30 Apr 20

Penns Wood, St Andrew's Church, Church Ope Cove, Penn's Weare, Penn's Copse, Rufus Castle and Portland Museum

I nearly made it back home before another heavy shower hit the island. The showers were pretty heavy today and I guess if I had waited until the afternoon, I might have enjoyed more prolonged spells of sunshine on my exercise walk. Well I didn't and me and Ted got a bit wet.

Not too many birds about and the only migrants I came across were 3 Chiffchaffs, in and around Penns Wood. A Rock Pipit was on the beach and was the first I've seen here for quite sometime.

In the windy damp conditions there weren't too many insects about either. I came across singles of Buff-tailed Bumblebee and Red-tailed Bumblebee, plus a Chequered Hoverfly.

And firsts for the year were a Dark Bush-cricket nymph and a Green-longhorn Moth. Both seen at the back of the cove.

And when I got home there was a Noble False Widow Spider (Steatoda nobilis) in the conservatory.

Here are a few images and a video from today:

A very lush looking Penns Wood. Just 3 Chiffchaffs here today.

Church Ope Cove with heavy showers out to sea.

Quite rough as well.

My first Green-longhorn Moth of the year. Normally you would find dozens of these flitting about on the Sycamores. This one was on an Alexanders and quite a distance from any trees.

A Chequered Hoverfly

And the only other hoverfly seen was this Dead Head Hoverfly

This is the nymph of the Dark Bush-cricket

And probably the commonest shieldbug on Portland, a Common Green Shieldbug

Wherever there is Ivy running across the ground, there is always a good chance to find this parasitic plant called an Ivy Broomrape, Orobanche hederae.

Oh dear, Ted doesn't look too happy, as we tried to take refuge from a heavy shower in Penns Copse.

And when I got home and was hanging up my soaking wet jacket, I came across this mini spider in the conservatory, which apparently is a juvenile Noble False Widow Spider (Steatoda nobilis)

Birds Recorded: Herring Gull, Wood Pigeon, 1 Rock Pipit, Dunnock, Robin, Blackbird, 3 Chiffchaff, Long-tailed Tit, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Wren, Magpie, Carrion Crow, Chaffinch and Goldfinch

Bees Recorded: 1 Buff-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus terrestris) and a Red-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus lapidarius)

Moths Recorded: 1 Green-longhorn Moth (Adela reaumurella)

Hoverflies Recorded: 1 Chequered Hoverfly (Melanostoma scalare) and a Dead Head Hoverfly (Myathropa florea)

Flies, Craneflies, Gnats and Midges Recorded: Muscid Fly sp. 

Bugs and Beetles Recorded: 3 Common Green Shieldbug (Palomena prasina)

Crickets and Grasshoppers Recorded: 1 Dark Bush-cricket nymph (Pholidoptera griseoaptera)

Spiders Recorded: Noble False Widow Spider (Steatoda nobilis)

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On this day..........

2019
Today's Sightings Here.

2018
Today's Sightings Here.

29 Apr 20

Wakeham

A very wet and windy day, but fortunately it dried up in the afternoon so that I could at least sit outside in the fresh air.

No new birds for my garden lockdown list, but a pair of Greenfinches in the neighbours garden was a good sign that at least a few are still around on Portland.

No bees or butterflies, but I did come across a hoverfly and a couple of flies. It was so windy they weren't flying, which at least made it easy to photograph them up close.

The hoverfly was a Pajupuuhari (Chalcosyrphus nemorum) and the flies were a probable Blow Fly (Lucilia caesar) and a Tachnid fly Gastrolepta anthracina, both new for my Portland List of Flies.

It looks like this male Blackbird has been doing a bit of "digging" in the neighbours garden

It isn't often you can get this close to a hoverfly, but this Pajupuuhari (Chalcosyrphus nemorum) wasn't budging for anyone or anything.

This is a Gastrolepta anthracina Fly and a new one for my Garden and Portland List

A Blow Fly possibly Lucilia caesar. Also a new one for both the garden and Portland List

A White-lipped Banded Snail and another...........

........one showing how they vary in colour and pattern

And Benji posing for the camera today.

NOTE

My Lockdown Garden List is Here.

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On this day..........

2019
Today's Sightings Here.

2018
Today's Sightings Here.

28 Apr 20

Penns Wood, St Andrew's Church, Church Ope Cove, Penn's Weare, Penn's Copse, Rufus Castle and the Mermaid Track

Never again will I complain about getting wet, with some of the best birding I have had for awhile on my exercise walk in the rain. Most of the action was in Penns Wood, where there were several Chiffchaffs, 2 Blackcaps, a Garden Warbler and my first for the year, a Spotted Flycatcher.

This was then followed by a Common Whitethroat on the slopes running down from Pennsylvania Castle just south of St Andrew's Church.

