31 Oct 23

Furzedown Farm, Tidmoor Cove and Lynch Cove

With the last guests for this year, having just left the caravan, it was an hour or so spent changing bedding etc. And with both Ted and Benji at the dog groom room, there was no need to worry about Ted getting muddy on the walk I was about to undertake.

First though, I had to wait a short time for a heavy shower to pass before heading off. It probably didn't matter when I chose to leave, as ten minutes later another heavy moved in off the sea. At least there was a barn to shelter in.

Main highlights were:
Great Crested Grebe -  Three in Tidmoor Cove
Little Egret - One in Tidmoor Cove and another in Lynch Cove
Dark-bellied Brent Goose - Mostly in Lynch Cove and I'm still counting heads. 201, 202, 203......... and 20 in Tidmoor Cove
Redshank - One in Tidmoor Cove
Green Woodpecker - One calling close to Furzedown Farm
Skylark - Two in flight over Furzedown Farm
Meadow Pipit - Just one in flight over Furzedown Farm
Cetti's Warbler - One calling in Lynch Cove

Birds Recorded:
3 Great Crested Grebe
2 Little Egret
100's Dark-bellied Brent Geese
1 Redshank
Herring Gull
Wood Pigeon
1 Green Woodpecker
2 Skylark
1 Meadow Pipit
1 Pied Wagtail
3 Dunnock
Robin
Blackbird
1 Cetti's Warbler
Great Tit
Blue Tit
Wren
Magpie
Carrion Crow
Jackdaw
Chaffinch
Linnet
Goldfinch

And here are one........

.........two.........

...........and three Great Crested Grebes in Tidmoor Cove

Also in Tidmoor Cove was this........

.................Little Egret........

...........attempting to catch a meal in the shallows with two Dark-bellied Brent Geese approaching.

This Little Egret was in Lynch Cove

Three Dark-bellied Brent Geese coming into land in Lynch Cove.

I've added this shot of the Dark-bellied Brent Geese to show just how small they are compared to that of a Herring Gull in the background.

Pleas feel free to count the Dark-bellied Brent Geese

And a couple of record shots of.......

...........a Common Redshank in Tidmoor Cove before it flew off.

Wasps, Ichneumon Wasps, Parasitic Wasps and Gall Wasps Recorded:
30+ Common Wasp (Vespula vulgaris)

Common Wasp (Vespula vulgaris)

Hoverflies Recorded:
1 Common Dronefly (Eristalis tenax)

A Common Dronefly (Eristalis tenax)

General Shots:

The next heavy shower on its way.

I was there at "You are here".......

.......and just a little way further down the path, there was evidence that the water in the Fleet had breached the path.


Aircraft Today:

This is the privately owned Piper PA-28-161 Warrior II Reg: G-CMKJ on its way from Blackbushe (Yateley) to Lydd via Taunton and Portland. More on this aircraft here, here and here. And if you are a member of Semet Aviation you can fly it yourself. More here

30 Oct 23

Old Quarry Lane, Wakeham Meadows, Wakeham Wildlife Site, Wakeham Railway Cuttings, The Mermaid Track, Bumpers Lane, Broadcroft Quarry Lane, Broadcroft Butterfly Reserve, Higher Horse Paddock and Lower Horse Paddock

I'm glad to say that the aftereffects from my covid and flu jabs, have now passed and it was good to get out for a walk. Not just for me, but also for Ted who was well pleased to get out for a run. As I opened the cottage door, he almost doubled the length of his lead as he burst outside.

After the last couple of days with strong winds and heavy rain, it was quite evident there were fewer leaves on the trees.

The main highlights were:
Meadow Pipit - Two in the butterfly reserve
Grey Wagtail - One in a puddle along the Mermaid Track
Stonechat - A pair in the butterfly reserve
Blackbird - Small groups of Blackbirds noted, with the largest group of five along Wakeham Railway Cuttings.
Song Thrush - One singing (sub-song) in the Gorse on the butterfly reserve.
Chiffchaff - Two along Wakeham Railway Cuttings and three in Broadcroft Quarry Lane


Mammals Recorded:
1 Grey Squirrel

Yes I can see you. A Grey Squirrel in Wakeham Nature Reserve.

Birds Recorded:
Herring Gull
Wood Pigeon
Collared Dove
2 Meadow Pipit
1 Grey Wagtail
Dunnock
Robin
2 Stonechat
12+ Blackbird
1 Song Thrush
5 Chiffchaff
5 Long-tailed Tit
Great Tit
Blue Tit
Wren
Magpie
Carrion Crow
Jackdaw
Starling
House Sparrow
Chaffinch
Linnet
Goldfinch
1 Greenfinch

A juvenile Herring Gull in the Lower Horse Paddock, with a Carrion Crow to its right.

One of the two Meadow Pipits in butterfly reserve

And a female Stonechat in the reserve as well. The male was close-by

And one of the dozen or more Blackbirds seen along my walk.

And one...........

..........two.........

...............three Chiffchaffs along Broadcroft Quarry Lane.

Not many Long-tailed Tits seen today, this was one of just five seen along Wakeham Railway Cuttings.

