12 Jan 20

Portland Marina

Late afternoon and a Great Northern Diver was diving down between the pontoons and catching crabs.

This Great Northern Diver.......

........is quite a home in the marina.

It spent a lot of time diving down for food. On this occasion I was anticipating where it would pop up.

Portland Bird Observatory, Obs Quarry, The Pulpit, QinetiQ, Slopes, West Cliff, Higher Lighthouse, Top Fields and Crown Estate Fields

A bit of a repeat from the 9 Jan, but this time no hint of rain and I was able to carry on to the Top Fields and Crown Estate Fields without getting a soaking this time.

Today's weather was really sunny, though that brisk westerly was pretty chilly, especially along the West Cliff.

Today's highlights were a few year ticks with 4 Purple Sandpipers behind the Obelisk, a Sparrowhawk zooming across the Crown Estate Fields where there was also my first Buzzard of the year and 5 Linnet.

In the Top Fields I counted 9 Skylarks in one of the fields and as I continued pass other fields I began to realise that the 9 was in fact around 90+. I've never seen so many!!

And finally my last image taken today was of a strange fungi I found on the West Cliffs. So odd it has a few fungi experts interested. More below...........

Here are a few images from today:

It was difficult to get a decent photo of these Purple Sandpipers.

Unfortunately I was looking straight into the sun.

This video wasn't much better, but it does show you how close to the edge these Sandpipers live as the waves crash over them.

Two Oystercatchers in breeding plumage.

Along the West Cliff there were at least 8 Common Gulls.

There are plenty of corvids at The Bill. Magpies, Ravens, Jackdaws and the odd Carrion Crow or two.

My first Buzzard of the year in the Crown Estate Fields.

And finally an odd looking fungi, which even has the experts a bit baffled. Apparently it could be a Waxcap and possibly more than one here. It's unusual because it's late, and normally seen between August and November, but then it has been pretty mild here. It is certainly in the right habitat, as Waxcap's prefer south-facing slopes on calcareous unimproved grassland. I have been asked to return to where I found it and take specimen for further analysis. So watch this space.

Birds Recorded: Gannet, Cormorant, Shag, 1 Sparrowhawk, 1 Buzzard, Kestrel, Oystercatcher, 4 Purple Sandpiper, Herring Gull, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Great Black-backed Gull, 8 Common Gull, Razorbill, Guillemot, Wood Pigeon, 90+ Skylark, Meadow Pipit, Rock Pipit, Dunnock, Robin, Blackbird, Wren, Magpie, Carrion Crow, Jackdaw, Raven, Starling, Chaffinch, 5 Linnet and Goldfinch

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On this day..........

2019
Today's Sightings Here.

2018
Today's Sightings Here.

11 Jan 20

Wakeham Railway Cuttings, Penns Wood, St Andrew's Church, Church Ope Cove and Church Ope Cove Wood

It was a struggle to find anything decent today, though I shouldn't complain with 2 Firecrests and a Chiffchaff in Penns Wood and another Firecrest along the steps leading up to Rufus Castle. But that was it for the overwintering birds.

Elsewhere there were 2 Wrens on the beach (not a Rock Pipit to be seen), a Grey Wagtail in the tree tops next to Rufus Castle and a pair of Ravens at the back of the cove.

On the beach there was a fair bit of a commotion with a Great Black-backed Gull and a dozen or so Herring Gulls squabbling over a dead Conger Eel.

Here are a few images from today:

It wasn't just a struggle to find any birds of note, but a struggle to get them to pose when you found one, just like this Firecrest. This individual and another close by were busy searching for food in Penns Wood. 

At the back of the cove were these two Ravens.

That is one powerful beak!!

Often or not I find Herring Gulls on the rocks at the cove, so it made a change to see a 1st Winter Great Black-backed Gull.

And the Snowdrops are still in bloom at the top of Penns Wood.

Birds Recorded: Cormorant, Herring Gull, Great Black-backed Gull, Wood Pigeon, 1 Grey Wagtail, Dunnock, Robin, Blackbird, 1 Chiffchaff, 3 Firecrest, 12+ Long-tailed Tit, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Wren, Magpie, Carrion Crow, 2 Raven, Chaffinch and Goldfinch

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On this day..........

2019
Today's Sightings Here.

2018
Today's Sightings Here.

10 Jan 20

Wakeham

Here is tonight's Wolf Moon and a penumbral eclipse as the moon dims as it passes through the Earth's penumbral shadow.

