Wakeham Wood, Wakeham Railway Cutting, Penns Wood, St Andrew's Church, Church Ope Cove, Penns Weare, Penns Copse, Rufus Castle and Portland Museum.
Another chilly day, with a fair amount of cloud and a slight breeze coming up the the island. Here are a few highlights from my walk:
Wakeham Wood: 5 Chiffchaff, 3 Blackcap, 4 Goldcrest and 1 Swallow
Wakeham Railway Cutting: 2 Goldcrest
Penns Wood: 1 Chiffchaff and 1 Goldcrest
Church Ope Cove: 17 Rock Pipits (the best figures this Autumn so far), 3 Robins, 1 Herring Gull, a Black-headed Gull, 1 Sparrowhawk and 2 Common Buzzards. Out to sea a few Gannets and many more Herring Gulls.
A few Red Admirals about, a Hummingbird Hawk-moth in Wakeham Wood and in Penns Wood several Harlequin Ladybirds with 5 form - succinea, 1 form - conspicua and my first form - spectabilis.
Here are a few images from this morning:
And we are not talking 1's and 2's but up to 5 or 6.
The Sycamores and Buddleia have been their favourite haunts.
And it isn't just the Chiffchaffs here, but also.......
..........a few Blackcaps. Here 2 males share the Blackberries.
Penns Wood seems to be the "epicentre" for Harlequin Ladybirds. This is a pupa.
There are 3 different forms of Harlequin Ladybirds this is form - succinea
This one is form - conspicua
And this one is new for me on Portland and is form - spectabilis
Church Ope Cove
Just off the beach an adult Winter Black-headed Gull.
Also here a juvenile Herring Gull
After several minutes stood on the beach the Herring decided to join the Black-headed Gull.
Not sure if they are a pair, but over the cove were these 2 Common Buzzards.
Here the other bird is heading off over Penns Weare.
An Epistrophe grossulariae Hoverfly which was at the back of the cove.
A Dead Head Hoverfly
Two photos today of......
.......the Ivy Bees.
A cairn on the beach at Church Ope Cove
Out to sea two fishing boats working their way down the coastline.
Birds Recorded: Gannet, 1 Sparrowhawk, 2 Buzzard, 1 Black-headed Gull, 40+ Herring Gull, Wood Pigeon, Collared Dove, 1 Swallow, 5 Meadow Pipit, 17 Rock Pipit, 1 Pied Wagtail, Dunnock, Robin, Blackbird, 3 Blackcap, 6 Chiffchaff, 6 Goldcrest, Long-tailed Tit, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Wren, Magpie, Carrion Crow, Jackdaw, House Sparrow and Chaffinch
Butterflies Recorded: 4 Red Admiral
Moths Recorded: 1 Hummingbird Hawk-moth (Macroglossum stellatarum)
Bees Recorded: Honey Bees (Apis mellifera) and Ivy Bee (Colletes hederae)
Wasps Recorded: German Wasp (Vespula germanica) and Common Wasp (Vespula vulgaris)
Hoverflies Recorded: Dead Head Hoverfly (Myathropa florea), Common Drone Fly (Eristalis tenax), Tapered Drone Fly (Eristalis pertinax) and an Epistrophe grossulariae
Flies Recorded: Kelp Fly (Coelopa frigida)
Bugs and Beetles Recorded: 5 Harlequin Ladybird (Harmonia axyridis, form - succinea), 1 Harlequin Ladybird (Harmonia axyridis, form - conspicua) and 1 Harlequin Ladybird (Harmonia axyridis, form - spectabilis)
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