23 Jan 23

Pennsylvania Castle Woods, St Andrew's Church, Church Ope Cove, Penn's Weare, Penn's Copse, Rufus Castle and Bumpers Lane

It was another dry but very cold day, but warm enough it appeared for a couple of Wall Lizards, several Blue Blowflies and a Common Dronefly. All were found around the huts at the cove.

Birds of interest today were:

Common Gull - One just off the beach at the cove.
Stock Dove - One in Bumpers lane. My first this year
Rock Pipit - Two on the beach
Pied Wagtail - Six on the beach. The most I have ever seen here together
Grey Wagtail - One on the beach
Black Redstart - A female flitting between the middle of the beach to the south facing cliffs.
Chiffchaff - One calling from Penn's Weare
Goldcrest - One in Penns Wood

Birds Recorded:
1 Kestrel
Herring Gull
4 Great Black-backed Gull
1 Common Gull
1 Stock Dove
Wood Pigeon
2 Rock Pipit
6 Pied Wagtail
1 Grey Wagtail
Dunnock
Robin
1 Black Redstart
Blackbird
1 Chiffchaff
1 Goldcrest
Great Tit
Blue Tit
Wren
Magpie
Carrion Crow
Jackdaw
2 Raven
House Sparrow
Chaffinch
Goldfinch

This male Kestrel was in a Sycamore overlooking Penn's Weare.

He obviously........

.......... spotted something......

..................and was off.

Two Great Black-backed Gulls make their way up the coastline towards Portland Harbour

This Common Gull flew down the coast to the cove, did a u-turn and then headed back towards Weymouth.

My first Stock Dove I have seen this year. This one was in Bumpers Lane

Today was the first time I have seen six Pied Wagtails on the beach together. Bird -1

Bird -2

Bird -3 (A first winter)

Bird - 4

Bird -5

And Pied Wagtail number 6.

In amongst the Pied Wagtails on the beach was this Grey Wagtail

A little while ago there were two female Black Redstarts. Today there was just this one.

Reptiles Recorded:
2 Wall Lizard


Hoverflies Recorded:
1 Common Dronefly (Eristalis tenax)

A Common Dronefly out in the Winter sun.

Flies, Craneflies, Gnats and Midges Recorded:
Kelp Fly (Coelopa frigida)
7+ Blue Blowfly Calliphora vicina)

A Blue Blowfly Calliphora vicina)

General Shots:

The ruins of St Andrew's Church (Centre Frame) are having.......

............a makeover.

The contractors made a start on the vegetation that has crept over the walls of the church.

The work so far is looking good and it should be interesting to see the effect it has on the wildlife from Spring onwards.

Not that evident from this photo but........

......the rocks in the sea are very exposed due to the Spring Tide or is it Neap Tide that we are experiencing around Portland's coastline. More on Tides Here.

Ted:

Ted's there somewhere.

Fluffy dog.

Ships Today:

This is the Liberian Container Ship "HMM MIR" on its way from Southampton to Singapore. More on this vessel Here.

This is the Portuguese General Cargo Ship "Emstal" on its way from Rotterdam to Teignmouth. More on this vessel Here.

This is the Cypriot Container Ship "BG Jade" on its way from Belfast to Rotterdam. More on this vessel Here.

This is the Maltese Container Ship "Al Muraykh" on its way from Rotterdam to Singapore. More on this vessel Here.