26 May 21

Old Quarry Lane, Easton Railway Cuttings, Channel View Road, Pound Piece, Bowers Quarry, Blacknor Fort, Southwest Coast Path, Reap Lane, Barleycrates Lane, The Windmills and Wakeham

A change of scenery this afternoon and a repeat of a walk I did back in January of this year. Lots of highlights including my first Whinchat of the year at Barleycrates, where there were also 3 Wheatear.

The target bird I was hoping for was a Swift, with a few seen moving up alongside Portland's west cliffs over the past few days. Unfortunately not when I was there and the best I could do was 20 Swallows.

Other highlights were:
- 2 Peregrine Falcons way out to sea, possibly looking for birds approaching the shore.
- 4 Gannets, with one struggling to take off from the water, after it had been attacked by a Great Black-backed Gull just off the shoreline.
- 2 Stonechats by Blacknor Fort
- 3 more Wheatear by the Windmills
- 1 Song Thrush at Easton Railway Cuttings
- a Garden Warbler along the Old Quarry Lane
- 4 Common Whitethroats with 2 at the west end of Barleycrates Lane and 2 by the Windmills
- 3 Blackcap along Old Quarry Lane and Wakeham Meadow.
- 2 Chiffchaff. One along Old Quarry Lane and one at Reap Lane
- 1 Willow Warbler along the Southwest Coast Path

Lots of butterflies seen including my first Wall Brown of the year.

Here are a few images from today:

Way way out to sea were these two...............

................Peregrine Falcons. Is it possible they they were on the lookout for migratory birds homing in on our shores!!


I'm not going to win any prizes for this video, but this one of the Peregrines circling over the sea.

One of the 3 Common Buzzards that flew low over my head at  Bowers Quarry

By Blacknor was this Stonechat with another close by.

And my first Whinchat of the year at Barleycrates Lane.

A Wheatear in a horse field. I think we will leave it at that.

This Common Whitethroat was very vocal.

I passed it twice on my walk, so perhaps he's setting up his territory.

You can see why these Jackdaws are confused. There's no West and North is opposite to East. That's Portland for you!!

When I was being taught photography in the RAF, many moons ago, I was always told to fill the frame. Well 45 years on, I finally cracked it with this Robin. 😂😂


And here it is singing. Shame about the leaf, but the focus did come back eventually.

A Small White, which I had hoped would be a female Orange-tip. Still plenty of time.

Despite the bitter winds still, I was well pleased to find a Wall Brown on my travels. I just need to find one that will keep its wings open long enough for a decent photo. Still it is only my first for the year.

An interesting fly this one. This is a Fever-fly (Dilophus febrilis) and it's interesting because I have recorded seeing this species before the very similar looking St Mark's Fly emerges in about a weeks time. St Mark's flies have a "hairier" thorax.

And another confusing beastie. Two years ago I came across this species of Ichneumon at Portland Bill and at the time assumed it was a female Ichneumon extensorius. Well I've not been caught out and this is the very similar looking Exephanes ischioxanthus, which I came across in Wakeham Meadow.

Along Easton Railway Cuttings I came across this Ischnomera cyanea. One of the many False Blister Beetles


Thirsty boy. Not sure about the foot dip, maybe Ted's paw is a bit warm.

Birds Recorded: 4 Fulmar, 3 Gannet, 3 Buzzard, 2 Peregrine Falcon, 1 Kestrel, 1 Pheasant, Herring Gull, Great Black-backed Gull, 2 Stock Dove, Wood Pigeon, 2 Skylark, 20 Swallow, 1 Pied Wagtail, Dunnock, Robin, 2 Stonechat, 1 Whinchat, 6 Wheatear, Blackbird, 1 Song Thrush, 1 Garden Warbler, 4 Common Whitethroat, 3 Blackcap, 2 Chiffchaff, 1 Willow Warbler, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Wren, Magpie, Carrion Crow, Jackdaw, Starling, House Sparrow, Chaffinch, Linnet and Goldfinch

Butterflies Recorded: 20+ Large White, 8 Small White, 3 Speckled Wood, Wall Brown

Bees Recorded: Honey Bees (Apis mellifera), Buff-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus terrestris) and many Andrena sp.

Ichneumon Wasps Recorded: 1 Exephanes ischioxanthus

Hoverflies Recorded: Dead Head Hoverfly (Myathropa florea), Common Dronefly (Eristalis tenax), Tapered Dronefly (Eristalis pertinax) and The Footballer (Helophilus pendulus)

Flies, Craneflies, Gnats and Midges Recorded: Yellow Dung Fly (Scathophaga stercoraria) and Fever-fly (Dilophus febrilis)

Bugs and Beetles Recorded: Ischnomera cyanea

Ships Today

This is the Korean Vehicles Carrier "Glovis Cardinal" on its way from Lome (Togo, West Africa) to Bremerhaven (Denmark). More on this vessel Here.


This is the British Cargo ship "Eddystone" bobbing about midway between Portland and Exmouth. 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.