Wakeham Railway Cuttings, Penns Wood, St Andrew's Church, Church Ope Cove, Church Ope Cove Wood, Penn's Weare, Penn's Copse, Rufus Castle and Portland Museum

What a lovely sunny day with just the odd cloud or two passing overhead. Makes a change to have some decent weather for once. It has been awhile.

Main highlights today were 2 Firecrests in Penns Wood and a Chiffchaff on the south facing cliffs at Church Ope Cove.

Also about were 2 Oystercatchers, 2 Rock Pipits, a Pied Wagtail and a Grey Wagtail on the beach. Out to sea were a couple Cormorants, Herring Gulls and a Black-headed Gull.

Despite the sunny weather there were no insects seen, other than a few Kelp Flies.

Here are a few images from today:

Church Ope Cove, where today the only inhabitants were.......

.................a pair of Oystercatchers.

Lots of preening going on and interesting to note that their "black-tipped" Winter beaks have changed to their Summer all orange bills.

A Grey Wagtail on the beach eyeing up the Kelp flies.

The over-wintering is still at Church Ope Cove..

And at long last someone has noticed that the coast path behind the huts had almost fallen away and have now widened it. A job well done.

Mammals Recorded: Grey Squirrel

Birds Recorded: Cormorant, 2 Oystercatcher, 1 Black-headed Gull, Herring Gull, Wood Pigeon, 2 Rock Pipit, 1 Pied Wagtail, 1 Grey Wagtail, Dunnock, Robin, Blackbird, 1 Chiffchaff, 2 Firecrest, 10+ Long-tailed Tit, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Wren, Magpie, Carrion Crow, Chaffinch and Goldfinch

Flies Recorded: Kelp Fly (Coelopa frigida)

Note

Amazingly a Wryneck was seen on Portland today. More Here.

Ships Today

This is the British Cargo Ship "Hartland Point" on its way............

............... from Plymouth to Southampton. More on this vessel Here.

This is the Container Ship "Mol Trust" flying the flag of the Marshall Islands............

........... It is on its way from Singapore to Southampton. The waves in the foreground are breaking over the Shambles Sandbank. More on this vessel Here.

At one point "Hartland Point" caught up with "Mol Trust".

This is the Cypriot Tanker "BG Jade" on its way from Cork to Rotterdam. More on this vessel Here.

This is the Cypriot Container Ship "Amaranth" on its way from Gdynia (Poland) to Portbury. More on this vessel Here.

This is the Tanker "Antwerpen" flying the flag of Hong Kong. It is on its way from Kaarsto (Norway) to Portland Harbour. More on this vessel Here.

Aircraft Today

This is the British Coast Guard - Beech Super King Air 200 fixed wing aircraft "G-HMGA".

It was a 1980 airframe - N225SE until it arrived on the UK register in May 2019. It has since been modified, role equipped and flying coastal missions along the English Channel from its base in Doncaster. Today it was doing circuits over Portland.

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On this day..........

2019
Today's Sightings Here.

2018
Today's Sightings Here.

9 Jan 20

Portland Bird Observatory, Obs Quarry, The Pulpit, QinetiQ, West Cliff and Slopes

A lovely sunny start to the day, which ended with me and Ted getting a good soaking, as a weather front came across the Channel. We nearly made it back to the car, but the elements beat us.

Despite getting wet, it was a good walk for the first 90 minutes and in that time I managed to add a few more birds to my year list. The first was a Skylark with quite a few birds singing from all around the Obs. A good start.

Next were Guillemots and Razorbills, with good numbers of both, heading east across the Races.

To the east of The Bill, were many gulls including my first Lesser Black-backed Gulls of the year.

I had a good look for the Purple Sandpipers around the Obelisk and Pulpit, but with the heavy seas and crashing waves the several that have been here this Winter, had been forced to move to a quieter location.

On the way up the Slopes I came across a Black Redstart in the grounds of QinetiQ where there were also over 20 Meadow Pipits in the grass.

Along the West Cliff were 2 Fulmars, Herring Gulls, Great Black-backed Gulls and a flock of 20+ Jackdaws.

I had intended to walk up to the Higher Lighthouse and then back down through the Top Fields and Crown Estate Fields, but sadly the rain began to fall and well the rest is history. 💧☔💧☔

Here are a few images from today:

The "Red Crane" on the east coast of Portland. More Here.

And the view south with The Pulpit on the left and the approaching weather front coming across the sea.

A Rock Pipit by the Pulpit

Along the West Cliffs were........

.............these 2 Fulmars.

