27 Sep 21

Lower Horse Paddock, Bumpers Lane, The Cuttings and Penn's Weare

Today saw a real change in the weather and the overnight rain was followed with showers coming in off the sea from a westerly direction.

As High Water was around 11:00am I decided to have another fishing trip on the jetty along Penn's Weare. However, and despite the strong wind coming from the west, there were huge waves rolling in from the south. Not ideal fishing conditions, and so it proved to be, with a blank session.

Highlights on my walk there and back home were: 50+ Swallows heading south alongside the cliffs, a few Chiffchaffs at various locations, a Blackcap in Penn's Weare where there was also a Stonechat and the main highlight was a Great Spotted Woodpecker in one of the Sycamores in the Lower Horse Paddock.

Birds Recorded:
Herring Gull
Great Black-backed Gull
Wood Pigeon
Feral Pigeon
1 Great Spotted Woodpecker
50+ Swallow
Meadow Pipit
Dunnock
Robin
1 Stonechat
Blackbird
1 Blackcap
7+ Chiffchaff
Great Tit
Blue Tit
Wren
Magpie
Carrion Crow
Jackdaw
Starling
House Sparrow
Chaffinch
Goldfinch

I was wondering why this feral pigeon was looking down and as I walked around a large Buddleia, I could see it was watching one of the climbers scaling the wall at the Cuttings. It was certainly keeping a watchful eye on him.

A not very good photo of a Stonechat. I was looking straight into the sun.

Reptiles Recorded:
Slow-worm


Butterflies Recorded:
Large White
Small White
Speckled Wood
Red Admiral

Yet again the most numerous butterfly on the wing at the moment are the Speckled Woods.

Moths Recorded:
Rusty Dot Pearl (Udea ferrugalis)

A Rusty Dot Pearl on the cliff face at The Cuttings

Bees Recorded:
Honey Bees (Apis mellifera)
Common Carder (Bombus pascuorum)
Ivy Bee (Colletes hederae)

On the way down to the jetty I came across swarms of Ivy Bees and Common Drone Flies on the Ivy. On the way back home they had all but gone as a shower sent them into hiding


Wasps Recorded:
Wasp sp


Hoverflies Recorded:
Common Dronefly (Eristalis tenax)

Hoverfly sp.

Hoverfly sp.

Flies, Craneflies, Gnats and Midges Recorded:
Kelp Fly (Coelopa frigida)


General Shots:

The Cuttings looking north

To think I was fishing off this jetty a few days ago, in calm conditions. Not today, instead I had to sit a good 10 metres further back.

Bottom left is Rufus Castle, then there is the lighthouse at The Bill and on the horizon is the Portuguese Container Ship "Akacia"

Looking south with The Cuttings on the right and a shower over the sea

The same shower as the photo above heading towards the mainland.

Ted:

This is before he started barking at me, to let me know he wanted to go home.

Ships Today

This is the Cypriot Bulk Carrier "Lemessos Castle" on its way from Weymouth Bay to Tees Port (Middlesbrough). More on this vessel Here.

This is the Cypriot Container Ship "BG Sapphire" on its way from Dublin to Rotterdam. More on this vessel Here.

This is the Portuguese Container Ship "Akacia" on its way from Antwerp to Dublin. More on this vessel Here.

I'm not sure of the name of this fishing boat, but you can see how..........

.........bad the conditions were.

Not an easy task pulling up those pots in a lumpy sea.