Seems the rain really did ground a lot of migrants, apart from that is 30+ Swallow heading up Penn's Weare and a bird that is everyone's favourite, a Cuckoo which flew over Penns Wood calling away as I was on the beach. And incredibly I heard one in Wakeham on this very same day last Year. Creatures of habit!!!

Having left the cove I walked up to Penn's Copse were there were 2 Chiffchaffs and a Willow Warbler, with a further 2 more Chiffchaffs along the Mermaid Track.

Unsurprisingly there were no Butterflies, Bees and Hoverflies out, but instead it was the turn of the Slugs and Snails. My goodness I have never seen so many and there were a few new snails for my Portland List with both Lapidary Snail (Helicigona lapicida) and Durham Slug (Arion flagellus).

As I was photographing one slug, I realised when I got back home that there were three other invertebrates on the same flower. One was a possible Sap beetle (Epuraea melina), the next a Woodlouse sp. and the third possibly a Cricket nymph.

Here are a few images from today:

Penns Wood which was alive with Chiffchaffs, Blackcaps, a Garden Warbler and my first Spotted Flycatcher of Spring.

St Andrew's Church and on the slopes in the back ground a Common Whitethroat was making its way through the undergrowth.

And a very murky and wet Church Ope Cove.

Just a short burst of song by a Chiffchaff on Penn's Weare

And it was a good day for snails like this Garden Snail (Cornu aspersa) in the grounds of St Andrew's Church.

If that weren't climbing the walls they were munching the Alexanders.

This one was on Penn's Weare and close-by was...........

.............this unusual individual. Still a Garden Snail, but white. I'm not sure if that is significant or what!!

Apparently this is also a Garden Snail despite the different pattern on the shell as to the previous Garden Snails above.

Likewise with this one. Another Garden Snail

And this is a Garden Snail as well. So many different patterns.

A Brown-lipped Banded Snail (Cepaea nemoralis)

This is a Lapidary Snail - Helicigona lapicida

This is the Black Slug, Arion ater

Very similar to Arion Ater agg. (Red Slug) this is an Arion flagellus and goes by the common name of Durham Slug

One to ID

And this is a young Arion sp. and it isn't alone as there is also a woodlouse, beetle and a cricket nymph alongside it.

The beetle is quite possibly a Sap beetle (Epuraea melina) which are found in woodlands.

Also with the slug and sap beetle was this cricket nymph and woodlouse.

And of course Ted.......

.........sporting his waterproof jacket for the first time in weeks.

He looks as wet as I felt, in the heavy drizzle.

Birds Recorded: Herring Gull, Great Black-backed Gull, Wood Pigeon, Cuckoo, 30+ Swallow, Dunnock, Robin, Blackbird, 1 Garden Warbler, 1 Common Whitethroat, 2 Blackcap, 10+ Chiffchaff, 1 Willow Warbler, 1 Spotted Flycatcher, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Wren, Magpie, Carrion Crow, Chaffinch and Goldfinch

Crickets and Grasshoppers Recorded: Cricket nymph sp.

Bugs and Beetles Recorded:  Sap beetle (Epuraea melina)

Slugs and Snails Recorded: Brown-lipped Banded Snail (Cepaea nemoralis), Garden Snail (Cornu aspersa), Lapidary Snail (Helicigona lapicida), Durham Slug (Arion flagellus), a Black Slug (Arion ater) plus 2 slugs sp.

Woodlice, Crustaceans Recorded: Woodlouse sp

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On this day..........

2019
Today's Sightings Here.
2018
Today's Sightings Here.

27 Apr 20

Wakeham

No new Garden Lockdown Birds, but I did have a Willow Warbler first thing this morning and then this afternoon a small flock of Sand Martins passed through.

It was a lovely afternoon for sitting in the garden and several butterflies were seen with at least 4 Large Whites and 4 Orange-tips (1 female and 4 males).

A new bee today a Common Mourning Bee (Melecta albifrons), not just for my lockdown list but on Portland. At this rate I will have seen more bees in my garden than bird species. The Bee list now stands at 16.

My first Garden lockdown wasp ventured into the garden, but not long enough to tell whether it was a Common (Vespula vulgaris) or a German (Vespula germanica). A very small Ichneumon Wasp landed on the Valerian, but yet another one which I dont think will be identifiable.

And a Moth Fly (Tonnoiriella pulchra) was in the garden again.

There are always spiders running around the garden and today I came across one that was running over the pond weed and is most likely to be the Wolf Spider (Pardosa amentata). This species favours damp and wet habitat.

And bee species number 15. This time a.............

Common Mourning Bee (Melecta albifrons). Rubbish photos, but a new one for my Portland List as well.

An Ashy Mining Bee

Unfortunately this andrena bee is carrying so much pollen, it cannot be identified.

