Wakeham Wood, Penns Wood, St Andrew's Church, Church Ope Cove and Penns Weare and Penns Copse
Another interesting day especially with the change in weather conditions. Yesterdays sunshine was replaced today with wind and cloud.
Not the easiest conditions to record any birds but here is a breakdown of what I saw:
Wakeham Wood: 1 Blue Tit
Penns Wood: 2 Chiffchaffs and 2 Blackcaps
St Andrew's Church and Church Ope Cove Woods: 2 Chiffchaffs
Church Ope Cove: 8 Rock Pipits, 1 Pied Wagtail and 1 Grey Wagtail
Penns Weare: 2 Chiffchaffs, 5 Swallows and a very vocal Buzzard.
Other birds noted were 5 Fulmars, 3 Herring Gulls, 2 Great Black-backed Gulls, a Shag and 1 Oystercatcher just off Church Ope Cove.
Just the 1 butterfly seen, a Red Admiral in Penns Copse.
And just the 1 moth seen a Hummingbird Hawk-moth in the grounds of St Andrew's Church
The Ivy here is proving to be very popular with the bees, wasps and hoverflies. Not as many as yesterday, but still lots of Honey Bees, Ivy Bees, Common Wasps, German Wasps, Common Drone-fly, Tapered Drone-fly, Marmalade Hoverflies and a couple of Lesser Mimic Hornet Hoverflies. There was also a very colourful Eristalis hoverfly with a yellow, black and blue patterned abdomen. It's possible that is a European species blown over here.
Here are a few images from this morning:
Despite the cloudy cool conditions this Hummingbird Hawk-moth was busy feeding on the Buddleia in the church grounds.
Despite the interesting markings on the abdomen, the hoverfly experts I use tell me that it has all the hallmarks of being a Eristalis pertinax. However the feet aren't right for E. pertinax. There is also a distinct possibility that it could be an European species, especially being on the coast here. So more research needed.
Birds Recorded: 5 Fulmar, 1 Shag, 1 Buzzard, 1 Kestrel, 1 Oystercatcher, Herring Gull, Great Black-backed Gull, Wood Pigeon, Collared Dove, 5 Swallow, Meadow Pipit, 8 Rock Pipit, 1 Pied Wagtail, 1 Grey Wagtail, Dunnock, Robin, Blackbird, 2 Blackcap, 6 Chiffchaff, Blue Tit, Wren, Magpie, Carrion Crow, House Sparrow and Chaffinch
Butterflies Recorded: 1 Red Admiral
Moths Recorded: 1 Hummingbird Hawk-moth (Macroglossum stellatarum)
Bees Recorded: Honey Bees (Apis mellifera), Common Carder (Bombus pascuorum) and Ivy Bee (Colletes hederae)
Wasps Recorded: German Wasp (Vespula germanica) and Common Wasp (Vespula vulgaris)
Hoverflies Recorded: Marmalade Hoverfly (Episyrphus balteatus), Dead Head Hoverfly (Myathropa florea), Lesser Hornet Hoverfly (Volucella inanis), Common Drone Fly (Eristalis tenax), Tapered Drone Fly (Eristalis pertinax) and an Eristalis sp. (possibly an European species blown here)
Beetles and Bugs Recorded: 2 adults and a pupae Harlequin Ladybird (Harmonia axyridis, form - conspicua)
Portland Bill and Obs Quarry
A quick visit to the Bill this afternoon and great to see a very confiding Lapland Bunting feeding a couple of metres away from my feet. Just like the Little Bunting from 8 Dec 18 Here, this bunting was completely oblivious to the birders watching it. Hopefully it won't fall foul to predation like the Little Bunting did. No cats here but there are a few Sparrowhawks and Kestrels.
On the way back to the Obs I stopped off at the Obs quarry and after a 20 minute wait managed a really quick glimpse of the "long-staying" Wryneck. Exactly like last week all I got to see was 5 second flight as it flew from one bramble bush to another, before disappearing out of sight.
Here is a video and a selection of images of the Lapland Bunting.
It is on its way from Cobh, Ireland to Portland Harbour. After a quick stop it headed east. More on this vessel Here and Here. She is just about at the end of her cruise which saw her visit Iceland, Greenland and Ireland.
