Penns Wood, St Andrew's Church, Church Ope Cove, Penns Weare, Penns Copse and Rufus Castle
I left it a bit to late for a walk down to the cove this morning and unsurprisingly there wasn't anything on the beach as it was packed by visitors. I did however manage to catch sight of 4 Rock Pipits on the south facing cliff. Elsewhere though there:
Penns Wood: 1 Chiffchaff, 1 Blackcap and 1 Goldcrest.
St Andrews Church and Church Ope Cove Woods: 4 Chiffchaff, 3 Blackcap and 100+ House Martins and Swallows
A few butterflies about with several Red Admirals and Large Whites, but for the first time in weeks not a single Painted Lady seen.
Hoverflies are the most numerous of insects to be found and wherever there are Ivy flowers there are dozens of Common Drone-flies, Tapered Drone-flies, Dead Head Hoverflies, a few Hornet Mimic Hoverflies and Lesser Hornet Mimic Hoverflies.
Plenty of Ivy Bees showing now and a few on the Ivy between the Archway at Rufus Castle all the way up to Portland Museum.
I left it a bit to late for a walk down to the cove this morning and unsurprisingly there wasn't anything on the beach as it was packed by visitors. I did however manage to catch sight of 4 Rock Pipits on the south facing cliff. Elsewhere though there:
Penns Wood: 1 Chiffchaff, 1 Blackcap and 1 Goldcrest.
St Andrews Church and Church Ope Cove Woods: 4 Chiffchaff, 3 Blackcap and 100+ House Martins and Swallows
A few butterflies about with several Red Admirals and Large Whites, but for the first time in weeks not a single Painted Lady seen.
Hoverflies are the most numerous of insects to be found and wherever there are Ivy flowers there are dozens of Common Drone-flies, Tapered Drone-flies, Dead Head Hoverflies, a few Hornet Mimic Hoverflies and Lesser Hornet Mimic Hoverflies.
Plenty of Ivy Bees showing now and a few on the Ivy between the Archway at Rufus Castle all the way up to Portland Museum.
Here are a few images from this morning:
Over the cliffs were both Swallows and House Martins
Here is a House Martin
And another, with a very short tail.
A Swallow this time
Two House Martins
And another.
Hidden in the Elder Tree at the back of the cove a female Blackcap. Also here 2 males close by.
Up the steps from the beach to Rufus Castle a Wall Lizard sunbathing.
On the left and side down to the arch way at Rufus Castle, the Ivy here now has Ivy Bees on it.
A few Ivy Bee shots.
Another
And one last one.
Birds Recorded: Kestrel, Herring Gull, Wood Pigeon, Collared Dove, House Martin, Swallow, Meadow Pipit, 4 Rock Pipit, Dunnock, Robin, Blackbird, 4 Blackcap, 5 Chiffchaff, 1 Goldcrest, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Wren, Magpie, Carrion Crow and Chaffinch
Reptiles Recorded: Wall Lizard (Podarcis muralis)
Butterflies Recorded: Large White, Speckled Wood and Red Admiral
Bees Recorded: Honey Bees (Apis mellifera) and Ivy Bee (Colletes hederae)
Wasps Recorded: German Wasp (Vespula germanica) and Common Wasp (Vespula vulgaris)
Ichneumon Wasps Recorded: 1 Amblyteles armatorius
Hoverflies Recorded: Marmalade Hoverfly (Episyrphus balteatus), Dead Head Hoverfly (Myathropa florea), Hornet Mimic Hoverfly (Volucella zonaria), Lesser Hornet Hoverfly (Volucella inanis), Common Drone Fly (Eristalis tenax) and Tapered Drone Fly (Eristalis pertinax)
Wakeham
This afternoon was spent in the back garden doing a bit of gardening and joining me was a Chiffchaff and Robin in the Sycamore next to me. Overhead were several families of House Martins, Swallows and even 2 Swifts, heading south down the island. Also seen a Yellow Wagtail and Pied Wagtail.
In the garden itself were a pair of Common Darters and a female Great Green Bush Cricket (Tettigonia viridissima)
Here are a couple of photos.
A male Common Darter
Another view as it flew onto the the neighbours fence.
A female Great Green Bush Cricket
In the hand it just shows you how big it is.
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