31 Aug 20

Portland Bird Observatory, PBO Quarry, Culverwell and Top Fields.

Another glorious sunny day, and so as to avoid the hundreds of people visiting the island, Ted and I popped down the Obs for a walk around the Quarry and local fields.

Some good highlights were had, with a male Common Redstart and Common Whitethroat in the hedgerow above the Culverwell Mesolithic Site Here.

Elsewhere there were 3 Spotted Flycatchers and a handful of Chiffchaffs in the Obs garden. In the Obs Quarry were 2 female Blackcaps, a Great Tit and a Kestrel. Whilst in the Obs field was a juvenile Stonechat.

Overhead there were small flocks of Swallows and House Martins, plus 2 Yellow Wagtails heading south.

Here are a few images and videos from today:

The Obs Quarry where there were two female Blackcaps and this.........

............Kestrel

In the Obs meadow were quite a few butterflies including several..........

............Small Heaths.

I'm pretty sure this is Black Bryony, Dioscorea communis and if so goes by other names such as Lady's-seal and Black Bindweed. The berries are poisonous as is the rest of the plant.

A great little track just above the Mesolithic Site for migrants. Today there was a male Common Redstart and a Common Whitethroat making their way down the bushes.

One of the local Buzzards.

These are Small Whites and there were hundreds of them in the fields.

Here are a just a few on this Ragwort. Also in amongst them is Small Heath, which I didn't notice until I had a look through the video.

Ted likes his buzzing even if it means...........

..........finding a bit of a shade for........

.........a drink.

Birds Recorded: Buzzard, Kestrel, Herring Gull, Great Black-backed Gull, Wood Pigeon, Collared Dove, Skylark, House Martin, Swallow, 2 Yellow Wagtail, Dunnock, Robin, 1 Stonechat, 1 Common Redstart, Blackbird, Common Whitethroat, 2 Blackcap, 5+ Chiffchaff, 3 Spotted Flycatcher, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Wren, Magpie, Carrion Crow, Jackdaw, Raven, Starling, House Sparrow, Chaffinch, Linnet and Goldfinch

Butterflies Recorded: Large White, Small White, Speckled Wood, Small Heath, Meadow Brown, Red Admiral, Common Blue and Chalk Hill Blue

Bees Recorded: Honey Bees (Apis mellifera), Common Carder (Bombus pascuorum), Red-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus lapidarius) and White-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus lucorum)

Hoverflies Recorded: Marmalade Hoverfly (Episyrphus balteatus) and Common Dronefly (Eristalis tenax)

Ships Today

This is the Cargo Ship "Pregol Hav" flying the flag of Antigua Barbuda. It is on its way from Ijmuiden (Holland) to Teignmouth. More on this vessel Here.

This is the Maltese Tanker "Monjasa Provider" on its way back to Portland Harbour. More on this vessel Here.


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

2018
Today's Sightings Here.

2017
Today' Sightings Here

30 Aug 20

Lower Horse Paddock, Broadcroft Quarry Lane, Bumpers Lane, The Cuttings and Mermaid Track

A much better day weather-wise with wall to wall blue skies and sunshine. Highlights today were two Lesser Whitethroats, 3 Common Whitethroats and a handful of House Martins and Swallows seen.

Even fewer butterflies seen today and the same with the bees and hoverflies.

Here are a few images and videos from today:

The lower horse paddock and a close encounter with a..........

..........Lesser Whitethroat

Quite a pale bird, perhaps a juvenile.

A busy bird looking for insects in the Elder.

Also in the paddock was this Wheatear on the fence along.....

........with another 3 feeding on the ground.

Yesterday I came across these Turnip Sawflies.

And today I found some more.

From the top of The Cuttings looking south towards the Cuttings Quarry on the right and Rufus Castle centre frame.

The Cuttings Quarry with a few "blue" butterflies still here.

Along with a few Chalk Hill Blues there was also this very tatty male Common Blue

Not a Blood-nosed Beetle but a Rose Chafer...........

..................trundling along the track in the quarry.

Wrong shutter speed but here's Ted having a buzz.

