Port and Wey: 2025

13 Mar 25

Portland Bird Observatory, Obs Quarry, Hut Fields, Portland Bill, The Slopes, Higher Lighthouse, Top Fields and Crown Estate Fields

With another rain free day, it was off to The Bill to see what was about. To be honest it was hard work in that very cold north-westerly and after walking for nearly 3 hours the best I could muster on the migrant front was: 5 Meadow Pipit, 3 Stonechat, 5 Wheatear and 1 Chiffchaff. It was good to stretch those legs though.

Mammals Recorded:
1 Grey Seal

A Grey Seal................

...........below the West Cliffs just north of the Pulpit

Birds Recorded:
6 Cormorant

2 Shag

1 Buzzard

1 Kestrel

5 Oystercatcher

4 Turnstone

Herring Gull

Great Black-backed Gull

0 Razorbill/Guillemot - Not a single bird seen!!

Stock Dove

Wood Pigeon

3 Skylark

5 Meadow Pipit

3 Rock Pipit

1 Pied Wagtail

Dunnock

Robin

3 Stonechat

5 Wheatear

Blackbird

1 Chiffchaff

Great Tit

Blue Tit

Wren

Magpie

Carrion Crow

Jackdaw

2 Raven

Starling

House Sparrow

Chaffinch

Linnet

Goldfinch

This Buzzard was holding itself pretty still in that strong north-westerly.

A male Kestrel looking for its next meal.

There was nothing much about so........

...........he decided to catch the bus back to Weymouth.

An Oystercatcher braves the waves for a meal.

Hot on the tail of these two Oystercatchers were..................

................these two Turnstones as they all..........

...............headed for the same rocky outcrop.

One of the 3 male Stonechats I came across this afternoon.

A male Wheatear................

...................feeding on "The Slopes"

Escapees, Ferals, Possibles Etc.
Feral pigeon

General Shots:

The "Slopes".

Ted:

Wait for me Ted!

Ships Today:

This is the Panamanian Vehicles Carrier "Iguazu Highway" on its way from Zeebrugge to Baltimore. More on this vessel here.

This is the British Fishing Boat PO18 "Boy Lynham" fishing just off Portland Bill. More on this vessel here.

On the left is the British Fishing Boat WH425 "Quarter Bell" and on the right is the British Fishing Boat WH296 "Portland Isle". Both vessels are fishing off Chesil Beach close to Abbotsbury. More on "Quarter Bell" here and "Portland Isle" here.

This is the French Passenger/Ro-Ro Cargo Ship "Cote Dalbatre" on its way from Dunkirk to Rosslare. More on this vessel here.

This is the Gibraltarian Oil/Chemical Tanker "Anton". It is on its way from Antwerp to Milford Haven. More on this vessel here.

This is the Container Ship "OOCL Montreal" flying the flag of Hong Kong. It is on its way from Montreal (Canada) to Southampton. The ship on the left is the "Anton". More on "OOCL Montreal" here.

Aircraft Today:

This is the British Coastguard AgustaWestland AW189, registration G-MCGU flying over Portland.

12 Mar 25

Lower Horse Paddock, Higher Horse Paddock, Broadcroft Butterfly Reserve, Broadcroft Quarry Lane, Bumpers Lane

With a dentist appointment this afternoon, I opted for an hours walk around the "block". Unfortunately there was a block in Bumpers Lane where a digger was either dealing with a rockfall or was building defences to stop one occurring. Either way the lane was impassable so I did an about turn and headed home.

Main highlight was a pair of Stonechats in the butterfly reserve. Also noted were at least 10 Robins singing along my walk, plus a male Pheasant in the Lower Horse Paddock.

Despite that chilly north-easterly, the Spring sun was just warm enough for a few Common Droneflies and a Vagrant Hoverfly to be out on the Alexanders and Wild Cherry flowers.

Birds Recorded:
1 Pheasant
Herring Gull
Wood Pigeon
Dunnock
10 Robin
2 Stonechat
Blackbird
Great Tit
Blue Tit
Wren
Magpie
Carrion Crow
Jackdaw
Starling
House Sparrow
Chaffinch
Goldfinch

On the butterfly reserve there were at least 6 Robins singing from different advantage points. There were a further 3 down Broadcroft Quarry Lane and one alongside the Lower Horse paddock

Just the one pair of..........

..............Stonechats in the butterfly reserve.

This Starling and a few others were in good voice.

A Goldfinch sat on a branch of this Elder Tree overlooking the Lower Horse Paddock.

Escapees, Ferals, Possibles Etc.

Feral pigeon

Bees Recorded:
Bumblebee sp.

Hoverflies Recorded:
Common Dronefly (Eristalis tenax)
Vagrant Hoverfly (Eupeodes corollae)

Two Common Droneflies (Eristalis tenax) on..............

..........Alexanders (Smyrnium olusatrum)

And two more on...........

...............Wild Cherry (Prunus avium)

My first Vagrant Hoverfly (Eupeodes corollae) of the year also on the Wild Cherry.

Flies, Craneflies, Gnats and Midges Recorded:
Many unidentified flies
Yellow Dung Fly (Scathophaga stercoraria)

A Yellow Dung Fly (Scathophaga stercoraria) on an Alexanders

Plants:
Alexanders (Smyrnium olusatrum)
Lesser Celandine (Ficaria verna)
Wild Cherry (Prunus avium)

Lesser Celandine (Ficaria verna)

Wild Cherry (Prunus avium)

Ted:

Yes Ted I've noticed it as well. One of the two big stone blocks has been in Broadcroft Quarry Lane.

General Shots:

Ahh that would be why. There is a bit of work on the loose rocks in Bumpers lane.

Ships Today:

This is the Maltese Ro-Ro Cargo Ship "Victorine" on its way from Zeebrugge to Cork. More on this vessel here.

11 Mar 25

Barleycrates Lane, West Cliff, Reap Lane Barn, Thumb Lane and Weston Street

It was another walk along the West Cliffs, to see what was about. There were more Wheatears today with 8 possibly more between Barleycrates Lane and Reap Lane Barn. Also along this stretch were 6 Stonechats and 2 Chiffchaffs.

Other highlights were a Common Buzzard circling overhead and a female Sparrowhawk which "smashed" into the hedge in front of me. Whether it caught anything or not, I'm unsure.

Birds Recorded:
1 Sparrowhawk

1 Buzzard

Herring Gull

Stock Dove

Wood Pigeon

Collared Dove

3 Skylark

3 Meadow Pipit

7 Pied Wagtail

Dunnock

Robin

6 Stonechat

8+ Wheatear

Blackbird

2 Chiffchaff

Great Tit

Blue Tit

Wren

Magpie

Carrion Crow

Jackdaw

Starling

House Sparrow

Chaffinch

Goldfinch

Below is a sequence of shots of a female Sparrowhawk moments before she crashed into the hedge in front of me. She came out with nothing.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

A Common Buzzard............

...............circling overhead.

In one of the fields along Barleycrates Lane were these two Pied Wagtails.

And these two.........

......another two and...........

.............this odd looking one. A 1st Winter White Wagtail perhaps!!

Here is a video of the 6 Pied Wagtails in the field alongside Barleycrates Lane. The only oddity is the last bird. Is this possibly a 1st Winter White Wagtail. There have been a few White Wagtails along this stretch for the past few days!! I'm sure someone will be able to advise.