Portland Obs Quarry
What a great way to end the day with a Great Reed Warbler which was released into the Obs quarry having been caught and ringed earlier in the Obs garden. Not a Lifer but a new species for my UK list. Also in the quarry were Blackcaps, a Garden Warbler and Chiffchaff.
What a great way to end the day with a Great Reed Warbler which was released into the Obs quarry having been caught and ringed earlier in the Obs garden. Not a Lifer but a new species for my UK list. Also in the quarry were Blackcaps, a Garden Warbler and Chiffchaff.
It took awhile but eventually the Great Reed Warbler........
........finally appeared as the sun began to set.
My first UK Great Reed Warbler.
Wakeham Wood, Perryfield, Rufus Castle, Penns Copse, Penns Weare, Church Ope Cove, St Andrew's Church and Penns Wood.
A walk in reverse today, the route that is and what a great start with over 20+ warblers in Wakeham Wood with the following birds noted: 12+ Chiffchaff, 6 Willow Warblers (3 singing) 2 Common Whitethroats, 5 Blackcaps and 2 Firecrests. Overhead 1 Yellow Wagtail and a Grey Wagtail. Needless to say with so many birds recorded I stayed there for quite awhile.
Elsewhere it was actually quieter with the following recorded:
Perryfield: 1 Chiffchaff and 1 Blackcap
Rufus Castle: 2 Chiffchaffs
Church Ope Cove: 10 Rock Pipits. Also 1 Grey Wagtail and a Yellow Wagtail heading south.
St Andrews Church and Church Ope Woods: 2 Chiffchaff and 1 Blackcap
Penns Wood: 1 Chiffchaff
Also noted were a few Swallows and House Martins.
Quite a few Red Admirals about this morning, and also lots of Ivy Bees and a Hummingbird Hawk-moth.
Here are a few images from this morning:
The warm weather must be confusing the warblers leaving the British Isles. Here is a Willow Warbler singing, a sound you normally hear in the Spring and early Summer. In fact there were 6 Willow Warblers here with at least 3 birds singing.
I'm stuck on this one. A very large Ichneumon Wasp. I will endeavour to ID it.
Church Ope Cove with 10 Rock Pipits here today.
This one here was pretty close to the waters edge and actually got a mini soaking.
I think this is a female Chalk Hill Blue, but glad to be corrected if not
It will probably be one of the last ones I will see this year.
I make no excuses for adding all these photos of Ivy Bees. They are just fascinating to watch.
These lovely bees are only around for about 8 weeks and today they were out in force.
Not so many wall Lizards out this morning, but then I was out early
I just happened to be in the right place at the right time as...............
............this Hummingbird Hawk-moth suddenly appeared on the Buddleia in the church grounds.
A Harlequin Ladybird (Harmonia axyridis, form - succinea)
And another........
.........plus another with a slightly different pattern, but still the form succinea
Yep Christmas is just around the corner and the first of the Holly Berries beginning to appear.
Mammals Recorded: 1 Grey Squirrel
Birds Recorded: Herring Gull, Wood Pigeon, Collared Dove, House Martin, Swallow, Meadow Pipit, 10 Rock Pipit, 1 Pied Wagtail, 2 Grey Wagtail, 2 Yellow Wagtail, Dunnock, Robin, Blackbird, 2 Common Whitethroat, 7 Blackcap, 18+ Chiffchaff, 6 Willow Warbler, 1 Goldcrest, 2 Firecrest, Long-tailed Tit, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Wren, Magpie, Carrion Crow, Jackdaw, Starling, House Sparrow, Chaffinch, Linnet and Goldfinch
Reptiles Recorded: Wall Lizard (Podarcis muralis)
Butterflies Recorded: Large White, Small White, Green-veined White, Speckled Wood, Red Admiral and 1 Common Blue
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)
Ichneumon Wasps Recorded: Ichneumon Wasp sp.
Hoverflies Recorded: 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)
Flies Recorded: Kelp Fly (Coelopa frigida)
Bugs and Beetles Recorded: 4 Harlequin Ladybird (Harmonia axyridis, form - succinea)
Birds Recorded: Herring Gull, Wood Pigeon, Collared Dove, House Martin, Swallow, Meadow Pipit, 10 Rock Pipit, 1 Pied Wagtail, 2 Grey Wagtail, 2 Yellow Wagtail, Dunnock, Robin, Blackbird, 2 Common Whitethroat, 7 Blackcap, 18+ Chiffchaff, 6 Willow Warbler, 1 Goldcrest, 2 Firecrest, Long-tailed Tit, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Wren, Magpie, Carrion Crow, Jackdaw, Starling, House Sparrow, Chaffinch, Linnet and Goldfinch
Reptiles Recorded: Wall Lizard (Podarcis muralis)
Butterflies Recorded: Large White, Small White, Green-veined White, Speckled Wood, Red Admiral and 1 Common Blue
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)
Ichneumon Wasps Recorded: Ichneumon Wasp sp.
Hoverflies Recorded: 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)
Flies Recorded: Kelp Fly (Coelopa frigida)
Bugs and Beetles Recorded: 4 Harlequin Ladybird (Harmonia axyridis, form - succinea)
Ships Today
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------