9 Apr 25

Portland Bird Observatory, Top Fields and Crown Estate Fields

With a busy day ahead for me with a trip to the dentist, bank, opticians and insurance broker, I put in an early shift at the Obs and local fields. There had been two Ring Ouzels seen just before I arrived, but unfortunately they had departed by the time I reached their last known location.

En route to the Ring Ouzels last known position here I had some great highlights with 2 Swallows, 8 Meadow Pipit, 2 Stonechat, 5 Common Redstart, 2 Black Redstart, 20+ Wheatear and 20+ Chiffchaff/Willow Warbler

Birds Recorded:
1 Buzzard
1 Kestrel
1 Pheasant
Herring Gull
Stock Dove
Wood Pigeon
Skylark
2 Swallow
8 Meadow Pipit
2 Pied Wagtail
Dunnock
Robin
2 Stonechat
5 Common Redstart
2 Black Redstart
20+ Wheatear
Blackbird
20+ Chiffchaff/Willow Warbler
Magpie
Carrion Crow
Jackdaw
2 Raven
Starling
House Sparrow
Chaffinch
Linnet
Goldfinch

I thought I'd taken a decent photo of one of the two local "pale" Common Buzzards, until I realised it had ducked its head, in all the photos I took.

A Meadow Pipit

Whilst quite a few Meadow Pipits are still arriving, others are already nesting and feeding youngsters.

A male Stonechat

A male Common Redstart

Another male Common Redstart

And a video of one of the two male Common Redstarts (No sound)

A female Common Redstart

A female Black Redstart

Another female Black Redstart

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

..........another male.

Ahh not a Chiffchaff but a Willow Warbler in amongst the Alexanders (Smyrnium olusatrum).

Escapees, Ferals, Possibles Etc.
Feral pigeon


Butterflies Recorded:
1 Comma
10+ whites sp.


Bees Recorded:
2 Buff-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus terrestris)

1 nomada sp.

One of the nomada bees. Possibly a Painted Nomad Bee (Nomad fucata) which I have seen in April.

Flies, Craneflies, Gnats and Midges Recorded:
Many unidentified flies

General Shots:

One of the "Top Fields" where there were many migrants passing through.

From the Top Fields looking south towards the Obs Lighthouse and Portland Bill Lighthouse (right)

Ted:

Poor Ted cowering as 8 ponies passed us by.

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Wakeham

At 9:30pm, as I was letting Ted out into the back garden, a Barn Owl flew over Bumpers Lane and down over over the neighbouring gardens. For a good twenty minutes it could be heard screeching from across the road in front of the house.

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Chesil Beach

Sunset (Izzie Young)