Mammals Recorded: Bunny

Birds Recorded: Herring Gull, Wood Pigeon, Collared Dove, House Martin, Swallow, Dunnock, Robin, 4 Wheatear, Blackbird, 3 Common Whitethroat, 2 Lesser Whitethroat, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Wren, Magpie, Carrion Crow, Jackdaw, Raven, House Sparrow, Chaffinch, Linnet and Goldfinch

Butterflies Recorded: Large White, Small White, Meadow Brown, Red Admiral, Common Blue and Chalk Hill Blue

Bees Recorded: Honey Bees (Apis mellifera), Common Carder (Bombus pascuorum) and White-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus lucorum)

Hoverflies Recorded: Common Dronefly (Eristalis tenax)

Sawflies Recorded: Turnip Sawflies (Athalia rosae)

Bugs and Beetles Recorded: Rose Chafer (Cetonia aurata)

Ships Today

This is the Finish Cargo Ship "RMS Carelie" on its way from Bird Port to Rotterdam. More on this vessel Here.


This is the Dutch Cargo Ship "Eems Dundee" on its way from Rostock (Denmark) to Ringaskiddy (Ireland). More on this vessel Here.

This is the Vehicles Carrier "Swift Ace" flying the flag of the Bahamas. It is on its way from Sparrows Point (USA) to Emden (Denmark). More on this vessel Here.

And a mystery ship. A Platform maybe, or is it an aircraft carrier. Whatever it is, its huge and not showing up on the Marine Traffic Website.

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

2018
Today's Sightings Here.

2017
Today' Sightings Here.

29 Aug 20

Lower Horse Paddock, Upper Horse Paddock, Broadcroft Quarry Butterfly Reserve and Broadcroft Quarry Lane.

A change of scenery today and it was a good start with a Wheatear in the Upper Horse Paddock and when I scaled the Broadcroft Hill, dozens of Swallows and House Martins passed overhead, plus 2 Tree Pipits.

In the butterfly reserve there were a few juvenile Common Whitethroats dotted about in the bushes.

The resident Buzzards were about with two noisy youngsters sat in the Inert Recycling Centre.

Not too many butterflies about with just a few Large Whites, Small Whites, Meadow Browns and singles of Red Admiral, Gatekeeper and Speckled Wood.

Just 4 moths seen and all Sycamore Piercers. Well I say all 4, as one of them was very very worn, or could it be another species.

Also about in good numbers were Turnip Sawflies (Athalia rosae) on the umbellifers.

Here are a few images and videos from today:

A Wheatear in the Upper Horse Paddock

A Common Buzzard

Here is one of the youngsters waiting to be fed.

The calling you can hear is not from this youngster but another one close by.

The same boulder, but the youngster didn't get fed, it just got shoved off............

......................... by one of the adult birds.

Not my finest photo of a Sycamore Piercer moth.

There were a few about, so a slightly better photo of one.

Surely this has to another Sycamore Piercer. Just a very worn individual. I will check.

It took me awhile to find out what these sawflies were. Turns out they are Turnip Sawflies (Athalia rosae)

It has been quite sometime since I've walked down Broadcroft Quarry Lane and what a change with a new track leading off towards Shepherd's Dinner Quarry on the left.

I'm not surprised it's been blocked, especially with...........

............one of the 70+ homes in danger of being driven into I guess

Lets just hope the houses being built in Bumpers Lane are the only ones here. 

As above but 3 years ago.

Cheeky chappy. He was out of the door before me today.

Mammals Recorded: Bunny

Birds Recorded: 4 Buzzard, Kestrel, Herring Gull, Wood Pigeon, Collared Dove, House Martin, Swallow, 2 Tree Pipit, Dunnock, Robin, Wheatear, Blackbird, Common Whitethroat, Wren, Magpie, Carrion Crow, Jackdaw, House Sparrow, Chaffinch, Linnet, Goldfinch and Greenfinch

Butterflies Recorded: Large White, Small White, Speckled Wood, Meadow Brown, Gatekeeper, Red Admiral

Moths Recorded: Sycamore Piercer (Pammene aurita)

Bees Recorded: Honey Bees (Apis mellifera), Common Carder (Bombus pascuorum) and White-tailed bumblebee (Bombus lucorum)

Sawflies Recorded: Turnip Sawfly (Athalia rosae)

Hoverflies Recorded: None seen

Ships Today

This is the Container Ship "Mol Emissary" flying the flag of Hong Kong. It is on its way from London to Norfolk (USA). More on this vessel Here.

