For the second day running it was high winds and squally showers. In fact the strongest gust on Portland today was 73mph.
However there was a break in the weather, not the wind, but the showers, so it was off for a quick walk in the dry.
Funnily enough though, by the time Ted and I had reached the cove it started to rain, and then I realised it was the spray coming off a very stormy sea.
Unsurprisingly there wasn't much around, but it appears a pair of Rock Pipits have either a nest or are feeding juveniles at the southern end of the cove. Their normal nesting site is to the north, so perhaps they were feeding juveniles.
Out to sea were a dozen or so Herring Gulls and 2 Great Black-backed Gulls, picking off "food" from the surface. With one of the Great Black-backed Gulls landing on the beach to devour a Spider Crab very quickly.
Also seen were 5 larvae of the Bloody-nosed Beetle. All 5 were making their way across the steps which lead up to Rufus Castle. No adults were seen.
Here are a few images and videos from today:
It's nearly the the end of May and we have stormy seas and wind speeds up to 89mph on the Isle of Wight. On this day last year the temperature in the shade was 23.5C
And this weird looking creature is the larvae of the Bloody-nosed Beetle. In fact I came across 5 of these, but not a single adult.
I'm not sure why I haven't added this plant to my Portland Plant list, especially as I pass it most days on my walk. I will try and ID it later.
Birds Recorded: Herring Gull, Great Black-backed Gull, Wood Pigeon, 2 Rock Pipit, Robin, Blackbird, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Wren, Carrion Crow, Chaffinch and Goldfinch
Bees Recorded: Red-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus lapidarius)
Flies, Craneflies, Gnats and Midges Recorded: Kelp Fly (Coelopa frigida)
Bugs and Beetles Recorded: 5 Bloody-nosed Beetle larvae (Timarcha tenebricosa)
The Herring Gulls were busy looking for "titbits" on the surface.
And their larger cousins the Great Black-backed Gulls were also about.
This one has found a Scorpion Crab, well what's left of it.
This is a male Red-tailed Bumblebee.
And more Lackey moth caterpillars on the Elm trees in the grounds of St Andrew's Church
This was a day of exploring and there was no way Ted was going to pose for the camera.
Birds Recorded: Herring Gull, Great Black-backed Gull, Wood Pigeon, 2 Rock Pipit, Robin, Blackbird, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Wren, Carrion Crow, Chaffinch and Goldfinch
Bees Recorded: Red-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus lapidarius)
Flies, Craneflies, Gnats and Midges Recorded: Kelp Fly (Coelopa frigida)
Bugs and Beetles Recorded: 5 Bloody-nosed Beetle larvae (Timarcha tenebricosa)