Port and Wey: February 2021

28 Feb 21

Wakeham

Another day at home, as I felt that there were just too many people out walking for my liking. Hopefully there will less people out tomorrow and I can enjoy a good walk to the cove, without having to keep jumping into a hedge to avoid bumping into people.

Apparently there are now 5 Large Tortoiseshell butterflies on the wing at Church Ope Cove, so something to look forward to.

So it was a day of just pottering around in the garden, with the main highlight being my first Peacock Butterfly this year. Unfortunately it didn't stop and was gone before I could get the camera on it.

Birds noted were: Herring Gull, Wood Pigeon, Dunnock, Robin, Blackbird, Long-tailed Tit, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Magpie, Carrion Crow, Jackdaw, House Sparrow, Chaffinch and Goldfinch

Butterflies Recorded: 1 Peacock

Bees Recorded: Honey Bees (Apis mellifera), Buff-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus terrestris) and White-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus lucorum)

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On this day..........

2020
Today's Sightings Here

2019
Today's Sightings Here.

2018
Today' Sightings Here.

27 Feb 21

Wakeham

Judging by the amount of traffic driving through Wakeham today, I decided not to venture out to the cove, as I could imagine it was probably heaving with weekend visitors. As on previous weekend walks when the sun was out, social distancing I'm afraid goes out the window for a large majority of people.

So today it was more gardening and mowing the lawn, which was a good 6in high in places. Despite the sun being out all day, the temperature in the shade didn't rise above 8C, though it did feel warmer when I was working.

A few interesting sightings with a Grey Wagtail heading towards the Lower Horse paddock, which is now out of view as between the field and the back garden there are now 8 homes. Its a real shame as it was great to look north from the garden and watch the wildlife in the field.

In the garden were around 6 Honey Bees and 2 Queen Buff-tailed Bumblebees. The latter seemed very interested in the gaps and holes in the stone wall.

No butterflies seen by me, but on Twitter one brave soul visited Church Ope Cove and had 2 Large Tortoiseshell butterflies. So hopefully I shall be down there again sometime next week.

Just the one photo today and a video :

The garden pond is looking good and remains untouched. Below the surface I would imagine there are Palmate Newts and Frogs. So like all ponds at this time of year, it's a good idea to just leave them undisturbed.

The resident Dunnock singing from within the neighbours very prickly Buckthorn

Birds Recorded: Herring Gull, Great Black-backed Gull, Wood Pigeon, Collared Dove, 1 Grey Wagtail, Dunnock, Robin, Blackbird, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Magpie, Carrion Crow, Jackdaw, House Sparrow, Chaffinch and Goldfinch

Bees Recorded: Honey Bees (Apis mellifera) and 2 Buff-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus terrestris)

And Finally

The Snow Moon tonight. More on this Here.

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On this day..........

2020
Today's Sightings Here

2019
Today's Sightings Here.

2018
Today' Sightings Here.

26 Feb 21

Wakeham Railway Cuttings, Perryfield Quarry Butterfly Reserve, Penns Wood, St Andrew's Church, Church Ope Cove, Penn's Weare, Penn's Copse, Rufus Castle, Bumpers Lane, Broadcroft Quarry Lane and Lower Horse Paddock.

It was sun and wall to wall blue skies today and possibly warm enough for a few butterflies. And sure enough on the Perryfield Quarry Butterfly Reserve there were 2 brightly coloured Brimstones, my first butterflies of the year.

Elsewhere I just missed out on a Large Tortoiseshell butterfly seen and photographed at the cove. Had I been there an hour later I might have been lucky enough to have seen it myself. It is early days still for this very rare butterfly, and as long as the weather remains like this, there is a good possibility of seeing one or two about.

No migratory birds yet, but 6 Common Buzzards and 7 Ravens were displaying over Penn's Weare, with 20+ Herring Gulls trying to move them on.

When I say no migratory birds I did mean Summer arrivals, as I did come across a couple of Wintering Redwings still lingering before they themselves migrate north to Scandinavia and Iceland.

Here are a few images and a video from today:

Wall to wall blue skies today and a good day to watch....

.........several Ravens and Buzzards, like this one displaying overhead.

Calm seas today at the cove and on the beach were...........

............a couple of Pied Wagtails and........

..........several Wrens searching out the Kelp Flies.

In the grounds of St Andrew's Church were a few Wall Lizards out basking in the sun.

And what a day for bees, especially Honey Bees. There were dozens out like this one leaving an Alexanders laden with pollen.

And it wasn't just bees in good numbers but also hoverflies, like this Common Drone fly, also on an Alexanders.

