8 Mar 21

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

Another very sunny day, but that north-easterly is still bitter and temperatures didn't rise much above 6.0°C. However despite the cool conditions, I did come across a single Large Tortoiseshell in its favourite spot at the cove, warming itself up on a sun drenched stone.

Just two migrants today, with a couple of Meadow Pipits heading north over the lower Horse Paddock. Other than that, the only birds of note were two pairs of Greenfinch around the butterfly reserve and Broadcroft Quarry Lane, plus a pair of Long-tailed Tits at the cove.

Other than the Large Tortoiseshell, the only other insects on the wing were a few Honey Bees, White-tailed Bumblebees, Buff-tailed Bumblebees, a single Syrphus torvus hoverfly, several Common Droneflies, a female Yellow Dung Fly and lots of flies sp.

Here are a few images from today:

This spot here under Rufus Castle, was probably the warmest place on the island. Well it was......

............certainly warm enough for this Large Tortoiseshell

Last year a pair of Long-tailed Tits nested behind the beach huts. And it looks like they maybe doing the same this year.

The Starlings are now a regular sight in the Lower Horse paddock. Today there were 8 foraging in the grass and this one keeping a lookout for would be predators.

In the more sheltered spots were a few lizards like this Wall Lizard in the grounds of St Andrew's Church

Settled on the leaf of a Russian Comfrey was this Syrphus torvus hoverfly

Here is another hoverfly, the Common Drone Fly, which like a lot of insects at this time of year can be found on the Alexanders.

Not a hoverfly but a fly, which I believe is a female Yellow Dung Fly (Scathophaga stercoraria). This is just one of a few females I have come across, normally they are outnumbered by the males.

And another fly which I will have to check. Its most noticeable........

.........character are those bristles covering most of the upper body!!

And the Wall Flowers are out. This one and several other plants were a good 30 feet up The Cuttings.

Well Ted certainly has a spring in his run.

And I'm pretty sure all four feet are off the ground.

Even when he runs off to explore, he will always find a bit of high ground to see where I am.

Birds Recorded: Herring Gull, 2 Meadow Pipit, Pied Wagtail, Dunnock, Robin, Blackbird, 2 Long-tailed Tit, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Wren, Magpie, Carrion Crow, Jackdaw, 8 Starling, House Sparrow, Chaffinch, Goldfinch and 4 Greenfinch

Reptiles Recorded: Wall Lizard (Podarcis muralis)

Butterflies Recorded: 1 Large Tortoiseshell

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

Hoverflies Recorded: Common Dronefly (Eristalis tenax) and Syrphus torvus

Flies, Craneflies, Gnats and Midges Recorded: Possible Yellow Dung Fly (Scathophaga stercoraria) and a fly sp.

Ships Today

This is the British Fishing Boat "Boy Lynham" fishing off Portland's east coast. More on this vessel Here.

This is the British Training Ship "Smit Spey" on its way back into Portland Harbour. 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.