Wakeham Wood, Perryfield Quarry, Windmills, Weston, Barleycrates Lane, Weston Quarry, Coast Path, Reap Lane, Southwell, Combefield Quarry, Weston Street
A bit of a trek today which saw me head off to the West Cliffs via Wakeham Wood and then back up through Combefield Quarry via Southwell. It was a lovely walk which started at 9:00am and finished at 11:45am
In Barleycrates Lane a Blackcap, Weston Quarry I came across a male Wheatear singing and in Southwell there were 2 Chiffchaffs singing.
Probably the most migrants were in and around Combefield Quarry with 4 Blackcaps, a Common Whitethroat and a Lesser Whitethroat.
Only butterflies seen today were 6 Speckled Woods and a single male Orange-tip.
Lots of Harlequin Ladybirds along Barleycrates and South West Coast path. All on Alexanders.
Here are a few photos from this morning.
Wakeham Wood
Speckled Wood here today.
Along with the caterpillars of the Brown-line Moth
Portland Windmills.
Here is one and.......
.........the second one.
Portland United Football Ground which having spoken to the locals played its last game on here last season. Note the cows in the field now.
Barleycrates Lane
This male Wheatear was at Weston Quarry and was singing and displaying for a good five minutes until 2 Herring Gulls arrived.
Lots of Harlequins along Barleycrates and the South West Coast path. Most look like this specimen.......
........however you do come across the odd looking one without any spots at all.
The South West Coast Path looking south.
In the surrounding fields there were several Skylarks singing or sat around like this one.
Just before I turned left onto the track for Reap Lane Barns I came across several Ashy Mining Bees.
In the distance the Barns on the left.
Having walked through Southwell I took the track into Combefield Quarry, where I had a bit more success with a Lesser Whitethroat, a Common Whitethroat and 4 Blackcaps.
One of the 4 male Blackcaps.
A Lesser Whitethroat singing from somewhere in the bush
Also around the quarry a male Linnet takes guard as his mate............
.........collects nesting material.
The rough ground just south of Weston Street.
From the rough ground this was the overgrown path to the main road which was full of Speckled Wood butterflies and a male Orange-tip.
One of the Speckled Woods along the pathway.
A pretty pink flowering plant..........
........with clover-type leaves. This is an Oxalis, but with 570 species to choose from, ID'ing this particular species will not be easy. More on Oxalis Here. It turns out it is a Pink Wood Sorrel. Also known as Oxalis Strawberry (Oxalis crassipes rosea)
The Quarry with no name on the junction of Weston Street and Southwell Road.
The only bird I came across in this quarry was a very agitated Wren.
Birds Recorded: 1 Fulmar, Herring Gull, Great Black-backed Gull, Wood Pigeon, Collared Dove, 15+ Skylark, 2 House Martin, 8 Swallow, Dunnock, Robin, 1 Wheatear, Blackbird, 1 Common Whitethroat, 1 Lesser Whitethroat, Blackcap, Chiffchaff, Willow Warbler, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Wren, Magpie, Carrion Crow, Jackdaw, Starling, House Sparrow, Chaffinch, Linnet, Goldfinch.
Reptiles Recorded: None
Butterflies Recorded: 6 Speckled Wood, 1 Orange-tip
Also Recorded: 10+ Harlequin Ladybirds and 6 Ashy Mining Bees
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On this day..........
2018Today's Sightings Here.