Another interesting day especially with the change in weather conditions. Yesterdays sunshine was replaced today with wind and cloud.
Not the easiest conditions to record any birds but here is a breakdown of what I saw:
Wakeham Wood: 1 Blue Tit
Penns Wood: 2 Chiffchaffs and 2 Blackcaps
St Andrew's Church and Church Ope Cove Woods: 2 Chiffchaffs
Church Ope Cove: 8 Rock Pipits, 1 Pied Wagtail and 1 Grey Wagtail
Penns Weare: 2 Chiffchaffs, 5 Swallows and a very vocal Buzzard.
Other birds noted were 5 Fulmars, 3 Herring Gulls, 2 Great Black-backed Gulls, a Shag and 1 Oystercatcher just off Church Ope Cove.
Just the 1 butterfly seen, a Red Admiral in Penns Copse.
And just the 1 moth seen a Hummingbird Hawk-moth in the grounds of St Andrew's Church
The Ivy here is proving to be very popular with the bees, wasps and hoverflies. Not as many as yesterday, but still lots of Honey Bees, Ivy Bees, Common Wasps, German Wasps, Common Drone-fly, Tapered Drone-fly, Marmalade Hoverflies and a couple of Lesser Mimic Hornet Hoverflies. There was also a very colourful Eristalis hoverfly with a yellow, black and blue patterned abdomen. It's possible that is a European species blown over here.
Here are a few images from this morning:
Two Fulmars making their way across the cove.
And another.
And one more. In fact for the 20 minute I was on the beach there were 5 birds making their way down the coast.
A Lesser Mimic Hornet Hoverfly
Not too many Ivy Bees out today.
Here's another.
An interesting Hoverfly to ID. It has a yellow, black and blue abdomen, unlike any hoverfly I have seen before.
German Wasps in their nest in the grounds of St Andrews Church.
The pupae of a Harlequin Ladybird
And an adult Harlequin Ladybird (Harmonia axyridis, form - conspicua)
Birds Recorded: 5 Fulmar, 1 Shag, 1 Buzzard, 1 Kestrel, 1 Oystercatcher, Herring Gull, Great Black-backed Gull, Wood Pigeon, Collared Dove, 5 Swallow, Meadow Pipit, 8 Rock Pipit, 1 Pied Wagtail, 1 Grey Wagtail, Dunnock, Robin, Blackbird, 2 Blackcap, 6 Chiffchaff, Blue Tit, Wren, Magpie, Carrion Crow, House Sparrow and Chaffinch
Butterflies Recorded: 1 Red Admiral
Moths Recorded: 1 Hummingbird Hawk-moth (Macroglossum stellatarum)
Bees Recorded: Honey Bees (Apis mellifera), Common Carder (Bombus pascuorum) and Ivy Bee (Colletes hederae)
Wasps Recorded: German Wasp (Vespula germanica) and Common Wasp (Vespula vulgaris)
Hoverflies Recorded: Marmalade Hoverfly (Episyrphus balteatus), Dead Head Hoverfly (Myathropa florea), Lesser Hornet Hoverfly (Volucella inanis), Common Drone Fly (Eristalis tenax), Tapered Drone Fly (Eristalis pertinax) and an Eristalis sp. (possibly an European species blown here)
Beetles and Bugs Recorded: 2 adults and a pupae Harlequin Ladybird (Harmonia axyridis, form - conspicua)
Portland Bill and Obs Quarry
A quick visit to the Bill this afternoon and great to see a very confiding Lapland Bunting feeding a couple of metres away from my feet. Just like the Little Bunting from 8 Dec 18 Here, this bunting was completely oblivious to the birders watching it. Hopefully it won't fall foul to predation like the Little Bunting did. No cats here but there are a few Sparrowhawks and Kestrels.
On the way back to the Obs I stopped off at the Obs quarry and after a 20 minute wait managed a really quick glimpse of the "long-staying" Wryneck. Exactly like last week all I got to see was 5 second flight as it flew from one bramble bush to another, before disappearing out of sight.
Here is a video and a selection of images of the Lapland Bunting.
Ships Today
Just off Church Ope Cove the passenger Ship "Amadea".
It is flying flag of the Bahamas.
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