Port and Wey: 25 Oct 21

Portland Bird Observatory, Obs Quarry, Hut Fields, Crown Estate Fields, Top Fields, The Slopes and Hut Fields.

A change of scenery today, which ended with great views of a Hen Harrier quartering over the Crown Estate fields as I was heading back to the car.

In fact it was a pretty good afternoon for birds of prey with 2 Sparrowhawk, 2 Buzzard, the Hen Harrier, 2 Peregrine Falcon and 4 Kestrels.

There weren't too many warblers about and the best I could do was 2 Chiffchaffs.

There were very few bees about as well, but it was great to see few Ivy Bees still collecting pollen.

And today I had 2 species of butterfly a single Speckled Wood and 4 Red Admirals.

I didn't think it was that particularly warm or for that matter sunny, so finding a pair of Common Darters by the Crown Estate Fields was a bit of a surprise.

Mammals Recorded:
Bunny

Birds Recorded:
Gannet
Cormorant
Shag
2 Sparrowhawk
1 Buzzard
1 Hen Harrier
2 Peregrine Falcon
4 Kestrel
Oystercatcher
Herring Gull
Great Black-backed Gull
Wood Pigeon
Skylark
Meadow Pipit
Pied Wagtail
Dunnock
Robin
4 Stonechat
Blackbird
2 Chiffchaff
Great Tit
Blue Tit
Wren
Magpie
Carrion Crow
Jackdaw
Raven
Starling
House Sparrow
Chaffinch
Linnet
2 Siskin
Goldfinch

A very distant shot of one of the 2 Common Buzzards around the Crown Estate Fields. The Hen Harrier was in the same area, albeit briefly.

This Kestrel was having a quick "ruffle" before taking off.

Just the one Oystercatcher seen this afternoon..........

............... feeding just below the cliffs close to The Bill.

A Dunnock gives me a quick once over before joining its mate in the bushes to my left

Just 2 pairs of Stonechat seen. This is one of the females in the top Fields

A Carrion Crow

In the Obs Quarry was this male Chaffinch and.......

............another male and two females.

And in the hut fields a Goldfinch

Dragonflies and Damselflies Recorded:
2 Common Darter

A male Common Darter. The female was close by.

Butterflies Recorded:
1 Speckled Wood
4 Red Admiral

Bees Recorded:
Honey Bees (Apis mellifera)
Ivy Bee (Colletes hederae)

A female Ivy Bee

Wasps Recorded:
Common Wasp (Vespula vulgaris)

Hoverflies Recorded:
Marmalade Hoverfly (Episyrphus balteatus)
Common Dronefly (Eristalis tenax)

General Shots: