A stretch of the legs today and didn't I know it, especially when its been awhile since I have walked up the 151 steps from the cove to Rufus Castle. At least it was another very clear and sunny day, but again for the third day running it was still blowing a gale.
Highlight today was coming across 2 Siskins in the tall fir tree at the top of Penns Wood. There have been hundreds coming across the Channel for weeks now, so it was great to see a couple stop off for break, before carrying on their northward journey.
Other highlights were my first Goldcrests of Autumn, both in Penns Wood where there were also 3 Chiffchaff and a Willow Warbler.
Elsewhere there were 2 Chiffchaffs along the Old Quarry Lane, 1 alongside Perryfields Quarry Butterfly Reserve and 2 more just north of Rufus Castle.
Yet another good day for butterflies with dozens of Large Whites, Small Whites, Green-veined Whites and Red Admirals. No Wall or Clouded Yellow today, but I did come across 2 Small Coppers, 3 Common Blues, a Small Blue (I think), a single Meadow Brown and a few Speckled Woods.
More bees today and all on the Ivy, with the most numerous being Ivy Bees at several locations. Other bees noted were a few Honey Bees and White-tailed Bumblebees.
But for the greatest count of insects seen today, went to the hundreds and hundreds of Common Droneflies. Every flowering Ivy I came across was a mass of these hoverflies. In amongst them were a few Tapered Droneflies, Long Hoverflies, Marmalade Hoverflies and singles of Hornet Mimic Hoverfly and Dead Head Hoverfly.
Highlight today was coming across 2 Siskins in the tall fir tree at the top of Penns Wood. There have been hundreds coming across the Channel for weeks now, so it was great to see a couple stop off for break, before carrying on their northward journey.
Other highlights were my first Goldcrests of Autumn, both in Penns Wood where there were also 3 Chiffchaff and a Willow Warbler.
Elsewhere there were 2 Chiffchaffs along the Old Quarry Lane, 1 alongside Perryfields Quarry Butterfly Reserve and 2 more just north of Rufus Castle.
Yet another good day for butterflies with dozens of Large Whites, Small Whites, Green-veined Whites and Red Admirals. No Wall or Clouded Yellow today, but I did come across 2 Small Coppers, 3 Common Blues, a Small Blue (I think), a single Meadow Brown and a few Speckled Woods.
More bees today and all on the Ivy, with the most numerous being Ivy Bees at several locations. Other bees noted were a few Honey Bees and White-tailed Bumblebees.
But for the greatest count of insects seen today, went to the hundreds and hundreds of Common Droneflies. Every flowering Ivy I came across was a mass of these hoverflies. In amongst them were a few Tapered Droneflies, Long Hoverflies, Marmalade Hoverflies and singles of Hornet Mimic Hoverfly and Dead Head Hoverfly.
Here are a few images and videos from from today:
With so many Siskins arriving on our shores.......
........I guess it was only a question of time before a couple stopped off for a meal.
Busy birds and it was a bit of an effort to keep up with this Siskin.
And another migrant. This time a Meadow Pipit with several others close by in the Lower Horse Paddock.
If isn't too cold and the sun is out, you are guaranteed a Wall Lizard or two. These were in the church grounds.
A Small Copper.
A really attractive looking butterfly
And another good day for Red Admirals. Lots everywhere.
And it was sunnier enough for these Common Blues. This is the male and......
.........here is a female.
Its not often you see more Ivy Bees than other bee species, but nearly.........
.........every flowering Ivy I came across had several of these amazing little bees.
Here are a couple more..........
..........photos. And........
............videos
Last one.
Despite there being hundreds of Droneflies I only managed one Dead Head Hoverfly
I'm not 100% certain but I think this relatively small hoverfly is an Eristalis arbustorum
I think the two female "white" butterflies on this buddleia are a battered Large White and on the right a Small White
Common Centaury, Centaurium erythraea
Common Toadflax, Linaria vulgaris (also known as Yellow Toadflax and Butter-and-eggs)
And finally Ted is very keen to keep on walking.
Though a lot later he seems to be tiring a bit.
Ahh that's what he needed.
And just prove he is fit again, here he is power lifting this railway sleeper with his back.
Blue Sea and blue skies at Church Ope Cove
Mammals Recorded: Grey Squirrel
Birds Recorded: Herring Gull, Wood Pigeon, Collared Dove, Meadow Pipit, Dunnock, Robin, Blackbird, 8 Chiffchaff, 1 Willow Warbler, 2 Goldcrest, Long-tailed Tit, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Wren, Magpie, Carrion Crow, Jackdaw, Raven, Starling, House Sparrow, Chaffinch, Linnet, 2 Siskin and Goldfinch
Reptiles Recorded: 3 Wall Lizard
Birds Recorded: Herring Gull, Wood Pigeon, Collared Dove, Meadow Pipit, Dunnock, Robin, Blackbird, 8 Chiffchaff, 1 Willow Warbler, 2 Goldcrest, Long-tailed Tit, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Wren, Magpie, Carrion Crow, Jackdaw, Raven, Starling, House Sparrow, Chaffinch, Linnet, 2 Siskin and Goldfinch
Reptiles Recorded: 3 Wall Lizard
Butterflies Recorded: Large White, Small White, Green-veined White, Speckled Wood, Meadow Brown, Red Admiral, Small Copper and Common Blue
Bees Recorded: Honey Bees (Apis mellifera), Ivy Bee (Colletes hederae) and White-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus lucorum)
Wasps Recorded: Common Wasp (Vespula vulgaris)
Hoverflies Recorded: Marmalade Hoverfly (Episyrphus balteatus), Long Hoverfly (Sphaerophoria scripta), Dead Head Hoverfly (Myathropa florea), Hornet Mimic Hoverfly (Volucella zonaria), Common Dronefly (Eristalis tenax), Tapered Dronefly (Eristalis pertinax) and a possible Eristalis arbustorum
Ships Today
This is a very very distant shot of the Passenger Ship "Explorer Of The Seas", flying the flag of the Bahamas. It is on its way out into the English Channel. More on this vessel Here.
This is the Cypriot Cargo ship "Fri Kvam" on its way from Mukran (Denmark) to Bristol. More on this vessel Here.
