A slightly extended walk this morning and the main highlight was finding what I believe was my first ever Continental Cormorant, Phalacrocorax carbo sinensis. A really striking black and white bird, it was preening itself on the rocks just south of Church Ope Cove. It is still be checked, so I'm hoping I have ID'd it correctly.
* Update - Not a Phalacrocorax carbo sinensis but a juvenile Cormorant with very white underparts.
Other highlights were:
Wakeham Wood: 2 Blackcap and 2 Chiffchaff. Also here 2 Song Thrush
Perryfield Butterfly Reserve: 1 Blackcap
Penns Wood: 1 Blackcap and 1 Chiffchaff
Church Ope Cove: 3 Chiffchaff, 1 Blackcap and a Tree Pipit
Bumpers Lane Quarry: 2 Blackcap and 3 Chiffchaff
Bumpers Lane: 1 Blackcap
On the beach 10 Rock Pipits with one very dark individual. Also here a juvenile Pied Wagtail, 2 Wrens and a Robin.
When the sun came out so did the butterflies with Large Whites in double figures. Also seen were Speckled Woods, a Common Blue, 1 Red Admiral, 1 Ringlet, 3 Meadow Brown and Green-veined White.
Just the one moth seen a Hummingbird Hawk-moth in The Cuttings Quarry.
Here are a few images from this morning:
......if confirmed would be a first for me, not just as UK bird but as Lifer. Sadly this isn't a Phalacrocorax carbo sinensis but just a juvenile Cormorant with very white underparts.
A Wall Lizard in miniature. Looks are deceiving and had I had a ruler next to it, you would see that it is no more than 2 inches long. Might have been more if it hadn't lost the tip of its tail.
Just above the The Cuttings Quarry where on the cliff face on the right I'm hoping the Ivy Bees will soon start appearing in their nests.
Bumpers Lane Quarry where today there were Blackcaps and Chiffchaffs feeding in amongst the Brambles and Buddleia.
Birds Recorded: Cormorant, Herring Gull, Wood Pigeon, Collared Dove, Swallow, 1 Tree Pipit, 50+ Meadow Pipit, 10 Rock Pipit, 1 Pied Wagtail, Dunnock, Robin, Blackbird, 2 Song Thrush, 8 Blackcap, 9 Chiffchaff, Long-tailed Tit, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Wren, Magpie, Carrion Crow, Jackdaw, Raven, Starling, House Sparrow, Chaffinch, Linnet and Goldfinch
Reptiles Recorded: Wall Lizard (Podarcis muralis) and Common Lizard (Zootoca vivipara)
Butterflies Recorded: Large White, Green-veined White, Speckled Wood, 1 Ringlet, 3 Meadow Brown, 1 Red Admiral, 4 Painted Lady and Common Blue
Moths Recorded: 1 Hummingbird Hawk-moth (Macroglossum stellatarum)
Bees Recorded: Honey Bees (Apis mellifera) and Common Carder (Bombus pascuorum)
Wasps Recorded: German Wasp (Vespula germanica) and Common Wasp (Vespula vulgaris)
Hoverflies Recorded: Marmalade Hoverfly (Episyrphus balteatus), Dead Head Hoverfly (Myathropa florea), Hornet Mimic Hoverfly (Volucella zonaria), Common Drone Fly (Eristalis tenax) and Tapered Drone Fly (Eristalis pertinax)
Flies Recorded: Kelp Fly (Coelopa frigida)
Bugs and Beetles Recorded: 1 Dock Bug (Coreus marginatus) and 2 Harlequin Ladybird (Harmonia axyridis, form - conspicua)
Grasshoppers and Crickets Recorded: Meadow Grasshopper (Chorthippus parallelus) and Common Field Grasshopper (Chorthippus brunneus)
This is the Dutch Cargo ship "Helga" on its way from Southampton to Belfast. More on this vessel Here.
This is the Maltese Cargo ship "Delphine" on its way from Zeebrugge to Dublin. More on this vessel Here.
This is the Portuguese Container Ship "Elbstrom" on its way from Cork to Southampton. More on this vessel Here.
Today's Sightings Here.
2017
Today's Sightings Here.
Wakeham Wood: 2 Blackcap and 2 Chiffchaff. Also here 2 Song Thrush
Perryfield Butterfly Reserve: 1 Blackcap
Penns Wood: 1 Blackcap and 1 Chiffchaff
Church Ope Cove: 3 Chiffchaff, 1 Blackcap and a Tree Pipit
Bumpers Lane Quarry: 2 Blackcap and 3 Chiffchaff
Bumpers Lane: 1 Blackcap
On the beach 10 Rock Pipits with one very dark individual. Also here a juvenile Pied Wagtail, 2 Wrens and a Robin.
When the sun came out so did the butterflies with Large Whites in double figures. Also seen were Speckled Woods, a Common Blue, 1 Red Admiral, 1 Ringlet, 3 Meadow Brown and Green-veined White.
Just the one moth seen a Hummingbird Hawk-moth in The Cuttings Quarry.
Here are a few images from this morning:
On the beach this morning was this juvenile Pied Wagtail and one of the 10 Rock Pipits.
There are plenty of Kelp Flies on the beach to.........
.........keep these Rock Pipits happy for quite awhile.
I nearly got caught out on this Cormorant with its pure white front and black plumage.
This is I believe a Continental Cormorant, Phalacrocorax carbo sinensis and......
A pristine Painted Lady. There are still a few about.
On the Buddleia a Hornet Mimic Hoverfly - Volucella zonaria
Harlequin Ladybird (Harmonia axyridis, form - conspicua)
Dock Bug
Birds Recorded: Cormorant, Herring Gull, Wood Pigeon, Collared Dove, Swallow, 1 Tree Pipit, 50+ Meadow Pipit, 10 Rock Pipit, 1 Pied Wagtail, Dunnock, Robin, Blackbird, 2 Song Thrush, 8 Blackcap, 9 Chiffchaff, Long-tailed Tit, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Wren, Magpie, Carrion Crow, Jackdaw, Raven, Starling, House Sparrow, Chaffinch, Linnet and Goldfinch
Reptiles Recorded: Wall Lizard (Podarcis muralis) and Common Lizard (Zootoca vivipara)
Butterflies Recorded: Large White, Green-veined White, Speckled Wood, 1 Ringlet, 3 Meadow Brown, 1 Red Admiral, 4 Painted Lady and Common Blue
Moths Recorded: 1 Hummingbird Hawk-moth (Macroglossum stellatarum)
Bees Recorded: Honey Bees (Apis mellifera) and Common Carder (Bombus pascuorum)
Wasps Recorded: German Wasp (Vespula germanica) and Common Wasp (Vespula vulgaris)
Hoverflies Recorded: Marmalade Hoverfly (Episyrphus balteatus), Dead Head Hoverfly (Myathropa florea), Hornet Mimic Hoverfly (Volucella zonaria), Common Drone Fly (Eristalis tenax) and Tapered Drone Fly (Eristalis pertinax)
Flies Recorded: Kelp Fly (Coelopa frigida)
Bugs and Beetles Recorded: 1 Dock Bug (Coreus marginatus) and 2 Harlequin Ladybird (Harmonia axyridis, form - conspicua)
Grasshoppers and Crickets Recorded: Meadow Grasshopper (Chorthippus parallelus) and Common Field Grasshopper (Chorthippus brunneus)
Ships Today
This is the Latvian Cargo Ship "Gerda" on its way from Plymouth to Rotterdam. More on this vessel Here.
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On this day..........
2018Today's Sightings Here.
2017
Today's Sightings Here.