31 Aug 23

Wakeham

Well the weather forecast was for the rain to clear by late afternoon. It didn't, so here are a few photos and videos on this day from 2017 to 2022.

2022

An escaped Fife Canary joins the House Sparrows for a wash.

2021

This is a real hummer of a hoverfly, a Common Banded Hoverfly (Syrphus ribesii)

2020

A Kestrel sat on a ledge in the Portland Obs Quarry

2019

Ferrybridge Sandflats and a Knot with a Dunlin behind it.

2018

A Marmalade Hoverfly (Episyrphus balteatus)

2017

A Silver Y (Autographa gamma)

30 Aug 23

RSPB Radipole Lake - North Hide

I definitely didn't time it right for a short walk to the North Hide this afternoon. Had I arrived an hour or so earlier, I would have seen a Hobby catching dragonflies in the sunshine. As it was, I arrived as thick black clouds were passing overhead and the bird watcher who saw the Hobby was making his way home.

However there was still plenty to see and hear with:
Sand Martin - A pair possibly feeding youngsters in the man-made Sand Martins nest site.
Blackcap - A lone bird heard calling by the river.
Chiffchaff - At least 3 heard calling along the walk
Goldcrest - A single bird heard by the river. Extraordinary as this may sound, but this is first Goldcrest I've noted since 17 Apr 23


Birds Recorded:
2 Grey Heron
1 Mute Swan
Mallard
Black-headed Gull
Herring Gull
Great Black-backed Gull
Wood Pigeon
2 Sand Martin
Dunnock
1 Blackcap (heard)
3 Chiffchaff (all heard)
1 Goldcrest (heard)
Wren
Magpie
Carrion Crow
Jackdaw

A Grey Heron makes its way across the reserve

Butterflies Recorded:
1 Speckled Wood


Moths Recorded:

#1 - moth sp.

#1 - moth sp.

Bees Recorded:
Common Carder Bumblebee (Bombus pascuorum)


Wasps, Ichneumon Wasps, Parasitic Wasps and Gall Wasps Recorded:
wasps sp.
#1 - Ichneumon Wasp sp.

#2 - Ichneumon Wasp sp.

#1 - Ichneumon Wasp sp.

#2 - Ichneumon Wasp sp.

Sawflies Recorded:
#1 - sawfly sp.
#2 - sawfly sp.

#1 - sawfly sp.

#2 - sawfly sp.

Hoverflies Recorded:
Common Dronefly (Eristalis tenax)
Dead Head Hoverfly (Myathropa florea)
Long Hoverfly (Sphaerophoria scripta)
#1 - hoverfly sp.

Common Dronefly (Eristalis tenax)

Another Common Dronefly (Eristalis tenax)

Dead Head Hoverfly (Myathropa florea)

Long Hoverfly (Sphaerophoria scripta)

The Footballer (Helophilus pendulus)

Another The Footballer (Helophilus pendulus)

#1 - hoverfly sp.

Flies, Craneflies, Gnats and Midges Recorded:
#1 - fly sp.

#2 - fly sp.

#3 - mayfly sp.

#4 - cranefly sp.

#5 - cranefly sp.

#1 - fly sp.

#2 - fly sp.

#2 - fly sp.

#3 - mayfly sp.

#4 - cranefly sp.

#5 - cranefly sp.

Bugs and Beetles Recorded:
Harlequin Ladybird (Harmonia axyridis)

#1 - pond skater sp.

#2 - pond skater sp.

Harlequin Ladybird (Harmonia axyridis) - form succinea

#1 - pond skater sp.

#2 - pond skater sp.

Spiders Recorded:
Nurseryweb Spider (Pisaura mirabilis)

A Nurseryweb Spider (Pisaura mirabilis)

Plants:

Common Fleabane (Pulicaria dysenterica)

Sea Aster (Aster tripolium)

Common Fleabane (Pulicaria dysenterica) and growing between them..........

...........was this Sea Aster (Aster tripolium)

General Shots:

To the northwest of Radipole stands Hardy Monument. More on the monument Here.

Ted:

And last but not least we have Ted on his lead. We don't want to upset anyone on the reserve.

29 Aug 23

Out and About

Well it should have been an afternoon sat on the beach at West Bay with my daughter's family. However the weather had different ideas, and though we left Portland in the sunshine, by the time we arrived at West Bay here, it was raining cays and dogs.

So instead we did an about turn and stopped off at few places on the way back, just for a bit of sightseeing.

A typical day this Summer.