In the grounds of QinetiQ a Black Redstart

Birds Recorded: 2 Fulmar, Gannet, Cormorant, Shag, Pheasant, Oystercatcher, Herring Gull, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Great Black-backed Gull, Razorbill, Guillemot, Wood Pigeon, Skylark, Meadow Pipit, Rock Pipit, Dunnock, Robin, 1 Black Redstart, Blackbird, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Wren, Magpie, Carrion Crow, Jackdaw, Raven, Starling and Chaffinch.

Slugs and Snails Recorded: Brown-lipped Banded Snail (Cepaea nemoralis)

Ships Today

This is the Cargo Ship "NYK Constellation" flying the flag of the Marshall Islands.

It is on its way from Antwerp (Belgium) to Savannah (Georgia, USA). More on this vessel Here.

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On this day..........

2019
Today's Sightings Here.

2018
Today's Sightings Here.

8 Jan 20

Wakeham Wood, Penns Wood, St Andrew's Church, Church Ope Cove, Church Ope Cove Wood, Penn's Weare, Penn's Copse, Rufus Castle and Wakeham Railway Cuttings.

Weather-wise a much better day. The dense fog of yesterday dispersed through the night and though it was a cloudy day, at least the visibility was better.

Today's main highlight was 2 Firecrests in Penns Wood, plus an increase in Long-tailed Tit numbers with 37 recorded in two flocks.

Here is a breakdown of what was seen and where.

Wakeham Railway Cuttings: 25 Long-tailed Tit, 1 Song Thrush and 12+ Chaffinches

Penns Wood: 2 Goldcrest, 2 Firecrest, 12 Long-tailed Tit, 1 Song Thrush, 4 Blackbirds and 12+ Chaffinches

Church Ope Cove: 2 Rock Pipit and 2 Ravens. Out to sea 10 Herring Gulls and a Cormorant.

Church Ope Cove Wood: 1 Chiffchaff

Wakeham Wood: 19 Goldfinch and a Kestrel

Also of note were 3 Dunnocks all singing at 3 different locations. Spring is in the air!!!

With the mild damp conditions a Black Slug on Penn's Weare wasn't unexpected, but a Winter Moth in Penn's Copse was a bit of a surprise, especially as it was the first one I have ever come across

Being so damp there appears to be more and more lichens appearing and today was no exception with 2 species on a Cotoneaster. Just need to ID them.

On the beach I found dozens of sandhoppers under the rocks.

Here are a few images from today:

It appears to be a good Winter for Firecrests with this one and.........

.........this second bird both frequenting Penns Wood.

A Song Thrush in the tree tops in Penns wood. There was another Song Thrush along the Railway Cuttings.

At the back of the cove a Chiffchaff feeding in amongst the brambles behind the huts,

A Dunnock. This one was silent but I came across 3 separate birds singing. Spring!!!

Whether its because there are few leaves on the trees, I dont know, but I'm seeing an awful lot of Grey Squirrels here in Wakeham

In Penn's Copse I came across this...........

...............Winter Moth, Operophtera brumata. A lifer.

This is a sandhopper and a member of the Amphipods, an order of crustacea which are shrimp-like in form.

There are many species of Sandhopper, but the most common one in the UK is Talitrus saltator. More on this sandhopper Here.

The two lichens here are foliose lichens which have flat leaf-like structures and at least.......

............narrows them down from the other 8 growth forms, which are fruticose (leafless branches), crustose (crust-like), squamulose (small leaf-like scales), leprose (powdery), gelatinous (jelly-like), filamentous (stringy), byssoid (wispy) and structureless. More on lichens here and here.

Another Smokey Bracket (Bjerkandera adusta) in Penns Wood.

Mammals Recorded: Grey Squirrel

Birds Recorded: Cormorant, Kestrel, Herring Gull, Great Black-backed Gull, Wood Pigeon, 2 Rock Pipit, Dunnock, Robin, Blackbird, 2 Song Thrush, 1 Chiffchaff, 2 Goldcrest, 2 Firecrest, 37 Long-tailed Tit, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Wren, Magpie, Carrion Crow, Jackdaw, 2 Raven, Starling, Chaffinch and Goldfinch

Moths Recorded: Winter Moth (Operophtera brumata)

Flies Recorded: Kelp Fly (Coelopa frigida)

Slugs and Snails Recorded: Black Slug (Arion ater)

Amphipods Recorded: Sandhopper probably Talitrus saltator

Fungi Recorded: Smokey Bracket (Bjerkandera adusta)

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On this day..........

2019
Today's Sightings Here.

2018
Today's Sightings Here.