30 Apr 22

Lower Horse Paddock, Broadcroft Butterfly Reserve, Broadcroft Quarry Lane, Broadcroft Pools and Bumpers Lane

It was back to the butterfly reserve today, to see what was about and there was with two female Common Redstarts passing through.

Other highlights were 3 Common Buzzards interacting with each other, high above the reserve, there were at least 5 Common Whitethroats singing from different parts of the reserve and horse paddock, the Lesser Whitethroat again, the pair of Blackcaps at the "bump", where the male Chaffinch was "trilling" away again.


Mammals Recorded:
Bunny

Birds Recorded:
3 Buzzard
Herring Gull
Wood Pigeon
5 Swallow
Dunnock
Robin
2 Common Redstart
Blackbird
5 Common Whitethroat
1 Lesser Whitethroat
2 Blackcap
Great Tit
Blue Tit
Wren
Magpie
Carrion Crow
Jackdaw
Starling
House Sparrow
Chaffinch
Linnet
Goldfinch
Greenfinch

Common Buzzards

Here a few images and a video of the 3 Buzzards interacting.

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This female Common Redstart was busy catching insects on the reserve.

Here she is again, showing off those bright red tail feathers.

It looks the Common Whitethroats have taken over the reserve and Lower Horse paddock, with at least 5 males singing from their respective territories.

And it s not just Common Whitethroats in good voice, but also several Wrens.

I heard the male Chaffinch on the "bump" before I got there and after I left, but not whilst I was there. This was it trilling away as I left the reserve.

Butterflies Recorded:
Orange-tip
Large White
Small White
Green-veined White
2 Wall Brown
1 Speckled Wood

A female Green-veined White on a Common Daisy

Moths Recorded:
Swan-feather Dwarf (Elachista argentella)

Swan-feather Dwarf (Elachista argentella)

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


Wasps Recorded:
Common Wasp (Vespula vulgaris)

A Common Wasp resting a bramble leaf

Hoverflies Recorded:
Marmalade Hoverfly (Episyrphus balteatus)
Spring Epistrophe (Epistrophe eligans)


Flies, Craneflies, Gnats and Midges Recorded:
Yellow Dung Fly (Scathophaga stercoraria)

A male Yellow Dung Fly

Spiders Recorded:
spider sp.

It doesn't look like I will be able to ID this spider.

It is upside down between the leaf and the web it is constructing.

Plants:
Common Daisy (Bellis perennis)

Common Daisy (Bellis perennis)

Common Daisy (Bellis perennis)

General Shots:

Empty egg shell

A good sign, I hope, that a Song Thrush has been successful in hatching out at least one chick.

Ted:

Ted "resting" his front right paw. Funny dog!!

29 Apr 22

Reap Lane Barns, Top Fields and Sweethill Farm

I don't normally target birds, but just so I didn't miss out on seeing a Whinchat this year, I headed off to Reap Lane and did an anti-clockwise circuit, through the Top Fields before finishing off the walk at Sweethill farm.

And it proved to be very successful with 5 Whinchats seen, including to very smart looking males. Other highlights were hundreds of hirundines flying up Portland's west coastline, 2 Stonechat, 4 Common Redstarts (all females), 2 Wheatear and a few Common Whitethroats, Blackcaps and Chiffchaffs, but no Willow Warblers seen or heard.


Birds Recorded:
1 Peregrine Falcon
1 Kestrel
Herring Gull
Great Black-backed Gull
Stock Dove
Wood Pigeon
Skylark
20+ Sand Martin
8 House Martin
200+ Swallow
Meadow Pipit

2 Yellow Wagtail
Dunnock
Robin
2 Stonechat
5 Whinchat
4 Common Redstart
2 Wheatear
Blackbird
Common Whitethroat
Blackcap
Chiffchaff
Great Tit
Blue Tit
Wren
Magpie
Carrion Crow
Jackdaw
Starling
House Sparrow
Chaffinch
Linnet
Goldfinch

A Peregrine Falcon, which didn't go.........

............unnoticed by this Herring Gull.

My attempt at photographing a Skylark, way way above my head.

Meadow Pipits

These Meadow Pipits were a lot easier to photograph and video

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It was great to find 5 Whinchat today, though taking some decent photographs of any of them, proved nigh impossible.

The same could be said of the 4 very distant female Common Redstarts I came across.

So many Linnets this year. This is a male and its.........

...........mate was collecting nesting material.

A very close encounter with a Goldfinch. Beautiful plumage.

Butterflies Recorded:
Orange-tip
Large White
Small White
Wall Brown
Peacock
Holly Blue
Common Blue


Bees Recorded:
Honey Bees (Apis mellifera)
Buff-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus terrestris)


Flies, Craneflies, Gnats and Midges Recorded:
St Mark's Fly (Bibio marci)


Plants:

Meadow Buttercup (Ranunculus acris)

Common Daisy (Bellis perennis)

Some of the fields around Sweethill Farm are ablaze of colour from the Meadow Buttercups and Common Daisy's.

