After a check-up at the dentist I stopped off at Portland Castle Beach to see what was about. The reason I chose the harbour was because of the strong south-westerly which was gusting at around 35mph. I think anywhere else and it would have be nigh impossible to see anything. Another reason for the location was also to check on my Kayak which is now tethered to a wall legally, next to Portland Castle.
As it was the only highlights here were 11 Cormorants and a juvenile Shag sat on the Portland Marina breakwater.
I could be wrong here, but I believe that out of the 11 Cormorants here, there are at least 5 immatures, with their white chests. Also in the photo is I think a juvenile Shag (2nd in from the right), plus 6 Herring Gulls.
Five Herring Gulls taking shelter on the leeward side of breakwater.
Escapees, Ferals, Possibles Etc. Feral pigeon
General Shots:
Portland Castle Beach where my kayak is "berthed".
Aircraft Today:
Below are a few photos and videos of the HeliOperations AgustaWestland AW139 Reg. G-GSAR carrying out manoeuvres in and around its Portland Base. More on this aircraft here and here.
A here we have it landing on the wall of Portland Castle. Very impressive!! 😂😂
With Ted at the groom room, it was an opportunity to have an hours walk at Radipole. With more time I would have walked around the whole reserve, but with the time I had, I chose to walk from Goldcroft Avenue here, where I parked the car, to the North Hide here and back.
Lots of highlights this afternoon including (can you believe it) my first Sedge Warbler of the year!!
1 Common Darter Sympetrum striolatum 8+ Blue-tailed Damselfly Ischnura elegans
A Scarce ChaserLibellula fulva
As above.
And another Scarce Chaser
This is a................
.............female Common DarterSympetrum striolatum
It even let me video it from close range.
A Blue-tailed DamselflyIschnura elegans
And another Blue-tailed Damselfly.
A male Banded DemoiselleCalopteryx splendens along.........
.........the bank of the River Wey
And another shot of it.
Butterflies Recorded: Large White Pieris brassicae Small White Pieris rapae Speckled Wood Pararge aegeria Meadow Brown Maniola jurtina Gatekeeper Pyronia tithonus Red Admiral Vanessa atalanta Comma Polygonia c-album
Comma Polygonia c-album and.................
.............another Comma....................
................And one more. This time showing the "comma" on the underwing.
An Amber SnailSuccinea putris. And a new mollusc for my P&W list.
Plants:
Meadowsweet Filipendula ulmaria
Bulrush Typha latifolia
I don't think I have ever.............
.............seen so many MeadowsweetsFilipendula ulmaria in flower.
In the reedbeds Bulrush Typha latifolia..........
........which is also known as Great Reedmace.
General Shots:
Apparently this will be the "normal" on some of the RSPB Reserves in Dorset. So instead of spending money in cutting back vegetation etc, so that the public have good access around some of the quieter reserves, money saved here will be invested in wildlife instead. What a great idea.
It was a late walk, in slightly cooler conditions and a walk which has lots of spots where Ted could sit in the shade.
Main highlight was the incredible number of Six-Spot Burnet moths with well over 50 seen. Other highlights were 4 Swallows heading south and a Chiffchaff calling by the meadow.
Today I saw my first Chalkhill Blue for the year along Old Quarry Lane, and was one of 12 butterfly species recorded along my walk.
Butterflies Recorded: 1 Small Skipper Thymelicus sylvestris 10+ Large White Pieris brassicae 10+ Small White Pieris rapae 6 Green-veined White Pieris napi 2 Speckled Wood Pararge aegeria 4 Ringlet Aphantopus hyperantus 5 Meadow Brown Maniola jurtina 20+ Gatekeeper Pyronia tithonus 1 Marbled White Melanargia galathea 2 Red Admiral Vanessa atalanta 10+ Common Blue Polyommatus icarus 6 Chalk Hill Blue Polyommatus coridon
A Speckled WoodPararge aegeria
A RingletAphantopus hyperantus on...........
...............a bramble flower.
A GatekeeperPyronia tithonus
My first female................
..................... Common BluePolyommatus icarus this year.
And my first Chalk Hill BluePolyommatus coridon.............................
Bugs and Beetles Recorded: Common Green Capsid Lygocoris pabulinus Common Red Soldier Beetle Rhagonycha fulva Potato Capsid Closterotomus norwegicus Swollen-thighed Beetle Oedemera nobilis
A female Swollen-thighed BeetleOedemera nobilis on Common RagwortJacobaea vulgaris
Possibly a Potato CapsidClosterotomus norwegicus
Crickets and Grasshoppers Recorded: Meadow Grasshopper Chorthippus parallelus
A very nice pose by a Meadow GrasshopperChorthippus parallelus
Lacewings and Scorpionflies Recorded: Green Lacewing Chrysoperla carnea
I could be wrong here, but I believe that out of the 11 Cormorants here, there are at least 5 immatures, with their white chests. Also in the photo is I think a juvenile Shag (2nd in from the right), plus 6 Herring Gulls.
