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:
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:
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..........