Ted:

Ted enjoying his walk.

Ships Today:

This is the British A138 Replenishment Ship "RFA Tidesurge" on its way from Loch Striven to Portland Harbour. More on this vessel Here.

This is the Panamanian Container Ship "NYK Constellation" on its way from Antwerp to Halifax (Canada). More on this vessel Here.

This is the British Cable Layer "C S Sovereign" on its way from Tees to Portland. More on this vessel Here.

This is the British Barge "S.B. Gladys" on its way from Portishead to London. More on this vessel Here, Here and Here.

28 Apr 22

RSPB Radipole Lake

I had a quick visit to the north hide at Radipole today, and for the second day running I had a Grasshopper Warbler. This one was east of the hide and well hidden in phragmites. Also over the reserve were at least 2 Swifts, my first for the year.

Other highlights were a pair of Marsh Harriers to the north of the hide, with both birds dropping into the reed beds together. Also the repaired manmade Sand Martin's nesting site is doing really well with lots of birds coming and going.

And I recorded 9 warbler species here.

Birds Recorded:
1 Little Egret

2 Mute Swan

2 Canada Goose

Mallard

1 Buzzard

2 Marsh Harrier

Coot

Black-headed Gull

Herring Gull

Wood Pigeon

2 Swift

20+ Sand Martin

2 Swallow

Dunnock

Robin

Blackbird

1 Grasshopper Warbler

Reed Warbler

Sedge Warbler

Cetti's Warbler

Common Whitethroat

2 Lesser Whitethroat

Blackcap

Chiffchaff

Willow Warbler

Long-tailed Tit

Great Tit

Blue Tit

Wren

Magpie

Carrion Crow

Jackdaw

House Sparrow

Chaffinch

Goldfinch

Greenfinch

Reed Bunting

A pair of Mute Swans near the north hide

A male Marsh Harrier quartering the reed beds.

Here it is again, preparing to...........

...............land in amongst the phragmites.

One of the Sand Martins arriving at its nest site.

And another just leaving.

A short video of the Sand Martins at their nest site

A Cetti's Warbler.

Its not often they show themselves.

But this one was happy to pose for the camera.

A female Blackcap.

And one of the many Robin's on the reserve collecting food.

Butterflies Recorded:
Orange-tip
Large White
Small White
Speckled Wood


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

Wasps Recorded:
Common Wasp (Vespula vulgaris)

Ted:

As per the notices around the reserve, Ted has his lead on.

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Lynch Cove and Tidmoor

Later I had a pleasant walk in the sun, around both Lynch Cove and Tidmoor Cove. Highlights here were several Black-tailed Godwits, 4 Whimbrel, 2 Sandwich Terns, a Yellow Wagtail and 6 warbler species.


Birds Recorded:
2 Little Egret

Kestrel

Pheasant

Oystercatcher

7+ Black-tailed Godwit

4 Whimbrel

Black-headed Gull

Mediterranean Gull

Herring Gull

2 Sandwich Tern

Stock Dove

Wood Pigeon

1 Skylark

4 Swallow

1 Yellow Wagtail

Dunnock

Robin

Blackbird

Song Thrush

2 Cetti's Warbler

4 Common Whitethroat

1 Lesser Whitethroat

3 Blackcap

4 Chiffchaff

3 Willow Warbler

Long-tailed Tit

Great Tit

Blue Tit

Wren

Magpie

Carrion Crow

Jackdaw

Starling

House Sparrow

Chaffinch

Linnet

Goldfinch

Greenfinch

A Little Egret feeding in the shallows.

And two large waders feeding on the mudflats. At the back is a Whimbrel and in front a Black-tailed Godwit.

This male Common Whitethroat was singing his heart. It look like his eyes are about to pop out of his head.

Butterflies Recorded:
Large White
Small White
Speckled Wood
Holly Blue

A Speckled Wood

And a Holly Blue

Moths Recorded:
Common Nettle-tap (Anthophila fabriciana)

Sulphur Tubic (Esperia sulphurella)

A Common Nettle-tap (Anthophila fabriciana)

A Sulphur Tubic (Esperia sulphurella)

As above.

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


Bugs and Beetles Recorded:
7-spot Ladybird (Coccinella septempunctata)

Just one ladybird seen on my walk, 7-spot Ladybird.

Scorpionflies Recorded:
German Scorpionfly (Panorpa germanica)

A German Scorpionfly (Panorpa germanica)

General Shots:

The footpath leading away from Littlesea Holiday Camp.