And after having seen a Common Green Shieldbug in its Winter colour of brown, another one which was a brown/green individual, today I came across one in its Summer green colours.

And Ted's off. He never stops running, unless..........

...........he's hot. After this shot I removed his jacket, much to his delight.

Mammals Recorded: Grey Squirrel and Bunny

Birds Recorded: 6 Buzzard, 20+ Herring Gull, Wood Pigeon, 2 Pied Wagtail, Dunnock, Robin, Blackbird, 2 Redwing, Long-tailed Tit, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Wren, Magpie, Carrion Crow, Jackdaw, 7 Raven, 5 Starling, House Sparrow, Chaffinch, Goldfinch and 2 Greenfinch

Reptiles Recorded: Wall Lizard (Podarcis muralis)

Butterflies Recorded: 2 Brimstone

Bees Recorded: Honey Bees (Apis mellifera), Garden Bumblebee (Bombus hortorum) and White-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus lucorum)

Hoverflies Recorded: Marmalade Hoverfly (Episyrphus balteatus), Common Dronefly (Eristalis tenax) and Spotted Meliscaeva (Meliscaeva auricollis)

Flies, Craneflies, Gnats and Midges Recorded: Kelp Fly (Coelopa frigida) and many Muscid Flies sp.

Bugs and Beetles Recorded: 1 Common Green Shieldbug (Palomena prasina)

Ships Today

This is the Panamanian Container Ship "NYK Constellation" on its way from Antwerp to Savannah (USA). More on this vessel Here. Behind it is another container ship, but I left it too late to check it out.

This is the British Patrol Ship "HMS Vigilant" just off Portland. More on this vessel Here.

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On this day..........

2020
Today's Sightings Here

2019
Today's Sightings Here

2018
Today' Sightings Here.

25 Feb 21

Wakeham

Another day at home, this time a bit of Spring Cleaning. I did wander out to the back garden for a break and in the sun there were a few Honey Bees on one of the flowering shrubs. At the far end of the garden a male House Sparrow was singing his heart out.

Here are few images and a video from this afternoon.

This male House Sparrow has set up his territory at the end of our neighbours garden and he is......

................very vocal. In the back ground there are Collard Doves calling and a Blackbird also singing.

And the first Hyacinths are starting to come through in the garden.

And a rare shot of Benji with Ted together.

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On this day..........

2020
Today's Sightings Here

2019
Today's Sightings Here.

2018
Today' Sightings Here.

24 Feb 21

Wakeham

A day spent in the back garden cleaning up the mess from past storms and gale force winds we have endured over the past few months.

So the only highlights today were a Sparrowhawk travelling at speed over the neighbouring gardens and two Greenfinches heading in the opposite direction.

Huey and Louise having a bit of a splash. Inside the duck house she is now sitting on 10 eggs.

Birds Recorded: 1 Sparrowhawk, Herring Gull, Wood Pigeon, Dunnock, Robin, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Magpie, Carrion Crow, Jackdaw, House Sparrow, Goldfinch and 2 Greenfinch

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On this day..........

2020
Today's Sightings Here

2019
Today's Sightings Here.

2018
Today' Sightings Here.

23 Feb 21

Old Quarry Lane, Wakeham Meadow, Perryfield Quarry Butterfly Reserve, Penns Wood, St Andrew's Church, Church Ope Cove, Penn's Weare, Penn's Copse, Rufus Castle, Bumpers Lane, Broadcroft Quarry Lane, Broadcroft Quarry Butterfly Reserve and Lower Horse Paddock

Had I got up early than I did, I would have had a pleasant walk in the sun. However by the time I'd finished making breakfast for me and the dogs, a blanket of cloud had moved in and replaced the blue cloudless skies.

Not only was it cooler than yesterday, there was also a bitter wind coming up from the south.

So it wasn't surprising really in that I only saw one Bumblebee and a couple of leafhoppers.

As the for the birds well the pair of Rock Pipits are still about at the cove, whilst in Penns Wood the noise level has increased by quite a few decibels, with Chaffinches, Goldfinches, Great Tits, Blue Tits, Long-tailed Tits, Dunnocks and Robins all being very vocal.

Here are a few images and videos from today:

What started off as a fine sunny day, turned windier and cloudier. Looking south with Rufus Castle just behind the trees.

This 1st-Winter Herring Gull has found something tasty on these Lobster Pot buoys. After a minute or so it gave up and flew off. I'm not surprised it must have been like swimming in a washing machine.

