22 Apr 24

Sweethill Farm, Top Fields, Crown Estate Fields, Culverwell, Portland Birds Obs Meadow and Sweethill Footpath

Well that didn't last long. The last few days have been dry and sunny, but today it was back normal with grey skies and drizzle.

I thought I'd give the Top Fields and the farm a try this morning, in the hope of seeing both Whinchat and Common Redstart. I failed on both accounts.

But I did record:
Sand Martin/House Martin/Swallow: 100+ coming off the sea and heading inland.
Stonechat: 2 females in the Top Fields
Wheatear: 8 in the Top Fields
Common Whitethroat: 1 Sweethill Farm, 1 Culverwell and 1 PBO Meadow
Lesser Whitethroat: 1 PBO Meadow
Blackcap: 1 PBO Meadow
Chiffchaff: 3 along the hedgerows close to PBO Meadow.
Willow Warbler: 2 Sweethill Footpath

Birds Recorded:
Buzzard
Kestrel
2 Pheasant
Herring Gull
Wood Pigeon
Skylark
100+ Sand Martin/House Martin/Swallow
Meadow Pipit
Pied Wagtail
Dunnock
Robin
2 Stonechat
8 Wheatear
Blackbird
Song Thrush
3 Common Whitethroat
1 Lesser Whitethroat
1 Blackcap
3 Chiffchaff
2 Willow Warbler
Great Tit
Blue Tit
Wren
Magpie
Carrion Crow
Jackdaw
1 Raven
Starling
House Sparrow
Chaffinch
Linnet
Goldfinch
Greenfinch

A Buzzard with a very large Rat in its talons.

A male Kestrel over the farm.

There were several Meadow Pipits around with....

............this one keeping an eye on me.

And there were also a few Wheatears about including........

.........these two males.

A Common Whitethroat by Culverwell and its......

...........cousin the Lesser Whitethroat, which...........

.......was feeding in the PBO Meadow hedgerow

A male Blackcap keeping a low profile in this Elder Tree

At Sweethill Farm there were around 30 Linnets. Here are a few of them.

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

Ted:

Yes Ted, I'm coming.

Ships Today:

On the far left is the Cypriot Container Ship "Elbsprinter", next is the Cypriot General Cargo Ship "Amuleth", third one along is the Dutch General Cargo Ship "RDJ Maasstroom" on its way from Ghent to Liverpool. And the ship on the far right is the Italian Vehicles Carrier "Grande Spagna" on its way from Ringaskiddy (Ireland) to Antwerp. More on "RDJ Maasstroom" here and "Grande Spagna" here.

 

"Elbsprinter" on its way from Southampton to Dublin. More on this vessel here.

"Amuleth" on its way from Antwerp to Eastham. More on this vessel here.

This is the British Trawler WY37 'Nicola-L' trawling along Portland's west coast. There is no info on this vessel but there is a close-up photo of her in Weymouth Harbour here.

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Ferrybridge

After a quick trip into Weymouth late afternoon, I stopped off at Ferrybridge. Highlights here in the rain were my first Little Terns this Spring, plus 7 Bar-tailed Godwits. Also seen here were a few Dunlin and Oystercatchers.

Two pairs of Little Terns on the buoys.