30 Apr 23

Furzedown Farm, Tidmoor Cove and Lynch Cove

It was a quick check of the caravan before the next guests arrive and of course a walk around the farm and coves. And thank goodness Dawn and I had the presence of mind to bring our wellies. Talk about muddy and of course Ted had his waterproofs on, much to his disgust.

Main highlight was a Spotted Flycatcher at the back of Tidmoor Cove, my first this year.

Other highlights were:
Whimbrel - Two over Lynch Cove
Green Woodpecker - One calling from Littlesea Wood
Swallow - Several seen, with one at the farm
Wheatear - One in the horse paddock
Cetti's Warbler - One at Tidmoor Cove
Garden Warbler - One back of Tidmoor Cove
Common Whitethroat - Six seen and heard along our walk.
Lesser Whitethroat - One back of Tidmoor Cove
Blackcap - One by the farm
Chiffchaff - Four along our walk

Birds Recorded:
2 Mallard
Buzzard
1 Pheasant
1 Oystercatcher
2 Whimbrel
Black-headed Gull
Herring Gull
Great Black-backed Gull
Stock Dove
Wood Pigeon
Collared Dove
1 Green Woodpecker
7+ Swallow
Dunnock
Robin
1 Wheatear
Blackbird
1 Cetti's Warbler
1 Garden Warbler
6 Common Whitethroat
1 Lesser Whitethroat
1 Blackcap
4 Chiffchaff
1 Spotted Flycatcher
Long-tailed Tit
Great Tit
Blue Tit
Wren
Magpie
Rook
Carrion Crow
Jackdaw
Starling
House Sparrow
Chaffinch
Linnet
Goldfinch
Greenfinch

Possibly one of last years Swallows returning to the farm

A Wheatear in the horse paddock

And my first Spotted Flycatcher of the year

A male Greenfinch in good voice.

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


Wasps and Gall Wasps Recorded:
Common Wasp (Vespula vulgaris)


General Shots:

Dawn and Ted make their way up through Furzedown Farm and then.....

............down through the horse paddocks.

Ted:

He really doesn't like wearing his waterproof jacket

But here's the reason why he was wearing it. Mud mud glorious mud!

And a very tired Ted.

Ships Today:

This is the British Fishing Boat - WH582 "Hayley Grace" on The Fleet

29 Apr 23

King Barrow Quarries Nature Reserve, Vaycroft Quarry, Fancy's Farm, High Angle Battery and New Ground

It was a trip to the recycling tip today, followed by a walk around the north end of the island. Sadly there wasn't too much about, other than a good eight Common Whitethroats singing along my walk.

Birds Recorded:
1 Buzzard

1 Pheasant
Herring Gull
Stock Dove
Wood Pigeon
2 Sand Martin
4 Swallow
Dunnock
Robin
2 Stonechat
1 Wheatear
Blackbird
8 Common Whitethroat
1 Blackcap
1 Chiffchaff
Long-tailed Tit
Great Tit
Blue Tit
Wren
Magpie
Carrion Crow
Jackdaw
Starling
House Sparrow
Chaffinch
Linnet
Goldfinch
Greenfinch

A Pheasant close to New Ground

Also in the same area was this female Stonechat and her mate........

........plus this male Wheatear.

All along my walk were Common Whitethroats......

..........just about everywhere.

Butterflies Recorded:
1 Speckled Wood

Just the one butterfly seen, a Speckled Wood

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


Hoverflies Recorded:
Stripe-backed Dasysyrphus (Dasysyrphus albostriatus)

A Stripe-backed Dasysyrphus

Ted:

28 Apr 23

Lodmoor RSPB Reserve

It was a trip to Lodmoor today and a very rewarding one it was, with the main highlight being a pair of Black-winged Stilts, which have been here for quite a few days now.

Birds Recorded:
Cormorant
8 Little Egret
4 Grey Heron
Mute Swan
Canada Goose
Shelduck
Mallard
Gadwall
Teal
Tufted Duck
1 Buzzard
1 Marsh Harrier
Moorhen
Coot
4 Oystercatcher

2 Black-winged Stilt
1 Lapwing
4 Black-tailed Godwit
2 Whimbrel
1 Redshank
1 Common Sandpiper
Black-headed Gull
Mediterranean Gull
Herring Gull
9 Sandwich Tern
Wood Pigeon
Green Woodpecker (Heard from Teddy Bear's Wood)
Sand Martin
House Martin
Swallow
Dunnock
Robin
Blackbird
Song Thrush
Reed Warbler
Cetti's Warbler
2 Common Whitethroat
1 Lesser Whitethroat
6 Blackcap
10+ Chiffchaff/Willow Warbler
2 Bearded Tit
Long-tailed Tit
Great Tit
Blue Tit
Wren
Magpie
Carrion Crow
Starling
House Sparrow
Chaffinch
Goldfinch
Greenfinch
2 Bullfinch
Reed Bunting
55 species recorded

A Grey Heron hunting in amongst the reedbeds

A very smart looking drake Shelduck

A Marsh Harrier quartering the reedbeds

A Moorhen and its flitting tail. Which is a way of telling would-be predators that it is alert and ready to flee from an attack.

