Today was certainly the best day of the week, unfortunately the blue skies and sunshine, brought out all the Half-term holidaymakers, who descended on to the beach at Church Ope Cove and scared off the female Black Redstart. I tried looking for her along Penn's Weare, but to no avail.
The only birds on the beach were the Pied Wagtail and a pair of Rock Pipits with the male continually chasing off another presumed male.
As I left the house the over-wintering Chiffchaff began singing from across the road. Annoyingly by the the time I managed to get across the busy main road to record it singing, it had flown off.
An unusual sight was 22+ Carrion Crows all sat on the upper branches of a Sycamore in Penns Wood. After 10 minutes or so of "chatting" to each other, they all flew off in different directions.
Other highlights were coming across a pregnant female Wall Lizard in the grounds of St Andrew's Church and another much smaller Wall Lizard on Penn's Weare.
Just 2 Buff-tailed Bumblebees seen, plus 3 Common Droneflies and a small number of Yellow Dung Flies. The latter two on flowering Alexanders.
Birds Recorded:
Cormorant
Herring Gull
Great Black-backed Gull
2 Stock Dove
Wood Pigeon
3 Rock Pipit
1 Pied Wagtail
Dunnock
Robin
Blackbird
1 Chiffchaff (singing)
Long-tailed Tit
Great Tit
Blue Tit
Wren
Magpie
22+ Carrion Crow
Jackdaw
1 Raven
Starling
House Sparrow
Chaffinch
Goldfinch
Other highlights were coming across a pregnant female Wall Lizard in the grounds of St Andrew's Church and another much smaller Wall Lizard on Penn's Weare.
Just 2 Buff-tailed Bumblebees seen, plus 3 Common Droneflies and a small number of Yellow Dung Flies. The latter two on flowering Alexanders.
Birds Recorded:
Cormorant
Herring Gull
Great Black-backed Gull
2 Stock Dove
Wood Pigeon
3 Rock Pipit
1 Pied Wagtail
Dunnock
Robin
Blackbird
1 Chiffchaff (singing)
Long-tailed Tit
Great Tit
Blue Tit
Wren
Magpie
22+ Carrion Crow
Jackdaw
1 Raven
Starling
House Sparrow
Chaffinch
Goldfinch
A pair of Stock Doves in their usual tree in Bumpers Lane quarry
The Pied Wagtail is still at the cove, though today it only had by Rock Pipits for company.
A bit of an unusual sighting at the top of Penns Wood were these 21 or so Carrion Crows.
Most were looking north-west for some reason.
See what I mean.
Ahh this could be the reason...............
...................... a Carrion Crow with a vapour trail!!!!!!!
Reptiles Recorded:
2 Wall Lizard
Adder (skin)?
Judging by the size of this female Wall Lizard in the grounds of St Andrew's Church, I would she was pregnant.
Another slightly smaller individual basking in the sun on Penn's Weare.
Bees Recorded:
2 Buff-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus terrestris)
Hoverflies Recorded:
3 Common Dronefly (Eristalis tenax)
2 Buff-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus terrestris)
Hoverflies Recorded:
3 Common Dronefly (Eristalis tenax)
One of three Common Droneflies I came across today on Alexanders
Flies, Craneflies, Gnats and Midges Recorded:
Kelp Fly (Coelopa frigida)
7+ Yellow Dung Fly (Scathophaga stercoraria)
It wasn't just the hoverflies on the Alexanders but also Yellow Dung Flies like this green-coloured female and....
............. the "golden-coloured" males.
This one appears to have "predated" another fly!!
Well this was definitely a Ted day with lots of running about and hiding.
Ted trying to scramble up one of the many tracks on Penn's Weare
Ships Today:
This is the Panamanian Container Ship "Ever Goods" on its way from Tanjung Pelepas (Malaysia) to Rotterdam. More on this vessel Here.
Aircraft Today:
This is a Jodel DR-220. Registration: G-BUTH...................
................flying over Portland before heading back to Dunkeswell Aerodrome, Devon. More on the airfield Here.