I just managed a walk before the rain arrived, the first bit of precipitation we have had during daylight hours for quite sometime.
Main highlights were a pair of Stonechats on the butterfly reserve and a Chiffchaff in the hedgerow next to the Lower Horse Paddock.
Also noted were several bees and hoverflies.
Birds Recorded:
1 Cormorant
Hoverflies Recorded:
A split second after I photographed the Tapered Dronefly above, this Hairy-eyed Flower Fly (Syrphus torvus) landed on the same bramble leaf.
Flies, Craneflies, Gnats and Midges Recorded:
Many unidentified flies
Ted:
Ships Today:
Birds Recorded:
1 Cormorant
Herring Gull
2 Great Black-backed Gull
Stock Dove
Wood Pigeon
Dunnock
Robin
2 Stonechat
Blackbird
1 Chiffchaff
Great Tit
Blue Tit
Wren
Magpie
Carrion Crow
Jackdaw
Starling
House Sparrow
Chaffinch
Linnet
Goldfinch
An adult Cormorant in breeding plumage heading up Portland's east coast.
A lone Stock Dove in the Lower Horse paddock.
As I walked around one of the many Gorse Bushes on the butterfly reserve, this female Stonechat flew up onto a twig next to me.
Her partner wasn't so obliging and having landed on this Gorse Bush .........
.........decided this bramble was a better perch.
Escapees, Ferals, Possibles Etc.
Feral pigeon
Bees Recorded:
Feral pigeon
Bees Recorded:
Buff-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus terrestris)
Honey Bee (Apis mellifera)
andrena sp.
Buff-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus terrestris)
Another Buff-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus terrestris) on a Wild Cherry (Prunus avium)
A Honey Bee (Apis mellifera) on Alexanders (Smyrnium olusatrum)
This is one of the andrena species..........
............of bee also on the Alexanders
2 Tapered Dronefly (Eristalis pertinax)
1 Hairy-eyed Flower Fly (Syrphus torvus)
1 Syrphus sp.
Slender Melanostoma (Melanostoma scalare)
A Tapered Dronefly (Eristalis pertinax)
And another Tapered Dronefly (Eristalis pertinax)
A Syrphus sp.
I hope I have got this right. A Slender Melanostoma (Melanostoma scalare) on Alexanders (Smyrnium olusatrum)
Many unidentified flies
Ted:
Yes Ted I know you're waiting for me!!
Ships Today:
This is the Liberian Oil Products Tanker "Monjasa Promotor" on its way from Le Havre to Weymouth Bay. More on this vessel here.