Butterflies Recorded:
None


Bees Recorded:
None, though there were 4 Honey Bees (Apis mellifera) and 3 Ivy Bees (Colletes hederae) on the Ivy in the back garden when the sun was out and an hour before I left for my walk.

Wasps, Ichneumon Wasps, Parasitic Wasps and Gall Wasps Recorded:
Common Wasp (Vespula vulgaris)

And yep the Common Wasp in Wakeham Meadow is still going strong.

Hoverflies Recorded:
None


Bugs and Beetles Recorded:
None


Spiders Recorded:
1 Nurseryweb Spider (Pisaura mirabilis)

And a Nurseryweb Spider (Pisaura mirabilis)

General Shots:

Broadcroft Quarry Lane. This spot here opposite the Inert Recycling Centre, is great for Autumn warblers, tits and crests. Though having said that, I'm still waiting for a Yellow-browed Warbler, Pallas's Warbler and Firecrest to put in an appearance. There's still time!!

Ted:

Another good workout for Ted.

Ships Today:

This is the British Fishing Boat WH709 "The Rumrunner" fishing..................

.......... just off Portland's east coastline. Here is a photo of this vessel from 2009 here.

And my mystery ship today is this RFA vessel with a Merlin sat on its deck. I originally had the helicopter down as a Wildcat, but a big thank you to my good friend Ed Wilson (FoPL), who is not only a great naturalist and brilliant ornithologist, but also a very knowledgeable aircraft enthusiast. 

29 Oct 23

 Wakeham

I'm not sure it was a good idea to have both Flu and Covid jabs together, as I absolutely ache today. So it was a day recovering and as per normal, when I can't get out for a walk, here are a few highlights from this day over the past six years.

2022

A Firecrest along Wakeham Railway Cuttings

2020

A male Stonechat in the Lower Horse Paddock

2019

A Firecrest just north of Wakeham Railway Cuttings

2017

One of the two Yellow-browed Warblers along Broadcroft Quarry Lane on this day.

28 Oct 23

The Windmills and Easton Railway Cuttings

Today I was a pincushion, with a Covid jab in my right arm which I didn't feel go in at all and then 50 minutes later I had a very painful Flu Jab. It was like having a bruise and then someone coming along and thumping it. Not pleasant all.

Between jabs though I managed to get a quick walk in with Ted as the weather forecast for post-jabs was for heavy rain later. And they were right!!

So the walk was around The Windmills and Easton Railway Cuttings, which proved quite rewarding with a small flock of 5 Long-tailed Tits, 2 Goldcrests, 2 Great Tits and 2 Blue Tits. At the opposite end of the railway cuttings to north there were two Chiffchaff in the Ivy.

Other things of interest were a Speckled Wood and Red Admiral, plus a Common Dronefly.


Birds Recorded:
Herring Gull
Wood Pigeon
Dunnock
Blackbird
2 Chiffchaff
2 Goldcrest
5 Long-tailed Tit
2 Great Tit
2 Blue Tit
Wren
Magpie
Carrion Crow
Jackdaw
Starling
House Sparrow
Chaffinch
Goldfinch

A Goldcrest sat on the brambles. And...........

..........a second bird in amongst the rose-hips.

One of the five Long-tailed Tits at the southern end of the railway cuttings.

Butterflies Recorded:
1 Speckled Wood
1 Red Admiral

And a Speckled Wood. I don't think I've ever seen one so late in October

Hoverflies Recorded:
1 Common Dronefly (Eristalis tenax)


Flies, Craneflies, Gnats and Midges Recorded:
2 flies sp.

Two flies sp. sat on the leaves of a Buddleia.

General Shots:

Easton Railways Cuttings. At the far end were two Chiffchaffs in the Ivy.

Ted:

Fifteen Ted's. Has to be my best so far.

27 Oct 23

Chesil Cove

With the surf up along Chesil Beach and a break in the heavy showers, it was time to head to Chiswell to see if anything had been blown in.

Sadly as you can see from the list of birds below, it was pretty quiet.

Birds Recorded:
10+ Black-headed Gull
20+ Mediterranean Gull
11 Herring Gull
4 Great Black-backed Gull
1 Pied Wagtail

One of the ten plus Black-headed Gulls either seen flying or.............

............sat on the sea looking for tit-bits.

Unlike the adult Winter Mediterranean Gulls which........

............just kept flying up and down Chesil Beach and then picking off tit-bits in flight.

I've added this shot as this gull was so much smaller than the other gulls around it....

....It is a Mediterranean Gull, but a very small individual!!!

No mistaking an adult Winter Herring Gull.

And a 1st Winter Great Black-backed Gull with...........

................an Onion perhaps!!

It kept flying around.............

..........with it in its beak and then........

...........dropped it into the sea. Whatever it was it made a big splash and then popped up to the surface.

Fish Recorded:

Sea anglers call this a Lesser-spotted Dogfish, but in fact it is a Small-spotted Catfish. This one was washed up onto the beach. More on this small shark here.

General Shots:

Chesil Cove

The Little Ship Inn overlooking the beach. 

And looking further up the beach

Izzie & Ted:

Izzie taking Ted for a walk on the beach