22 Feb 20

Lower Horse paddocks, Bumpers Lane, Rufus Castle, Church Ope Cove, Church Ope Cove Wood, St Andrew's Church and Penns Wood

After the early morning rain had moved on, the sun eventually came out and for my walk today I decided to change my route slightly.

I'm glad I did, as I came across 8 Stonechats (5 male, 3 female) in the Lower Horse paddock, just behind the Alessandria Hotel in Wakeham. It is that time of year when the Stonechats appear on Portland, but I certainly wasn't expecting to see 8 together. Also in the field were 7 Meadow Pipits.

Elsewhere there was a small flock of Long-tailed Tits just below Rufus Castle and another flock in Penns Wood. Also in the wood were dozens of Chaffinches and Goldfinches, plus a fly-by Grey Wagtail. Sadly no crests seen or heard today, either at the back of the cove or in the wood.

Also about were a few Wall Lizards in the grounds of St Andrew's Church and around the cove I came across 3 Migrant Hoverflies.

Other insects on the wing were 4 Buff-tailed Bumblebees, 2 Tapered Droneflies, a Muscid Fly, 2 Yellow Dung Flies, a Common Green Shieldbug and my first ladybird of the year, a Harlequin Ladybird (Harmonia axyridis, form - succinea)

Here are a few images from today:

One of the male Stonechats in the Lower Horse Paddocks

And another male. In fact there were 5 males and 3 females.

Also in the paddock were several Meadow Pipits.

An adult Wall Lizard in the church grounds.

And the usual spot which regularly sees one or two Wall Lizards in a hole shared by Garden Snails.

In Penns Wood a Common Green Shieldbug

Harlequin Ladybird (Harmonia axyridis, form - succinea)

A Migrant Hoverfly, one of three seen today.

A Yellow Dung Fly with two............

...............seen at the top of Penns Wood.

Birds Recorded: 12 Herring Gull, Great Black-backed Gull, Wood Pigeon, 7 Meadow Pipit, 1 Grey Wagtail, Dunnock, Robin, 8 Stonechat, Blackbird, Long-tailed Tit, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Wren, Magpie, Carrion Crow, Jackdaw, Starling, House Sparrow, Chaffinch and Goldfinch

Reptiles Recorded: Wall Lizard (Podarcis muralis)

Bees Recorded: 4 Buff-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus terrestris)

Hoverflies Recorded: 3 Migrant Hoverfly (Meliscaeva auricollis) and Tapered Dronefly (Eristalis pertinax)

Flies, Gnats and Midges Recorded: Muscid Fly (Phaonia subventa) and 2 Yellow Dung Fly (Scathophaga stercoraria)

Bugs and Beetles Recorded: A Harlequin Ladybird (Harmonia axyridis, orange with black spots form - succinea) and a Common Green Shieldbug (Palomena prasina)

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On this day..........
2019
Today's Sightings Here.

2018
Today's Sightings Here.