And a Sweat Bee, which can only be identified as a sphecodes sp.

Sadly this Ichneumon Wasp will just remain an Ichneumon sp.

At least I know what this is, a Dead Head Hoverfly (Myathropa florea)

And I know this one. A Pajupuuhari (Chalcosyrphus nemorum)

I hadn't realised this was a Narcissus Bulb Fly (Merodon equestris). There are so many variants, it makes it pretty hard to pin it down to a particular form. The one I had on 23 Apr Here was a M. equestris form bulborum. This one above with a totally black abdomen, doesn't match any of the forms I have seen before or even found on the web.

And one of many of these "dark" coloured spiders around the pond. And most likely, because of the damp habitat, the Wolf Spiders, Pardosa amentata

And Ted of course.

NOTE

My Lockdown Garden List is Here.

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On this day..........

2019
Today's Sightings Here.

2018
Today's Sightings Here.

26 Apr 20

Wakeham

In the afternoon, as I was chilling out in the back garden, I could hear a Lesser Whitethroat and a Willow Warbler around Bumpers Lane, and a Chiffchaff calling frantically from my neighbours garden

In the back garden, my Bee Garden Lockdown List is up to 15 with a new addition today, a female Hairy-footed Flower-bee.

Unfortunately this was the only shot I managed to get of the female Hairy-footed Flower Bee (Anthophora plumipes)

This is an Andrena haemorrhoa to which I must say thank you to Sean Foote, who gave me the heads up yesterday, that my Grey-patched Mining Bee was actually this species. What I hadn't realised, was that A. haemorrhoa also goes two common names: Early Mining Bee and Orange-tip Mining Bee.

A rare sight Benji in the garden with Ted.

NOTE

My Lockdown Garden List is Here.

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Out and About

A change to my usual walk that saw me walking to the cliffs just beyond of Barleycrates Lane and then back via Avalanche Hill, Cheyne Weares and Church Ope Cove.

Main highlights today was a Whinchat close to Barleycrates Lane and then 3 Whimbrel circling over Wakeham on the way back. There was also a good flow of hirundines moving up the island, with 60+ Sand Martins and 20+ Swallows. Strangely enough I didn't see a single House Martin.

Other migrants enroute were a Tree Pipit, Common Whitethroat, Lesser Whitethroat and Blackcap. Also seen was a Common Buzzard and a light phased individual. The latter which I believe has been noted before by other birders.

Here are a few images and a video from this morning:

Two of the three Whimbrel which were circling over Wakeham this morning, before they headed off north.

There were quite a few Common Whitethroats.........

..........setting up their territories.

One of many Skylarks singing above the fields.

A Light Phased Common Buzzard.

And what I suppose you would regard as being normal.

With a bit of uplift from the wind, they are pretty good at holding themselves in the wind.

A male Blackbird looking quite smart.

And a good singer as well.

Though as soon as I started to record him singing, he was a bit reluctant to give me a full song.

Portlanders favourite caterpillar (Not!!), The Brown-tail Moth. Very itchy if you touch those fine hairs.

Apologies for showing a dead Shrew. This is only the second one I have seen on Portland. Fortunately the first one I saw was alive and running about at Church Ope Cove.

A Common Carder Bee on a Dandelion

And a Dingy Skipper butterfly on the south facing slopes at Church Ope Cove.

This either Chalk Milkwort, Polygala calcarea or Common Milkwort, Polygala vulgaris

Church Ope Cove

And Rufus Castle

And Ted the Hot Dog.

Birds Recorded: Cormorant, 2 Buzzard, 1 Kestrel, 3 Whimbrel, Herring Gull, Great Black-backed Gull, Stock Dove, Wood Pigeon, Collared Dove, Skylark, 60+ Sand Martin, 20+ Swallow, 1 Tree Pipit, 3 Meadow Pipit, Pied Wagtail, Dunnock, Robin, 1 Whinchat, Blackbird, Song Thrush, 6 Common Whitethroat, 3 Lesser Whitethroat, 2 Blackcap, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Wren, Magpie, Carrion Crow, Jackdaw, Raven, Starling, House Sparrow, Chaffinch, Linnet, Goldfinch and Greenfinch

Reptiles Recorded: Wall Lizard

Butterflies Recorded: Large White, Small White, Peacock, Holly Blue and a Dingy Skipper

Bees Recorded: Honey Bees (Apis mellifera), Buff-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus terrestris), Red-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus lapidarius) and many Nomad sp.

Hoverflies Recorded: Epistrophe eligans and Syrphus sp.

Flies, Craneflies, Gnats and Midges Recorded: Muscid Fly sp., Yellow Dung Fly (Scathophaga stercoraria) and St Mark's Fly (Bibio marci)

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On this day..........

2019
Today's Sightings Here.

2018
Today's Sightings Here.