnet and Goldfinch.
Reptiles Recorded: Wall Lizards
Butterflies Recorded: 2 Peacock
Moths Recorded: 2 Carnation Tortrix (Cacoecimorpha pronubana)
Hoverfly Recorded: Dead Head Fly (Myathropa florea) and Brown-line Moth caterpillars
Ferrybridge
Having had a family meal in one of the Weymouth's Restaurants I headed back to Portland Marina to take some measurements off Star for a new outboard I'm fitting. As I crossed over Ferrybridge a Little Tern hovered close to the main road and promptly plummeted into the water for a fish.
At the Marina were 2 Sandwich Terns overhead.
Old Hill
As I was heading back home from the Marina, a message came through that there were 2 male Pied Flycatchers and a Spotted Flycatcher on the slopes of Old Hill Here. Its not a place I have been to before, but as it was on the way home, it was certainly worth a stop even though the tweet was an hour old.
It's quite a steep path back half way up there was a crossroads Here and as I looked left I spotted my friend Andy. I'm glad I saw him because as I walked towards him a male Pied Flycatcher flew out from the tree on my left.
We watched this male for quite a while and then out of nowhere the second male pitched up. It certainly wasn't happy about the presence of the male we were watching and several times chased it through the Sycamores.
We had fantastic views of both birds, but no sign of the Spotted Flycatcher. There's time yet.
Also up the slope 2 male Blackcaps.
Photos and a Video below:
On the way up to Old Hill.
Just as you hit the clearing on the left you can just make out where the Pied Flycatchers were in the......
...........bright green Sycamore in the centre of the frame.
This was Pied Flycatcher number one.
A very flighty bird.
Though he did pose for a bit longer........
........on this branch.
And here if off chasing it again.
A male Pied Flycatcher
On the way back down and.........
......one of the two male Blackcaps in the bushes close to the path.
Birds Recorded: Herring Gull, Wood Pigeon, Collared Dove, Dunnock, Robin, Blackbird, 2 Blackcap, 2 Pied Flycatcher, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Wren, Magpie, Carrion Crow, Chaffinch and Goldfinch.
Also Recorded: 1 Peacock Butterfly
Radipole RSPB Reserve
Yesterday there was a report of a Savi's Warbler at the reserve, and very fortunately it was still there this evening. I got there about 8:30pm, a little bit to late to see it, but heard I did, despite the background noise. Not a bird I've heard in the UK since the mid 80's at Rush Hill, Norfolk.
Also noted here were Sedge Warbler, Reed Warbler and a Common Sandpiper, all new for the year.
As I walked back to the car, there were literally dozens of bats flying up and down the paths and Bearded Tits, Cetti's Warbler and Reed Buntings calling as the sun came down.
Not a great recording but you can just make out the distinctive short buzzes of a Savi's Warbler.
Wakeham
And just to the end the day off nicely there was a male Tawny Owl calling from across the road towards Wakeham Wood at around 11:00pm.
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On this day..........
2018Today's Sightings Here.