This is the Platform "JB 115" flying the flag of the Bahamas. It is being towed from Poole to Morecambe Gas Field by the Dutch tug "Multratug 4" and the tug "Fairplay 27" flying the flag of Antigua Barbuda.

More on these vessels:

JB 115 Here

Multratug 4 Here

Fairplay 27 Here.

This is the Container Ship "Susan" flying the flag of Antigua Barbuda. It is on its way from Rotterdam to Rotterdam. Hmm that's what it says. More on this vessel Here.

This is the Maltese Container Ship "ARX" on its way from Rotterdam to Dublin. More on this vessel Here.

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

2018
Today's Sightings Here.

2017
Today' Sightings Here.

28 Aug 20

Old Quarry Lane, Wakeham Meadow, Perryfield Quarry Butterfly Reserve, Penns Wood, St Andrew's Church Grounds, Church Ope Cove, Penn's Weare, Penn's Copse, Rufus Castle, The Cuttings Quarry and Mermaid Track

My apologies for not tweeting the Honey Buzzard flying north over Wakeham and Easton this morning. I thought I had, but my twitter account only works when I have internet access. I know not why, which is a shame as I had great views of it and it would have been nice for others to have seen it.

Here are a few images and a very very short video of the Honey Buzzard:






It was a real shame that I couldn't keep the camera steady. Unfortunately this snippet was best of a 40 second take.

After stabilising the video I have managed to get a slightly longer track.



Other Photos from today:

A Bloody-nosed Beetle

A Wall Lizard in the grounds of St Andrew's Church

And of course today's pose by Ted.


Birds Recorded: Gannet, Honey Buzzard, Kestrel, Herring Gull, Wood Pigeon, Collared Dove, Dunnock, Robin, Blackbird, Common Whitethroat, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Wren, Magpie, Carrion Crow, House Sparrow, Chaffinch, Linnet, Goldfinch and Greenfinch

Reptiles Recorded: Wall Lizard

Butterflies Recorded: Large White, Small White, Meadow Brown, Red Admiral, Comma, Common Blue and Chalk Hill Blue

Bees Recorded: Honey Bees (Apis mellifera), Common Carder (Bombus pascuorum), White-tailed bumblebee (Bombus lucorum) and a nomad sp.

Wasps Recorded: Common Wasp (Vespula vulgaris)

Hoverflies Recorded: Marmalade Hoverfly (Episyrphus balteatus), Dead Head Hoverfly (Myathropa florea), Common Dronefly (Eristalis tenax), Tapered Dronefly (Eristalis pertinax), Lesser Hornet Hoverfly (Volucella inanis) and The Footballer (Helophilus pendulus)

Bugs and Beetles Recorded: Bloody-nosed Beetle (Timarcha tenebricosa)

Wakeham

Well that cleared the air, with a dozen or more bolts of lightening, torrential rain and hail.

17:34 and the last bolt of lightening to the south of the island. Blink and you will miss it, you'll certainly hear it though.


Ships Today

This is the Portuguese Cargo ship "Independent Vision" on its way from Southampton to Cork. More on this vessel Here


This is the Maltese Cargo Ship "Peregrine" on its way from Rozenburg to Dublin. More on this vessel Here

This is the Cypriot Container Ship "BG Diamond" on its way from Belfast to Rotterdam. More on this vessel Here

This is the Cypriot Container Ship "Jork" on its way from Rotterdam to Dublin. More on this vessel Here

This is the Danish Diving Support Vessel "HBC Achiever" in Weymouth Bay. More on this vessel Here.

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

2018
Today's Sightings Here.

2017
Today' Sightings Here.
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