Wakeham Wood, Bottom Combe Quarry, Penns Wood, St Andrew's Church, Church Ope Cove, Penns Weare, Penns Copse, Rufus Castle, Mermaid Track and Bumpers Lane.
Another sunny morning, but still quite chilly especially when the sun disappeared behind those clouds.
Main highlight today was a Turnstone on the rocks at Church Ope Cove. My first here at the cove.
Other birding highlights were these at the following locations:
Wakeham Wood: 2 Blackcap, 1 Common Whitethroat, 1 Chiffchaff
Bottom Combe Quarry: 2 Common Whitethroat
Penns Wood: 2 Blackcap
Church Ope Cove: 1 Blackcap, 3 Swallows and Sparrowhawk
Penns Weare: 1 Common Whitethroat
Mermaid Track: 2 Common Whitethroat and 1 Swallow
Bumpers Lane: 2 Common Whitethroat, 1 Lesser Whitethroat and a Blackcap
Bumpers Quarry: 1 Blackcap and 1 Song Thrush
Also seen today were 2 Wall Browns, one by Bottom Combe Quarry and another on the wall (where else) at Rufus Castle, just by the observation area. In the grounds of St Andrew's Church there was a female Orange-tip, whilst on Penns Weare I a came across my first Dingy Skipper of the year.
A few moths seen today with a several Green-longhorn in Penns Copse.
In the copse I also had a Yellow-legged Mining Bee and along Bumpers Lane there was a Sycamore, where the lower leaves were covered with Early Mining Bees and a Short-fringed Mining Bee (Andrena dorsata). The latter a new bee for me, not just on Portland but the British Isles.
Here are a few photos from this morning.
Birds Recorded: Cormorant, 1 Sparrowhawk, 2 Buzzard, 1 Kestrel, 1 Turnstone, Herring Gull, Great Black-backed Gull, Wood Pigeon, Collared Dove, 4 Swallow, Pied Wagtail, Dunnock, Robin, Blackbird, Song Thrush, 8 Common Whitethroat, 1 Lesser Whitethroat, 7 Blackcap, 1 Chiffchaff, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Wren, Magpie, Carrion Crow, Starling, House Sparrow, Chaffinch, Linnet and Goldfinch.
Reptiles Recorded: None
Butterflies Recorded: 1 Peacock, 2 Large White, 1 Orange-tip, 2 Wall Brown and a Dingy Skipper.
Moths Recorded: Green-longhorn (Adela reaumurella)
This is the Supply Vessel "Ena Wizard" flying the flag of Singapore. It is on its way from Hull to Singapore. More on this vessel Here.
This is the Cypriot Cargo Vessel "Frakt Sund" on its way from Klaipeda, Lithuania to Newport. More on this vessel Here.
And just to finish off here are two videos on YouTube, of the Weymouth to Easton Railway.
The Weymouth to Easton, Portland Railway Line: Then and Now
Another sunny morning, but still quite chilly especially when the sun disappeared behind those clouds.
Main highlight today was a Turnstone on the rocks at Church Ope Cove. My first here at the cove.
Other birding highlights were these at the following locations:
Wakeham Wood: 2 Blackcap, 1 Common Whitethroat, 1 Chiffchaff
Bottom Combe Quarry: 2 Common Whitethroat
Penns Wood: 2 Blackcap
Church Ope Cove: 1 Blackcap, 3 Swallows and Sparrowhawk
Penns Weare: 1 Common Whitethroat
Mermaid Track: 2 Common Whitethroat and 1 Swallow
Bumpers Lane: 2 Common Whitethroat, 1 Lesser Whitethroat and a Blackcap
Bumpers Quarry: 1 Blackcap and 1 Song Thrush
Also seen today were 2 Wall Browns, one by Bottom Combe Quarry and another on the wall (where else) at Rufus Castle, just by the observation area. In the grounds of St Andrew's Church there was a female Orange-tip, whilst on Penns Weare I a came across my first Dingy Skipper of the year.
