28 Feb 23

Lodmoor RSPB Reserve

Today I was on the hunt for some cheap smokeless coal and as I was driving around Weymouth I passed Lodmoor, where I decided to drop in for a quick walk around the reserve with Ted.

It wasn't one of my better calls, as it was absolutely freezing in that bitterly cold north-easterly, which has been with us for a few days now.

However with 42 bird species recorded, including my first Spoonbills for the year, it was well worth the visit.

Mammals Recorded:
1 Brown Rat

Birds Recorded:
6 Cormorant
1 Little Egret
1 Grey Heron
6 Spoonbill
Mute Swan
2 Canada Goose
1 Shelduck
Mallard
Gadwall
Wigeon
Teal
Shoveler
Tufted Duck
Moorhen
Coot
1 Oystercatcher
6 Lapwing
1 Snipe
21 Black-tailed Godwit
Black-headed Gull
Mediterranean Gull
Herring Gull
1 Lesser Black-backed Gull
1 Great Black-backed Gull
Common Gull
Wood Pigeon
Dunnock
Robin
Blackbird
Song Thrush
Cetti's Warbler
1 Chiffchaff
1 Goldcrest
Great Tit
Blue Tit
Wren
Magpie
Carrion Crow
Starling
House Sparrow
Chaffinch
Goldfinch

Apparently yesterday there was just the one Spoonbill. Today there are now five. On the far left is a Little Egret and at the back the Grey Heron.

A pair of Gadwall, the drake is on the right.

A Black-tailed Godwit moulting into its breeding plumage. There is an excellent piece on "Spring moult in Black-tailed Godwits" by Graham Appleton Here.

More Black-tailed Godwits in the shallows, whilst on the mud flats there are Black-headed Gulls, Mediterranean Gulls, Herring Gulls, 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull, 1 Great Black-backed Gull and several Common Gulls.

Black-tailed Godwits and Teal at the end of the video

And the friendly Robin takes a leap.....

..........of faith, and then............

.........hovers over my hand..........

...........before taking a mealworm.

And here is a compilation of two clips, slowed down so that you can see it take the mealworms and then fly off to a branch.

Plants:
Winter Heliotrope (Petasites fragrans)

Winter Heliotrope just coming into flower.

General shots:

There have been sightings of Sika Deer here at Lodmoor. I wonder if this is one of their trails into the reedbeds!!

Ted:

What on earth is that look Ted!!

27 Feb 23

Bumpers Lane, The Cuttings, Broadcroft Quarry Lane, Broadcroft Butterfly Reserve, Higher Horse Paddock and Lower Horse Paddock

It was another very sunny, but cold day, with a bitter north-easterly wind.

Main highlight on my walk was re-connecting with the pair of Foxes in Bumpers Lane Quarry. The last time I saw them there, was just over 7 weeks ago.

On the bird front, the lone Stock Dove is still sat in its favourite tree in the quarry, there was just the one Song Thrush seen in the Higher Horse Paddock, where sadly there was no sign of the over-wintering pair of Stonechats.

Mammals Recorded:

2 Foxes

Ted and a Fox staring each other out in Bumpers Lane Quarry.

In the end the Fox ran away......

.......and disappeared into this hole in the rocks.

Next minute a second Fox makes a run, but...........

.............instead of following its mate into the hole, it ran past it and up to the back of the quarry.

Birds Recorded:
Herring Gull
1 Stock Dove
Wood Pigeon
Dunnock
Robin
Blackbird
1 Song Thrush
Great Tit
Blue Tit
Wren
Magpie
Carrion Crow
Jackdaw
Starling
House Sparrow
Chaffinch
Goldfinch

The lone Stock Dove is still sat in its favourite tree in the quarry.

There were quite a few Wrens about and most............

...........were very vocal.

And a very smart looking Goldfinch

General Shots:

And way way across Weymouth Bay is the headland of St Aldhelm's Head viewed from from Penn's Weare.......

...........The building in the middle, on top of the headland is St Aldhelm's Chapel Here. More on the Chapel Here and Here.

Aircraft Today:

This is the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, Reg. N965AM on its way from Mexico City to London. More on this aircraft Here.

Ships Today:

This is the Liberian Container Ship "Eli A" on its way from Southampton to Belfast. More on this vessel Here.

This is the British Fishing Boat "Portland Isle" on its way back to Weymouth Harbour. More on this vessel Here.

And here are both "Eli A" and "Portland Isle", plus Portland Lighthouse

26 Feb 23

Bumpers Lane, The Cuttings, Broadcroft Quarry Lane, Broadcroft Butterfly Reserve, Higher Horse Paddock and Lower Horse Paddock

It was another late afternoon walk around the block and what I saw was very much the same as yesterday, other than the addition of two Song Thrushes in the Higher Horse Paddock.

Birds Recorded:
Herring Gull
Great Black-backed Gull
1 Stock Dove
Wood Pigeon
2 Meadow Pipit
Dunnock
Robin
2 Stonechat
Blackbird
2 Song Thrush
Great Tit
Blue Tit
Wren
Magpie
Carrion Crow
Jackdaw
Starling
House Sparrow
Chaffinch
Goldfinch

The lone Stock Dove is still present in Bumpers Lane Quarry.

