Another sunny, dry day, but with that gale force easterly it was pretty chilly. Not too many birds on my walk as I suspect most were keeping out of the wind or it could have been the fact that I could neither hear or see any, especially in exposed spots.
However it wasn't all gloom and doom, as the juvenile/female Black Redstart that was at Church Ope Cove up until a couple of days ago, has now "transformed" into a really smart looking male. And it was just great to sit and watch it feed along the relatively sheltered and sunny south facing cliff at the cove.
Elsewhere there were a pair of Blackcaps along Bumpers Lane and a Goldcrest in Penns Wood.
A few birds missing today were the Stonechats in the Lower Horse Paddock, the female Great Spotted Woodpecker in Penns Wood and no Chiffchaffs seen or heard.
Just one Red Admiral seen, no bees but quite a few Common Wasps. Lots of flies about including I think one of the Muscids and a Vagrant Hoverfly.
Here are quite a few images and videos from today:
A very windy Church Ope Cove
And a very angry sea.
And just a few shots and videos of the male Black Redstart
And the last video. Here he is having a bit of a preen after a busy time catching insects.
And after not seeing any Rock Pipits on the beach yesterday..
........there were 5 here this afternoon.
And the same with these two Pied Wagtails neither.......
.........were here yesterday.
Not so many Kelp Flies about today, but this Pied Wagtail is still picking them off.
This must be one of the smallest Wall Lizards I have ever come across. On the right is a blade of grass!!
And a Vagrant Hoverfly (Eupeodes corollae)
In Penns Wood when the sun was out there were dozens of flies, including this fly which I think is one of the Muscids.
A spooky looking head in the cliff.
No coat for Ted today, though it was pretty cold in the wind.
Birds Recorded: 1 Kestrel, Herring Gull, Wood Pigeon, 2 Meadow Pipit, 5 Rock Pipit, 5 Pied Wagtail, Dunnock, Robin, 1 Black Redstart, Blackbird, 2 Blackcap, 1 Goldcrest, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Wren, Magpie, Carrion Crow, Jackdaw, House Sparrow, Chaffinch and Goldfinch
Reptiles Recorded: 1 Wall Lizard (Podarcis muralis)
Butterflies Recorded: 1 Red Admiral
Bees Recorded: None seen
Wasps Recorded: Common Wasp (Vespula vulgaris)
Hoverflies Recorded: Vagrant Hoverfly (Eupeodes corollae)
Flies, Craneflies, Gnats and Midges Recorded: Kelp Fly (Coelopa frigida) and a Muscid Fly sp.