Birds Recorded on the way to West Bay and back to Portland.
1 Buzzard
1 Kestrel
6 Oystercatcher
Black-headed Gull
Mediterranean Gull
Herring Gull
Great Black-backed Gull
Wood Pigeon
7+ House Martin
5 Swallow
1 Pied Wagtail
1 Grey Wagtail
Dunnock
Robin
3 Stonechat
Long-tailed Tit
Great Tit
Blue Tit
Wren
Magpie
Rook
Carrion Crow
Jackdaw
Starling
House Sparrow
Chaffinch

Plants:

Below are a few plants and flowers from the Abbotsbury Subtropical Gardens Here:

I found this to be a very useful site for non-native plants here.

Leopard Plant (Ligularia dentata)

Brazilian Jasmine (Mandevilla sanderi)

Dyers Busy Lizzie (Impatiens tinctoria)

I think this is a Leopard Plant (Ligularia dentata). More on this plant here.

This is a Brazilian Jasmine (Mandevilla sanderi) More....

..........on this shrub Here.

#1 - Dyers Busy Lizzie (Impatiens tinctoria). More on this African tropical plant Here.

Abbotsbury Subtropical Gardens

Abbotsbury Subtropical Gardens

Ships Today

This is the British Passenger (Cruise) Ship "Spirit of Adventure" on its way from Dover and along the Jurassic coastline. This footage was from the Dash-cam as I drove down through Fortuneswell, Portland, hence the poor quality.

We did see it again close to West Bay, but it was shrouded in low cloud. More on this vessel Here.

28 Aug 23

Bumpers Lane, Rufus Castle, Church Ope Cove, St Andrew's Church and Penns Wood

It was a lovely afternoon sat on the beach with my daughter's family. On the way there and back, there was plenty to see, and it was great to share what I was finding with my four grandchildren.


Birds Recorded:
2 Gannet

3 Cormorant
Herring Gull
Great Black-backed Gull
Wood Pigeon
5 Swallow
Dunnock
Robin
Blackbird
Great Tit
Blue Tit
Wren
Magpie
Carrion Crow
House Sparrow
Chaffinch
Goldfinch

An adult (left) and an immature Gannet just off the cove.

Reptiles Recorded:
Slow-worm

A Slow-worm under one of the corrugated tin sheets along Bumpers Lane. The Grandchildren thought it was great.

Fish Recorded:

Gurnard

One of the anglers on this boat has just caught a Gurnard

Butterflies Recorded:
Large White
Small White
Green-veined White
Speckled Wood
Meadow Brown
Red Admiral
Peacock
Common Blue

Moths Recorded:

Hummingbird Hawk-moth (Macroglossum stellatarum) - On the Valerian on the beach briefly

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

Wasps, Ichneumon Wasps, Parasitic Wasps and Gall Wasps Recorded:
German Wasp (Vespula germanica)

And a German Wasp peering over a pebble. It was probably after one of the ice lollies, the grandchildren were eating!!

Hoverflies Recorded:
Dead Head Hoverfly (Myathropa florea)
Marmalade Hoverfly (Episyrphus balteatus)

A Dead Head Hoverfly (Myathropa florea) on the flowering Japanese Spindle (Euonymus japonicus)

Flies, Craneflies, Gnats and Midges Recorded:
Kelp Fly (Coelopa frigida)

Plants:

Hedge Woundwort (Stachys sylvatica)

In amongst the nettles in Penns Wood was...........

.................Hedge Woundwort (Stachys sylvatica)

General Shots:

There were a few black clouds to the northwest behind Rufus Castle, but fortunately it kept dry

Ted:

Ted enjoying a hug from the grandchildren

Ships Today:

This is the Dutch General Cargo Ship "Eemslift Hendrika" on its way from Southampton to Alcudia (Spain). More on this vessel Here.

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

This is the Madeiran General Cargo Ship "Wes Elisa" on its way from Cuxhaven (Germany) to Dundalk (USA). More on this vessel Here.

This is the British Sailing Ship "Just So" on its way past Portland to an unknown destination. More on this vessel Here.

This is the British Diving Boat "Fearless II" on its way down Portland's east coastline. More on this vessel Here.

This is the British Sailing Ship "Jahmali" on its way from Cowes to Poole via Portland. More on this vessel Here.

This is the British Commercial Fishing Boat WH5 "Tina Louise" returning to Weymouth Harbour. There is a close-up shot of it in Weymouth Here

This is the British Fishing Boat WH22 "Marauder" owned by Dorset Shellfish (Weymouth) here

And finally if you want an ice cream on the beach then these guys will deliver. And they did.