As I walked along the path above The Cuttings, this Kestrel was almost level with me as it hovered over Penn's Weare.

Here it is in Slow-motion

And another

So many Bunnies out today. I guess with Lock-down there are a fewer people out walking and disturbing them.

Lesser Celandines (Ficaria verna) out in flower. More on this flower Here.

Wild Garlic (Allium ursinum) now in flower. It also goes by the name of Ramsons, Buckrams, Broad-leaved Garlic, Wood Garlic, Bear Leek or Bear's Garlic. More on Wild Garlic Here

He can fly through the air. So much energy.

Mammals Recorded: 5 Bunnies

Birds Recorded: 2 Kestrel, Herring Gull, Wood Pigeon, 2 Rock Pipit, 1 Pied Wagtail, Dunnock, Robin, Blackbird, Long-tailed Tit, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Wren, Magpie, Carrion Crow, Jackdaw, House Sparrow, Chaffinch and Goldfinch

Bees Recorded: 1 White-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus lucorum)

NOTE

When I got home the BTO had got back to me reference the deceased Goldfinch I came across on 19 Feb 21. Apparently it was ringed at Portland Bird Observatory as a juvenile on 21-Jul-2015. So after 2040 days after it was ringed, it was found deceased 3 km from the ringing site.

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On this day..........

2020
Today's Sightings Here

2019
Today's Sightings Here.

2018
Today' Sightings Here.

22 Feb 21

Penns Wood, St Andrew's Church, Church Ope Cove, Penn's Weare, Penn's Copse, Rufus Castle and Portland Museum

Wow, what a beautiful warm sunny day and what I surprise I got at the top of the steps by Rufus Castle. There, flying in amongst the Ivy, was a Hummingbird Hawk-moth

To be honest I thought I would have more chance of seeing a Wall Lizard or even my first butterfly of the year, but neither were tempted out by the sun. Yesterday a Hummingbird Hawk-moth was seen in Southwell and like this one today has most likely migrated here.

Other than the moth, there were dozens of Honey Bees, White-tailed Bumblebees, plus Common Droneflies, Marmalade Hoverflies and Spotted Meliscaeva Hoverflies

Spring is just around the corner and on the beach were 2 Rock Pipits, a pair possibly, as every now and then the male would break into song.

Here are a few images and videos from today:

It seems "Spring" has arrived early with Robins singing.

Blue Tits singing and even.......

..........a Hummingbird Hawk-moth arriving on our shores from across the English Channel. This one was by Rufus Castle.

Here it is again soaking up the sun.

It did eventually fly off before landing again. Unfortunately no sooner had it landed and it was off again. As there was only a few seconds of normal footage, I decided to slow the action down a bit. Well their wingbeats are at around 85 beats a second. They are fast. More on this moth Here.

There were a fair few Honey Bees out in the sun today, especially on the Mahonia at the top of Penns Wood.

And the sun brought up dozens of hoverflies like this Marmalade Hoverfly.

And another Marmalade Hoverfly on Alexanders flower head.

And it wasn't just Marmalade and Spotted Meliscaeva hoverflies, but also dozens of Common Droneflies.

Not a fly but a hoverfly and another Common Dronefly.

This is most likely to be a Syrphus torvus, an early emerging hoverfly, which can also be seen in the Winter, if its mild enough.

A Common Green Shieldbug, just losing its dark brown Winter colours.

And another Common Green Shieldbug almost in its green Summer colours

Hmm a fly, but as to what species, I'm not sure.

It was a better day at the cove weather-wise, but the only birds on the beach were a pair of Rock Pipits.

Ted enjoying the fresh air and warm sunshine on Penn's Weare. The rocky outcrop behind him is known as the Steamer.

Birds Recorded: Herring Gull, Wood Pigeon, 2 Rock Pipit, Dunnock, Robin, Blackbird, Long-tailed Tit, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Wren, Magpie, Carrion Crow, House Sparrow, Chaffinch and Goldfinch

Moths Recorded: 1 Hummingbird Hawk-moth (Macroglossum stellatarum)

Bees Recorded: Honey Bees (Apis mellifera) and White-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus lucorum)

Hoverflies Recorded: Marmalade Hoverfly (Episyrphus balteatus), Common Dronefly (Eristalis tenax), Spotted Meliscaeva (Meliscaeva auricollis) and a Syrphus torvus

Bugs and Beetles Recorded: 2 Common Green Shieldbug (Palomena prasina)

Flies, Craneflies, Gnats and Midges Recorded: Kelp Fly (Coelopa frigida) and a fly sp.

Ships Today