Probably the longest walk I have ventured to do since moving here over 2 years ago. The car was in the garage for repairs and was expected to take 4 hours. So it seemed the perfect opportunity to walk along the Fleet from West to East and then return by foot through Wyke and Charlestown
The weather wasn't great, with rain threatening clouds coming across the English Channel, but after an hour or so it gradually brightened up, though the wind was still fairly brisk.
The first leg of my walk took me down Fleet Lane and past Wyke Regis Training Area, and then just after the dog leg in the road, I took a long straight track right down to the Fleet next to to Cuttcleeves Cove Here.
At this point there was a couple of huts and a few boats. Not sure of the purpose of the boats as a big sign here states that there is No Fishing either from a boat or from the shore. Maybe they are there to get to Chesil Beach on the other side.
From here I joined the SW Coast Path and followed the path east until I reached Tidmoor Firing range. No Red Flag flying so it was safe to carry on around the headland with the Firing Butts on my left.
The next bay was Tidmoor Cove, followed by Lynch Cove (Haven Littlesea Holiday Park) and onto Wyke Regis Training Area. Along the path at the WRTA I met a chap who told me that I probably wouldn't be able to get beyond the next cove (Pirates Cove) as the tide would be in and there was no path around it. So with that information on board I took the Camp Road and headed back to Chickerell via Wyke and Charlestown
Main birding highlights of the 41 species recorded on my walk were the number of warblers seen with Common Whitethroat, Blackcap, Chiffchaff, Willow Warbler all noted plus a family of Reed Warblers. Other birds of note were 2 Dunlin on the mud-flats, 2 Bullfinches in the Firing Range, a Reed Bunting in Tidmoor Cove and a Greenfinch by the Holiday Park.
Here is the route I took and a few photos.
At first glance you would be forgiven for thinking that this was a leucistic Goldfinch. In fact it is a juvenile and next year, he or she will have all of its right colours in the right places.
Well it is the Jurassic Coastline, but I certainly wasn't expecting to find this baby Tyrannosaurus Rex. The things you find on a walk. Mind you I was keeping an eye out for Dad!!!!
I have no idea why you would have a hut on Chesil Beach, and even more bizarrely why there would be a boat in front of it, when clearly there is no one home.
...........looking fly on the Knapweed, which turns out to be an Eriothrix rufomaculata and is one of the Tachinid species of fly.
And as I walked up Camp Road I could just make out Portland in the distance and Pirates Cove at the bottom of the slope. A fitting end to my Jurassic walk along The Fleet.
Birds Recorded: Cormorant, Little Egret, Mute Swan, Kestrel, Oystercatcher, 2 Dunlin, Black-headed Gull, Herring Gull, Great Black-backed Gull, Little Tern, Wood Pigeon, Collared Dove, Skylark, House Martin, Swallow, Pied Wagtail, Dunnock, Robin, Blackbird, Song Thrush, Reed Warbler, Common Whitethroat, Blackcap, Chiffchaff, Willow Warbler, Long-tailed Tit, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Wren, Magpie, Rook, Carrion Crow, Jackdaw, Starling, House Sparrow, Chaffinch, Linnet, Goldfinch, Greenfinch, Bullfinch and Reed Bunting.
Butterflies Recorded: Large White, Green-veined White, Speckled Wood, Wall Brown and Gatekeeper.
Bees Recorded: Honey Bees (Apis mellifera), Red-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus lapidarius) and White-tailed Bumblebees (Bombus lucorum)
Here is the route I took and a few photos.
A long route which took me 3 hrs 35 minutes
From Fleet Lane it was all down hill and past..........
........... the cattle, which were attracting a few Swallows.
Also in the fields a few Rooks with those massive beaks.
Across the field the Tidmoor Firing Range dominates the skyline.
At the bottom of the slope the huts along The Fleet.
A few boats here and a few that have seen better days.
Along the Fleet a few waders here is a Dunlin and.........
.........another.
Certainly lots of food for this migratory birds.
Two Dunlin feeding on The Fleet
Another video of the Dunlin where they are spooked by an Oystercatcher and took off.
The first information board explaining where to go when a Red Flag flying......
Lots of signs to take note of.
Tidmoor Cove and beyond that Lynch Cove with Haven Littlesea Holiday Park on the slopes.
Lynch Cove and a lovely wooded headland.
Lynch Bay
Along the paths were Painted Lady's
Wall Brown
Gatekeeper
And Marmalade Hoverflies.
Just east of the Range another set of orders.
And sign post giving directions when the Range is live.
Tidmoor Cove
Very Greenfinches around nowadays, so it was great to see and hear this male singing away.
On the mud flats in Lynch Bay a Little Egret.
Looking west along the Fleet and......
........when I zoomed in on the white house I realised that is where I started my walk about 90 minutes earlier.
Further along the path a Speckled Wood, looking a little worse for wear.
One of the Potter Wasps and an unusual.........
Wyke Regis Training Area and the strange patterns in the shingle along Chesil Beach.
A few Oystercatchers taking refuge from the wind.
Birds Recorded: Cormorant, Little Egret, Mute Swan, Kestrel, Oystercatcher, 2 Dunlin, Black-headed Gull, Herring Gull, Great Black-backed Gull, Little Tern, Wood Pigeon, Collared Dove, Skylark, House Martin, Swallow, Pied Wagtail, Dunnock, Robin, Blackbird, Song Thrush, Reed Warbler, Common Whitethroat, Blackcap, Chiffchaff, Willow Warbler, Long-tailed Tit, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Wren, Magpie, Rook, Carrion Crow, Jackdaw, Starling, House Sparrow, Chaffinch, Linnet, Goldfinch, Greenfinch, Bullfinch and Reed Bunting.
Butterflies Recorded: Large White, Green-veined White, Speckled Wood, Wall Brown and Gatekeeper.
Bees Recorded: Honey Bees (Apis mellifera), Red-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus lapidarius) and White-tailed Bumblebees (Bombus lucorum)
Wasps Recorded: Potter Wasp sp.
Flies Recorded: Eriothrix rufomaculata
Flies Recorded: Eriothrix rufomaculata
Dragonflies and Damselflies Recorded: Dragonfly sp.
Hoverflies Recorded: Marmalade Hoverfly (Episyrphus balteatus)
Grasshoppers and Crickets Recorded: Meadow Grasshopper (Chorthippus parallelus) and Common Field Grasshopper (Chorthippus brunneus)
Info:
WRTA
Tidmoor Point
Pirates Cove