My first walk down to the cove this Autumn, via Penns Wood and the church grounds, and great to see my first "flock" of 9 Rock Pipits on the beach searching out Kelp Flies in amongst the washed up seaweed.
Behind the huts a Willow Warbler was the only migrant, other than a small flock of House Martins, seen this morning.
Other highlights were a pair of Shags tussling over a Garfish just off the shoreline. They didn't appear to be too interested in eating it until a Herring Gull spotted them. In their panic one of the Shags dropped it and then very quickly found it, before dispatching it very quickly.
Also seen were dozens of hoverflies on the flowering Ivy just to the side of the steps below the church grounds. Mostly Dead Head Hoverflies, in amongst them were a few Tapered Drone Fly's and a Lesser Mimic Hornet Hoverfly.
Here are a few images and a video from this morning:
The German Wasps are still busy in the grounds of St Andrew's Church. this is their nest in the old Church walls.
Where the Ivy was in flower there were dozens of Dead Head Hoverflies (Myathropa florea) and this..........
.............Lesser Hornet Hoverfly (Volucella inanis)
A Tapered Drone Fly on Ragwort.
Great to be back on the beach at the cove.
It has been very busy here with holidaymakers visiting the cove for the past 6 weeks, but today the only visitors were........
........Rock Pipits, with 9 birds foraging in amongst the seaweed
A pair of Shags squabble over a Garfish
It looks like one of them has made off with it.
A pair of Shags squabbling over a Garfish, with a very interested Herring Gull close-by.
No I haven't inverted the photo. This Black-headed Gull decided to come into land, upside down.
Fortunately it had the common sense to correct its flight before alighting.
Not a gull usually seen in the cove. Usually its Herring Gulls and the occasional Great Black-backed Gull.
And finally another shot of a very quiet Church Ope Cove
Birds Recorded: 2 Shag, Kestrel, 1 Black-headed Gull, Herring Gull, Wood Pigeon, Collared Dove, House Martin, 9 Rock Pipit, Dunnock, Robin, Blackbird, 1 Willow Warbler, Long-tailed Tit, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Wren, Magpie, Carrion Crow, Jackdaw, House Sparrow, Chaffinch and Goldfinch
Butterflies Recorded: 1 Large White
Bees Recorded: Honey Bees (Apis mellifera) and Red-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus lapidarius)
Wasps Recorded: German Wasp (Vespula germanica)
Hoverflies Recorded: Marmalade Hoverfly (Episyrphus balteatus), Dead Head Hoverfly (Myathropa florea), Common Drone Fly (Eristalis tenax), Tapered Drone Fly (Eristalis pertinax) and a Lesser Hornet Hoverfly (Volucella inanis)
Flies Recorded: Kelp Fly (Coelopa frigida)
Ships Today
This is the British Frigate "HMS Argyll" on manoeuvres in Weymouth Bay. More on this vessel Here.