A pair of Black-winged Stilts. The female is at the front with the male at the back.

That males unmarked white head and.......

..........jet black wings, tell it apart from......

............the female and her brown wings and slightly black/grey head.

And here is compilation of clips of the pair of Black-winged Stilts.

My first Redshank of the year feeding in the shallows.

A Common Sandpiper feeding along the shoreline

In the foreground I think there are nine Sandwich Terns with six Black-headed Gulls at the back.

A male Greenfinch and....

............his mate

I could hear two Bullfinches, but the only one I got to see was this female.

General Shots:

Teddy Bear's Wood from Lodmoor, where a Green Woodpecker was having a good yaffle.

Ted:

Ted having a good look at the fish swimming about in the stream

27 Apr 23

Old Quarry Lane, Wakeham Meadows, Lower Horse Paddock, Higher Horse Paddock and Broadcroft Butterfly Reserve.

It was an early walk this morning, to avoid a weather front due around midday. And when it did arrive at 11:50am it was pretty heavy and lasted for the remainder of the day.

Quite a few Spring Migrants were about and apart from a single male Common Whitethroat in Wakeham Meadow, the remaining migrants I came across were all in the butterfly reserve, including a Wood Warbler.

They were:
1 Common Redstart
1 Wheatear
4 Common Whitethroat
1 Lesser Whitethroat
2 Blackcap

1 Wood Warbler
7 Chiffchaff/Willow Warbler


Birds Recorded:
Herring Gull
Stock Dove
Wood Pigeon
Collared Dove
Dunnock
Robin
1 Common Redstart
1 Wheatear
Blackbird
2 Song Thrush
5 Common Whitethroat
1 Lesser Whitethroat
2 Blackcap

1 Wood Warbler
7 Chiffchaff/Willow Warbler
Great Tit
Blue Tit
Wren
Magpie
Carrion Crow
Jackdaw
Starling
House Sparrow
Chaffinch
Goldfinch
Greenfinch

Its not often you can get this close to a Stock Dove

Or indeed a Wheatear, which....

.....took off and landed close to me.

A female Common Whitethroat

My first Lesser Whitethroat this Spring.

A male Blackcap, with a black cap and......

........a female Blackcap with a brown cap.

Bees Recorded:
3 Buff-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus terrestris)


Ted:

Lots of Ted's. One of my better efforts.

26 Apr 23

Thumb Lane, Combefield, Avalanche Hump, Reap Lane Barns, South-west Coast Path and Barleycrates Lane

It was somewhere a bit different today with a visit to some good birding spots just south of Wakeham and Weston.

Main highlights were:
Swift - 2 heading north over Weston
House Martin - 2 over Weston Street
Swallow - 60+ mainly over West Weare's heading north
Meadow Pipit - 2 Combefield and 3 Southwest Coast Path
Yellow Wagtail - 1 over Reap Lane Barns
Stonechat - 1 male along Southwest Coast Path
Wheatear - 1 male along Southwest Coast Path
Garden Warbler - 1 Thumb Lane
Common Whitethroat - 8 at various locations along my walk.
Blackcap - 11 at various locations along my walk.
Chiffchaff/Willow Warbler - 12 at various locations along my walk.


Mammals Recorded:
Brown Rat

Birds Recorded:
Fulmar
1 Kestrel
1 Pheasant
Oystercatcher
Herring Gull
Great Black-backed Gull
6 Stock Dove
Wood Pigeon
Collared Dove
2 Swift
2 Skylark
2 House Martin
60+ Swallow
5 Meadow Pipit
1 Yellow Wagtail
Dunnock
Robin
1 Stonechat
1 Wheatear
Blackbird
1 Garden Warbler
8 Common Whitethroat
11 Blackcap
12 Chiffchaff/Willow Warbler
Great Tit
Blue Tit
Wren
Magpie
Carrion Crow
Jackdaw
Starling
House Sparrow
Chaffinch
Linnet
Goldfinch
Greenfinch

A Swallow heading up the island

This Robin is collecting food for youngsters.

A male Stonechat......

............flies off to.............

...........another viewing point

A male Wheatear along the southwest coast path

A male Blackcap at Thumb Lane

Amphibians Recorded:

Frog/Toad tadpoles

Frog/Toad tadpoles

Bees Recorded:
Honey Bees (Apis mellifera)
Buff-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus terrestris)
Early Mining Bee (Andrena haemorrhoa)
Grey-patched Mining Bee (Andrena nitida)

Early Mining Bee (Andrena haemorrhoa)

Grey-patched Mining Bee (Andrena nitida)

Plants today:
Common Water-crowfoot (Ranunculus aquatilis)

In this shallow "pond" were hundreds of......

.................Common Water-crowfoots and tadpoles.

Ted:

Ted enjoying a good run

Ships Today:

This is the British Fishing Boat - WH296 "Portland Isle" on its way back to Weymouth Harbour. More on this vessel Here.