A Robin along Broadcroft Quarry Lane.

The male Stonechat and his............

..........mate are still present in the Higher Horse Paddock

Also in the Higher Horse Paddock was this Song Thrush and another close-by singing within the brambles.

A Carrion Crow coming into land above The Cuttings.

Ted:

No Foxes in Bumpers Lane Quarry today Ted

Ships Today:

This is the Bahamanian General Cargo ship "Fri Dolphin" on its way from Tereuzen (Holland) to Teignmouth. More on this vessel here.

This is the Panamanian Container Ship "NYK Venus" on its way from Singapore to Rotterdam. More on this vessel here.

This is the Portuguese Container Ship "Pantonio" on its from Southampton to Dublin. More on this vessel Here.

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

25 Feb 23

Bumpers Lane, The Cuttings, Broadcroft Quarry Lane, Broadcroft Butterfly Reserve, Higher Horse Paddock and Lower Horse Paddock

It was a very late afternoon walk, so unsurprisingly there wasn't much to see, apart from the pair of Stonechats in the Higher Horse Paddock again. Plus both Lesser Celandine and Wild Cherry are in flower.

Birds Recorded:
Herring Gull
Great Black-backed Gull
1 Stock Dove
Wood Pigeon
Dunnock
Robin
2 Stonechat
Blackbird
Great Tit
Wren
Magpie
Carrion Crow
Jackdaw
Starling
House Sparrow
Chaffinch
Goldfinch

A Stock Dove in Bumpers Lane Quarry

Just the one female Stonechat seen today in the Higher Horse Paddock and her.......

.............mate on one of the electric fences.

Plants:
Lesser Celandine (Ficaria verna)
Wild Cherry (Prunus avium)

This is Lesser Celandine and just coming out in flower.

Looks can be deceiving. These aren't Blackberry flowers but those of a Wild Cherry in Broadcroft Quarry Lane

Ted:

Ted on the Southwest Coast Path

Ships Today:

This is the British Oil Products Tanker "Whitonia" on its way from Portland Harbour to Southampton. More on this vessel Here.

This is the British General Cargo Ship "Conformity" on its way from Belfast to Erith. More on this vessel Here.

This is the French Fishing Boat "Patron Jean Tabourel" fishing just off Portland. More on this vessel Here.

This is the Panamanian Container Ship "MSC Mina" on its way from Felixstowe to Tanger Med (Morocco). More on this vessel Here.

24 Feb 23

Pennsylvania Castle Woods, St Andrew's Church, Church Ope Cove, Rufus Castle, The Cuttings and Bumpers Lane

Despite the cooler conditions, the outdoor thermometer was reading 7.0°C, there was quite a bit to see on our walk this afternoon.

Here are the main highlights:
Gannet - Two seen way out to sea.
Shag - One fishing just off the cove.
Common Scoter - Five heading south down Portland's east coastline.
Stock Dove - One in Bumpers Lane Quarry
Pied Wagtail - Eight on the beach and one in Bumpers Lane
Grey Wagtail - One on the beach
Robin - Many birds singing and one that took mealworms from my hand at the cove.
Black Redstart - A female at the north end of the cove under the cliffs.
Firecrest - One at the bottom of Penns Wood

Also noted:
Hummingbird Hawk-moth - One feeding on the nectar of the flowering Hebes at the back of the cove.
Honey Bee - Ten plus on the Hebes at the back of he cove.
Buff-tailed Bumblebee - One on the Hebes at the back of the cove


Birds Recorded:
Gannet
Cormorant
Shag
5 Common Scoter
Herring Gull
1 Stock Dove
Wood Pigeon
9 Pied Wagtail
1 Grey Wagtail
Dunnock
Robin
1 Black Redstart
Blackbird
1 Firecrest
Great Tit
Blue Tit
Wren
Magpie
Carrion Crow
Jackdaw
1 Raven
Starling
House Sparrow
Chaffinch
Goldfinch

Five Common Scoter making their way down towards Portland Bill. Video in slow-motion.

This Robin at the cove was taking mealworms from my hand. Video: Normal Speed and in slow-motion

A female Black Redstart at the cove

A Firecrest at the bottom of Penns Wood.

This video of the Firecrest is at normal speed and slow-motion

Moths Recorded:
Hummingbird Hawk-moth (Macroglossum stellatarum)

My first Hummingbird Hawk-moth of the year.

It was nectaring on the Hebes at the back of the cove.

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

A Honey Bee on the flowering Hebes.

The Hebes were very popular today, not only with the Hummingbird Hawk-moth, Honey Bees but also this Buff-tailed Bumblebee.

Ted:

A few Ted's today

Ships Today:

This is the General Cargo Ship "Karoliina" flying the flag of Antigua Barbuda. It is on its way from Rostock (Denmark) to Aughinish (Ireland). More on this vessel Here.

This is the Liberian Container Ship "Independent Primero" on its way from Southampton to Cork. More on this vessel Here.

This is the British Tug "Fortitude" on its way from Troon (Scotland) to Portland Harbour. More on this vessel Here.