A few moths seen today with a several Green-longhorn in Penns Copse.
In the copse I also had a Yellow-legged Mining Bee and along Bumpers Lane there was a Sycamore, where the lower leaves were covered with Early Mining Bees and a Short-fringed Mining Bee (Andrena dorsata). The latter a new bee for me, not just on Portland but the British Isles.
Here are a few photos from this morning.
As I set off on my walk these two.........
..........Buzzards were soaring overhead.
Still a few Brown-tail Moth caterpillars about. These are on a Hawthorn.
Bottom Combe Quarry and the old railway track from Weymouth to Easton, where today I........
...........came across this Wall Brown butterfly.
In the grounds of St Andrew's Church a female Orange-tip butterfly.
On the rocks here in the north-east corner of Church Ope Cove was this.........
..........Turnstone.
It's the first time I have recorded one here at the cove.
Here it is searching for food.
Looking west from Penns Weare a dramatic sky over Rufus Castle.
On the Weare I came across this plant which I believe is Inula crithmoides, commonly known as Golden Samphire.
Also here a Spring Vetch, Vicia lathyroides
Not far from Penns Copse I found this Dingy Skipper. My first of the year. Thank you to Martin Cade (Portland Bird Observatory Warden) for pointing out to me that this isn't a Mother Shipton. Not sure why misidentified it!!
In the copse there were several Green-longhorn moths.
I'm sure this is a Yellow-legged Mining Bee.
Also on the Sycamore leaves in the copse this Phaonia subventa fly.
A bit closer to it before it flew off.
At the top of the steps next to Rufus Castle a Wall Brown landed on the wall.
I've never seen the underwing up close before. What lovely patterns.
Along Bumpers Lane was this Sycamore. Nothing unusual but.......
........on many of the lower leaves were these bees.
A very small mining bee.
.........which are Early Mining Bees, Andrena haemorrhoa
Also on the same tree was this Short-fringed Mining Bee and a new one for me on Portland.
Birds Recorded: Cormorant, 1 Sparrowhawk, 2 Buzzard, 1 Kestrel, 1 Turnstone, Herring Gull, Great Black-backed Gull, Wood Pigeon, Collared Dove, 4 Swallow, Pied Wagtail, Dunnock, Robin, Blackbird, Song Thrush, 8 Common Whitethroat, 1 Lesser Whitethroat, 7 Blackcap, 1 Chiffchaff, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Wren, Magpie, Carrion Crow, Starling, House Sparrow, Chaffinch, Linnet and Goldfinch.
Reptiles Recorded: None
Butterflies Recorded: 1 Peacock, 2 Large White, 1 Orange-tip, 2 Wall Brown and a Dingy Skipper.
Bees Recorded: Buff-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus terrestris), Red-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus lapidarius), Small Garden Bumblebee (Bombus hortorum), Yellow-legged Mining Bee (Andrena flavipes), Gooden's Nomad Bee (Nomada goodeniana), several Early Mining Bees (Andrena haemorrhoa) and Short-fringed Mining Bee (Andrena dorsata)
Moths Recorded: Green-longhorn (Adela reaumurella)
Ships Today
And finally a bit of nostalgia with a couple of old movies of Portland Bird Observatory. One from 1934 and the other 1963.
And just to finish off here are two videos on YouTube, of the Weymouth to Easton Railway.
The Weymouth to Easton, Portland Railway Line: Then and Now
If you stop the video at 1:53 minutes you can see the old Bumpers Lane industrial estate in the top right of the frame. In fact you can just make out Bumpers Lane coming off Wakeham and the Stone Firms Offices. Sad to think that in the next couple of years there will be 70+ houses here.
At 4:00 minutes you can see the train passing under the road bridge at Wakeham. The Mermaid Public House (as it was then) is on the right and diagonally opposite is Glen Caravan Park.
The one thing that is really noticeable is the lack of trees.
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On this day..........
2018Today's Sightings Here.