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:
And what a day for bees, especially Honey Bees. There were dozens out like this one leaving an Alexanders laden with pollen.
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 it wasn't just bees in good numbers but also hoverflies, like this Common Drone fly, also on an Alexanders.
And Ted's off. He never stops running, unless..........
...........he's hot. After this shot I removed his jacket, much to his delight.
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 British Patrol Ship "HMS Vigilant" just off Portland. More on this vessel Here.