Ted and I had a very late afternoon walk down to the cove, just as the sun was disappearing behind Rufus Castle. I wasn't expecting to see too much, especially as that strong easterly wind was pretty bitter and so it proved to be.
Only real highlights were a male Blackcap singing in Penns Wood, 2 hoverflies I hadn't seen this year, plus a Common Carder Bee.
One of the hoverflies in Penns Wood, of which there were several, was the Spring Epistrophe (Epistrophe eligans). This is a species I first came across on this very day in 2018 and also in the same location again. The second hoverfly was a Stripe-backed Dasysyrphus (Dasysyrphus albostriatus).
Here are a few images and videos from today:
Church Ope Cove bearing the brunt of the strong easterly wind
Birds Recorded: 6 Gannet, Herring Gull, Wood Pigeon, Robin, 1 Blackcap, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Wren, Magpie, Carrion Crow, Chaffinch and Goldfinch
Bees Recorded: Honey Bees (Apis mellifera) and Common Carder (Bombus pascuorum)
Hoverflies Recorded: Dead Head Hoverfly (Myathropa florea), Epistrophe eligans and a Stripe-backed Dasysyrphus (Dasysyrphus albostriatus)
This yacht was braving the rough seas as it headed into Weymouth Bay. Unfortunately it didn't show up on the Marine Traffic Website, so I have no idea of the vessels name or the nationality of it.
Church Ope Cove bearing the brunt of the strong easterly wind
Dead Head Hoverfly (Myathropa florea)
Spring Epistrophe (Epistrophe eligans)
Stripe-backed Dasysyrphus (Dasysyrphus albostriatus).
I could be wrong, but I believe this is Horseshoe Vetch (Hippocrepis comosa)
Ted being very patient.
And now here he is just wondering when we are going to carry on with our walk.
Well he's found something and it looks..........
................... like we are going to be here for awhile
Birds Recorded: 6 Gannet, Herring Gull, Wood Pigeon, Robin, 1 Blackcap, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Wren, Magpie, Carrion Crow, Chaffinch and Goldfinch
Bees Recorded: Honey Bees (Apis mellifera) and Common Carder (Bombus pascuorum)
Hoverflies Recorded: Dead Head Hoverfly (Myathropa florea), Epistrophe eligans and a Stripe-backed Dasysyrphus (Dasysyrphus albostriatus)
Ships Today
