Well 3 years ago today I arrived on the island and from my initial 6 birds and 1 moth species recorded on that day to get my Portland and Weymouth species list going, I have now recorded 206 bird species and 174 moth species. There will be, and it will happen I'm sure, where the number of moth species will overtake my birds. But not today.
There were a few micros about, but none that I could ID. So this mornings highlight was the male Lesser Whitethroat, now singing just below the Pennsylvania Castle grounds Here. He is certainly getting around a bit, but I'm pretty sure now that he's a non breeder. I have no idea why that should be, especially as he did a have a female chasing him around the cove a few weeks back. Odd!!
It was great to see both Blue-tailed Damselflies and Azure Damselflies together in the church grounds. It wasn't until I got home and started to edit the images that I realised the Blue-tailed Damselfly was devouring what looked like a Honey Bee. Surely not!!
Here are my sightings, a few images and videos from this morning:
My walk started off along the Old Quarry Lane and then through the butterfly Reserve at Perryfields. En-route to Penns Wood I came across 2 Common Whitethroats and 2 Blackcaps singing. As I headed down into Penns Wood there was a small family of Blue Tits frantically calling and chasing the parents through the Brambles.
This is what happens when you are on aperture setting and using a slow shutter speed to photograph a fast flying Damselfly.
Having left the church grounds I headed down to the beach. At the back of the cove and just below the tree line top left the male Lesser Whitethroat was singing away. Whilst to the right and close to the steps was...........
From the beach it was up onto Penn's Weare with the impressive Rufus Castle as a backdrop. An unusual castle in that it has 5 sides.
.......which, unlike this Lulworth (above) which I photographed last year, doesn't have the gold crescent on the upper wing, which is indicative of Lulworth's. I hope I've got that right.
Note: Well guess what I have got that totally wrong, its not indicative at all and in fact my Small Skipper is a Lulworth without the crescent. Thank you to my friend Andy who put me right and also sent me this link HERE, which shows Lulworths without the crescent. Well you live and learn.
Just the one Wall Lizard seen today, though there were many more I could hear scurrying away in the undergrowth. This one turned out to be quite confiding.
Birds Recorded: Herring Gull, Great Black-backed Gull, Wood Pigeon, Dunnock, Robin, Blackbird, 2 Common Whitethroat, 1 Lesser Whitethroat, 2 Blackcap, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Wren, Magpie, Carrion Crow, Jackdaw, Chaffinch and Goldfinch
Reptiles Recorded: Wall Lizard
Dragonflies and Damselflies Recorded: Azure Damselfly and a Blue-tailed Damselfly
Butterflies Recorded: Lulworth Skipper, Large White, Speckled Wood and Common Blue
Bees Recorded: Honey Bees (Apis mellifera), Buff-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus terrestris) and Common Carder (Bombus pascuorum)
Hoverflies Recorded: Marmalade Hoverfly (Episyrphus balteatus), Epistrophe eligans Narcissus Bulb Fly (Merodon equestris), Pied Hoverfly (Scaeva pyrastri) and Syrphus sp.
Crickets and Grasshoppers Recorded: Either a Meadow Grasshopper (Chorthippus parallelus) or Common Field Grasshopper (Chorthippus brunneus)
Bugs and Beetles Recorded: Several False Blister Beetles (Ischnomera cyanea) and Swollen-thighed Beetle (Oedemera nobilis)
This is the American Container Ship "Maersk Iowa" on its way from Norfolk (Virginia, USA) to Antwerp (Belgium). More on this vessel Here.
Here are my sightings, a few images and videos from this morning:
It was good to see both this male Azure Damselfly and a...........
...........Blue-tailed Damselfly together in the church grounds. Though the female Azure was nowhere to be found.
As I mentioned earlier I wasn't aware the Blue-tailed Damselfly was munching something.
Is it a Honey Bee he's devouring.
I'm not sure. Answers on a postcard if you have an inkling.
A very busy Pied Hoverfly which...........
.........eventually landed.
.......this very vocal Wren ...................
............as you can tell.
On the Weare I came across this juvenile grasshopper, Meadow, Common Field I know not!
I was trying to convince myself that this was a Lulworth Skipper, but.........
.....if I have this correct, it is actually a Small Skipper............
Note: Well guess what I have got that totally wrong, its not indicative at all and in fact my Small Skipper is a Lulworth without the crescent. Thank you to my friend Andy who put me right and also sent me this link HERE, which shows Lulworths without the crescent. Well you live and learn.
And a day after the Groom Room Ted is looking quite smart again. Though for how long, remains to be seen
Birds Recorded: Herring Gull, Great Black-backed Gull, Wood Pigeon, Dunnock, Robin, Blackbird, 2 Common Whitethroat, 1 Lesser Whitethroat, 2 Blackcap, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Wren, Magpie, Carrion Crow, Jackdaw, Chaffinch and Goldfinch
Reptiles Recorded: Wall Lizard
Dragonflies and Damselflies Recorded: Azure Damselfly and a Blue-tailed Damselfly
Butterflies Recorded: Lulworth Skipper, Large White, Speckled Wood and Common Blue
Bees Recorded: Honey Bees (Apis mellifera), Buff-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus terrestris) and Common Carder (Bombus pascuorum)
Hoverflies Recorded: Marmalade Hoverfly (Episyrphus balteatus), Epistrophe eligans Narcissus Bulb Fly (Merodon equestris), Pied Hoverfly (Scaeva pyrastri) and Syrphus sp.
Crickets and Grasshoppers Recorded: Either a Meadow Grasshopper (Chorthippus parallelus) or Common Field Grasshopper (Chorthippus brunneus)
Bugs and Beetles Recorded: Several False Blister Beetles (Ischnomera cyanea) and Swollen-thighed Beetle (Oedemera nobilis)
Ships Today
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
On this day..........