Port and Wey: 14 Aug 21

Sweethill Farm, Top Fields, Wallsend Cove and Southwell Business Park

It was a late afternoon walk today around the Business Park with very little to report, other than some large flocks of hirundine around Sweethill Farm and adjacent fields.

There were very few butterflies about, and the Gatekeepers have all but disappeared.

Birds Recorded:

1 Fulmar
1 Kestrel
Herring Gull
Great Black-backed Gull
Wood Pigeon
2 Swift
20+ House Martin
50+ Swallow
4 Meadow Pipit
5 Pied Wagtail
Magpie
Rook
Carrion Crow
Jackdaw
Raven
Starling
House Sparrow
Linnet
Goldfinch

Sweethill Farm was alive with Swallows this afternoon with a...........

..................few resting on the farm stables

There are a fair few Woodpigeons in the top fields now.

Butterflies Recorded:

Large White
Small White
1 Wall Brown
Meadow Brown
Gatekeeper
1 Painted Lady
Common Blue
Chalk Hill Blue

Just the one Wall Brown seen today

Moths Recorded:
moth sp.

This moth would just not open up its wings, so a moth sp. it will be

Bees Recorded:
Honey Bees (Apis mellifera)
Buff-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus terrestris)
Red-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus lapidarius)
Common Carder (Bombus pascuorum)

Hoverflies Recorded:
Marmalade Hoverfly (Episyrphus balteatus)
Long Hoverfly (Sphaerophoria scripta)

Plants:

Field Bindweed (Convolvulus Arvensis)

Here we have a white Field Bindweed and on.......

...........the other side of the track a pink & white one. All I need to find now is an all pink variety.

Ted:

I think Ted had enough today. It was pretty warm on our walk and he almost finished off his bottle of water I brought along.

Ships Today

This is the Liberian Vehicles Carrier "Gracious Ace" on its way from Vigo (Spain) to Zeebrugge (Belgium). More on this vessel Here.

Aircraft Today

This Coast Guard Helicopter, was as I was told by a passer-by, responding to someone shouting for help from somewhere on the cliffs. It was here for a good 20 minutes and on the ground a Rescue Team was employed. Along with myself and others on the coast path we watched the helicopter leave, presuming all was well!!!!

Follow Up

In the Dorset Echo it appears that a climber fell and was winched to safety by the Coast Guard Helicopter. When I saw it leave, it was because it was low on fuel and was on its way to Bournemouth to top up.

It returned later to transport the injured climber to Southampton General Hospital’s major trauma unit, for further treatment. More on this incident Here.