Port and Wey: 17 Feb 22

Penns Wood, St Andrew's Church, Church Ope Cove, Church Ope Cove Wood, Penn's Weare, Penn's Copse, Rufus Castle, Bumpers Lane, Broadcroft Quarry Lane, Broadcroft Butterfly Reserve and Lower Horse Paddock

The lull before the storm, literally!! After yesterday's storm Dudley, today was a breeze, though tomorrow's named storm Eunice looks like being pretty horrendous, with gusts expected to reach 100mph in a few isolated places. Should be interesting.

Today though was a breeze and very mild, with the temperature reaching a high of 12.0°C. Despite the mild and sunny conditions I didn't find a single bee, which was a bit odd. However there were plenty of Kelp Flies on the beach, which saw 12 Rock Pipits, a Pied Wagtail, a Grey Wagtail and a Black Redstart having a feast.

Elsewhere there was a female Stonechat and a pair of Greenfinches on the butterfly reserve.

Mammals Recorded:
Grey Squirrel
Bunny

A Grey Squirrel in Pennsylvania Castle Woods keeps its beady eye on me.

Birds Recorded:
1 Sparrowhawk
1 Kestrel
Herring Gull
Wood Pigeon
12 Rock Pipit
1 Pied Wagtail
1 Grey Wagtail
Dunnock
Robin
1 Stonechat
1 Black Redstart
Blackbird
Great Tit
Blue Tit
Wren
Magpie
Carrion Crow
Jackdaw
Starling
House Sparrow
Chaffinch
Goldfinch
Greenfinch

One of the twelve Rock Pipits enjoying the Kelp Fly feast on the beach.

And it wasn't just the Rock Pipits here, but a Grey Wagtail and this Pied Wagtail.

So many Robins singing.

And another

And another one.

Okay another one.

And one we can all listen to.

A female Stonechat in butterfly reserve.

Here are a few images and a video of the female Black Redstart at the cove this afternoon:

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

Plants:

Lesser Celandine (Ficaria verna)

Wild Garlic (Allium ursinum)

Giant Viper's Bugloss (Echium pininana)

Mediterranean Spurge (Euphorbia characias ssp. wulfenii)

Fungi sp.

Lesser Celandine

Wild Garlic, Allium ursinum. Also known as Ramsons, Buckrams, Broad-leaved Garlic, Wood Garlic, Bear Leek or Bear's Garlic.

This unusual plant growing at the top of Penns Wood is a Euphorbia characias ssp. wulfenii and goes by the common names of Albanian Spurge and Mediterranean Spurge. More on this plant Here and Here.