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.