After a trip to the recycling centre, it was off to Fancys Farm and the High Angle Battery to see what Spring migrants were about.
First off was a Wheatear which popped up onto the fence surrounding the farm and then a male Stonechat. However after watching the male Stonechat for a short spell, it became quite obvious it was collecting food for youngsters. So a resident bird not one passing through.
Other birds which were moving through though were a Common Whitethroat, a Blackcap, a lone Chiffchaff and 4 other Wheatears.
In the goat field on the farm were a dozen or so Herring Gulls with a pair of Lesser Black-backed Gulls with their bright yellow legs. Also here were 20+ corvids, mainly Carrion Crows, a few Jackdaws and two Rooks. The latter not often seen on the island.
Earlier a lone Rook took off from the field and returned twenty minutes later with a second bird. Question here is, did this individual purposefully fly off to find its mate, or were these two new birds!!
Birds Recorded:
1 Buzzard
2 Kestrel
Herring Gull
2 Lesser Black-backed Gull
Wood Pigeon
Dunnock
Robin
1 Stonechat
5 Wheatear
4 Blackbird
1 Song Thrush
1 Common Whitethroat
1 Blackcap
1 Chiffchaff
Great Tit
Blue Tit
Wren
Magpie
Rook
Carrion Crow
Jackdaw
House Sparrow
Chaffinch
Linnet
Goldfinch
A pair of Lesser Black-backed Gulls, behind the fence at Fancys Farm.
A male Stonechat
There are still a few............
................Wheatears moving through.
Now this lone Rook was in the grounds of the farm and then flew off.
Later two others returned.
Here they are again, with a Jackdaw top left and a Carrion Crow top right.
And a short video of them feeding in the goats field.
A Jackdaw on top of the cliffs.
A female Linnet
And a Goldfinch.
Feral pigeon
Bees Recorded:
3 Buff-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus terrestris)
1 Common Carder Bee (Bombus pascuorum) - deceased
A deceased Common Carder Bee (Bombus pascuorum)
Blackthorn (Prunus spinosa)
Bluebell (Hyacinthoides non-scripta)
Common Daisy (Bellis perennis)
Common Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale)
Common Hawkweed (Hieracium vulgatum)
Common Hawkweed (Hieracium vulgatum)
Yes Ted it's me taking a photograph of you. He looks surprised!!
Portland Harbour with........
.......the British Royal Fleet Auxiliary ship A130 "Tideforce" being helped out of the harbour by...........
.................the British Tugs "Rupert Best" and.............
..................."Maiden Castle".
This is the Finnish General Cargo Ship "Marilie" moored up in the harbour. More on this vessel here.
This is the Maltese Chemical/Oil Products Tanker "Monjasa Provider" moored up in Portland Harbour before it headed out into Weymouth Bay. More on this vessel here.