My mission today was walk the above route in the hope of finding a Wheatear. I succeeded with 3 in the horse field just east of Culverwell Here.
My walk actually started off well with 4 Stonechat in the Crown Estate Fields, followed by 12 Chiffchaff in and around the waste hay/straw patch by the barns Here.
From the Barns I crossed over Sweet Hill and down to the coast path where I headed south. Along this stretch I had no less than 14 Stonechat, all moving up the island, with at least 4 males singing.
I had planned to walk down to the Bill, but upon finding the 3 male Wheatear I opted to walk back up to the main road for a better view of them.
Here are a few images and a video from today:
The Barns where this waste tip of straw and hay attracted around 12 Chiffchaffs.
One of the Chiffs searching for flies in amongst the straw.
And a bit of competition from the resident birds.
For a split second I thought I had got myself a Ring Ouzel. No such luck, it's just a Blackbird and a twig
One of the 3 Wheatears.
And number 2.
And further away number 3.
A very short video of one of the Wheatears.
These Kentish Snails were pretty widespread along the tracks I was walking.
Danish Scurvygrass, Cochlearia danica
That frown, because he knows he's having a bath when he gets back.
Birds Recorded: Cormorant, Peregrine Falcon, Kestrel, 15+ Pheasant, Herring Gull, Great Black-backed Gull, Wood Pigeon, 10+ Skylark, Meadow Pipit, Rock Pipit, Dunnock, Robin, 18 Stonechat, 3 Wheatear, Blackbird, 12 Chiffchaff, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Wren, Magpie, Carrion Crow, Jackdaw, Starling, House Sparrow, Chaffinch, Linnet and Goldfinch
Flies, Gnats and Midges Recorded: Yellow Dung Fly (Scathophaga stercoraria)
Slugs and Snails Recorded: Kentish Snail (Monacha cantiana)
Ships Today
This is the British Aircraft Carrier "Prince of Wales" in Weymouth Bay as seen from Sweet Hill.
One last shot.