26 Apr 24

Old Quarry Lane, Lower Horse Paddock, Higher Horse Paddock, Broadcroft Butterfly Reserve, Broadcroft Quarry Lane, Bumpers Lane, Wakeham Railway Cuttings (east), Wakeham Railway Cuttings and Wakeham Meadows.

Yet again it was another cloudy cold day, with the occasional spot of rain. Main highlight was a pair of Swifts over Bumpers Lane, my first for the year.

Other highlights were:
Fulmar: 1 over Bumpers Lane
Swallow: 20+ heading north over the reserve
Common Whitethroat: 2 males on the reserve.
Blackcap: A male singing in Wakeham Meadow
Chiffchaff: One singing again along Old Quarry Lane and another on the reserve.
Willow Warbler: 2 on the reserve
Greenfinch: A male on the butterfly reserve, 2m, 1f in Broadcroft Quarry Lane and 1 male Wakeham Railway Cuttings (east)


Birds Recorded:
1 Fulmar
2 Kestrel
Herring Gull
Wood Pigeon
Collared Dove
2 Swift
20+ Swallow
Dunnock
Robin
Blackbird
1 Song Thrush
2 Common Whitethroat
1 Blackcap
2 Chiffchaff
2 Willow Warbler
Long-tailed Tit
Great Tit
Blue Tit
Wren
Magpie
Carrion Crow
Jackdaw
Starling
House Sparrow
Chaffinch
Linnet
Goldfinch
4 Greenfinch

A Fulmar over Bumpers Lane

And a male Kestrel looking for its next meal.

An inquisitive Wood Pigeon keeps a wary eye on Ted who was walking under the tree it was sat in.

Along the Wakeham Railway Cuttings (west), a Robin stops for a break from collecting food for youngsters.

A Song Thrush looking for food on the reserve.

And one of the two Common Whitethroats on the reserve.

A bird that is always good to see and that is a Greenfinch. Sadly since 1979, Greenfinch numbers have dropped by 66% and made worse by birds contracting Trichomonosis, a parasite-induced disease in 2006, that prevented the birds from feeding properly. With a rapid decrease in numbers they were added to the red list in the 2021 Birds of Conservation Concern report. On Portland it does seem there are a few about, so hopefully their numbers will start to increase. More on Trichomonosis here.

A good dozen or more House Sparrows having a dust bath in Broadcroft Quarry Lane. On the far right, in the green foliage, a pair of Greenfinches look on.

And on the opposite side of the lane from the House Sparrows were these three Goldfinches

Butterflies Recorded:
None.


Bees Recorded:
Buff-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus terrestris)
Red-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus lapidarius)

A Buff-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus terrestris)

And a Red-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus lapidarius) both on Wall Cotoneaster (Cotoneaster horizontalis)

Hoverflies Recorded:
1 Chequered Hoverfly (Melanostoma scalare)

On one of the Wild Strawberry's was this Chequered Hoverfly (Melanostoma scalare). The only hoverfly I came across today.

Plants:

Wild Strawberry (Fragaria vesca)

Horseshoe Vetch (Hippocrepis comosa)

Wall Cotoneaster (Cotoneaster horizontalis)

Cowslips (Primula veris)

Red Clover (Trifolium pratense)

Meadow Buttercup (Ranunculus arvensis)

Common Daisy (Bellis perennis)
Herb Robert (Geranium robertianum)

Pendulous Sedge (Carex pendula)

Horse Chestnut (Aesculus hippocastanum)

This is Wild Strawberry (Fragaria vesca) and.......

............not only is it in flower but it's also has a few strawberries forming. More on this plant here.

Horseshoe Vetch (Hippocrepis comosa) flowering in amongst the Wall Cotoneaster (Cotoneaster horizontalis)

These Cowslips (Primula veris) in the butterfly reserve are just starting to "go over".

In this little patch in Wakeham Meadow we have Red Clover (Trifolium pratense), Meadow Buttercup (Ranunculus arvensis) and Common Daisy (Bellis perennis)

This large clump of flowers is Herb Robert (Geranium robertianum). It is............

...............also known as Red Robin, Death come quickly, Storksbill, Fox Geranium, Stinking Bob, Squinter-pip, Crow's Foot and Roberts Geranium.

This is Pendulous Sedge (Carex pendula), a common sedge............ 

...........which can be found in wet woodlands and riversides. More on this sedge here. 

I've never noticed this before in Wakeham Meadow, but.........

.............this is a small Horse Chestnut tree (Aesculus hippocastanum). More on this tree here.

Ted:

Yes I know what that look means Ted. I'm coming!!

Ships Today:

On the left is the Cypriot Container Ship "Samskip Endeavour" on its way from Waterford (Ireland) to Rotterdam and on the right is the Dutch General Cargo Ship "Elisa K" on its way from Amsterdam to Liverpool. More on "Samskip Endeavour" here and "Elisa K" here

This is the British Fishing Boat - WH757 "Freeliner". There is no further info on this vessel.