At long last a dry day, though all around Portland there were thunder clouds surrounding the island. So with the sun out it was time to get out and give Ted a good run, plus to see what was about.
The only migrants I came across were 7 Common Whitethroats, with 5 in the butterfly reserve and the other 2 in the Lower Horse paddock.
In the butterfly reserve I also came across a Common Lizard, a couple of firsts for the year with a Dingy Skipper and 2 Small Blues. There were also 3 Wall Browns. a Common Blue and a caterpillar I've yet to ID. Also here were several nomad bees which I will try and ID later.
Here are a few images and videos from today:
One of 7 Common Whitethroats on my local patch
A very colourful male Linnet.
This Robin was in full flow, or so I thought.
I mean how wide can you open that beak!!! Makes my jaw ache just looking at him.
Always nice to find a Wall Brown. In fact there were 3 in the butterfly reserve this afternoon.
And my first Dingy Skipper this year, followed closely by........
Here it is enlarged, though I'm not sure what it is yet.
And a Vetch Piercer (Grapholita jungiella)
This is the caterpillar of the Oak Eggar moth.
And here it is chomping away on this bramble leaf. More on this Oak Eggar Here.
A Common Carder Bee
And an Ashy Mining Bee
And this is a nomad bee possibly Gooden's Nomad Bee, but I can't be 100% certain.
This is a Hairy Shieldbug (Dolycoris baccarum). Another was very close by.
And a Common Green Shieldbug.
There were some really threatening storm clouds to the north of the island.
Somebody is getting wet under this one.
Who else but Ted doing the "hurdles". If he was a race horse I'd put a few bob on him to win.
Mammals Recorded: 12+ Bunny's
Birds Recorded: Herring Gull, Wood Pigeon, Pied Wagtail, Dunnock, Robin, Blackbird, 7 Common Whitethroat, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Wren, Magpie, Carrion Crow, Jackdaw, Starling, House Sparrow, Chaffinch, Linnet and Goldfinch
Reptiles Recorded: Common Lizard
Butterflies Recorded: Dingy Skipper, Large White, Small White, 3 Wall Brown, 1 Speckled Wood, 2 Small Blue
Moths Recorded: Vetch Piercer (Grapholita jungiella)
Bees Recorded: Honey Bees (Apis mellifera), Buff-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus terrestris), Common Carder (Bombus pascuorum) and a possible Gooden's Nomad Bee (Nomada goodeniana)
Hoverflies Recorded: Dead Head Hoverfly (Myathropa florea) and Spring Epistrophe (Epistrophe eligans)
Bugs and Beetles Recorded: Common Green Shieldbug (Palomena prasina) and 2 Hairy Shieldbug (Dolycoris baccarum)
Caterpillars Recorded: Oak Eggar and caterpillar sp.
Wakeham
The Trail Camera went out last night. Just the one mouse caught on video in the early hours of this morning
I put some seed down by the pond for the birds and ended up with 2 Garden Snails and a mouse.
Ships Today
This is the Cypriot Container Ship "Elbtrader" on its way from Cork to Antwerp. More on this vessel Here.