25 Feb 20

Penns Wood, St Andrew's Church, Church Ope Cove Wood and Church Ope Cove

A break in the weather around midday saw me and Ted off on our daily walk. Main highlights, as the sun came out, were singles of Firecrest in Penns Wood and another at the back of the cove. A Grey Wagtail was on the beach, but flew off just as we arrived.

Other sightings were 5 Wall Lizards in the grounds of St Andrew's Church and there was another one in its usual spot at the back of the cove.

The sun was out long enough (before the clouds rolled in again) for a few flies (mainly Muscid flies) and a Migrant Hoverfly to be out on the Alexanders.

Here are a few images from today:

Quite a few Dunnocks are in good voice at the moment.

And also several Robins were.........

.........singing as well. This one at the back of the cove.

In the centre of the frame should have been the Firecrest. However the little so and so had other ideas and ended up in the top left hand corner of the frame. They are so quick.

When the sun goes, its time to head back to your hole...........

...........and wait.........

...........for the sun to come back out again.

A Migrant Hoverfly. I'm finding more of these than the "usual" Marmalade Hoverflies.

Not the most inspiring of names, Yellow Dung Fly, but a pretty looking fly nevertheless.

One of the Muscid Flies. This is Phaonia subventa and out in good numbers especially around the Alexanders and Japanese Spindle

Rufus Castle from Church Ope Cove.

Birds Recorded: Herring Gull, Wood Pigeon, 1 Grey Wagtail, Dunnock, Robin, Blackbird, 2 Firecrest, Long-tailed Tit, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Wren, Magpie, Carrion Crow, House Sparrow, Chaffinch and Goldfinch

Reptiles Recorded: Wall Lizard (Podarcis muralis)

Hoverflies Recorded: 1 Migrant Hoverfly (Meliscaeva auricollis)

Flies, Gnats and Midges Recorded: Kelp Fly (Coelopa frigida), Muscid Fly (Phaonia subventa) and several Yellow Dung Fly (Scathophaga stercoraria)

Ships Today

This is the British Supply Vessel "Wind Innovation" just off Portland. More on this vessel Here.

This is the Cargo ship "Hav Dolphin" flying the flag of Antigua Barbuda. It is on its way from Hamburg (Germany) to Coruna (Spain). More on this vessel Here.

This is the British Tug "MTS Valour" on its way from Brixham to Portland Harbour. More on this vessel Here.

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

2019
Today's Sightings Here.

2018
Today's Sightings Here.

24 Feb 20

Ferrybridge

No chance to get out for a walk today, as the rain just kept pouring. However it did eventually stop late afternoon, but by then I was in Weymouth. On the way back home there were around 40+ Brent Geese on the sandflats at 5:00pm.

This was the view from the Portland Heights Hotel mid-afternoon. Pretty dire.

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

2019
Today's Sightings Here.

2018
Today's Sightings Here.

23 Feb 20

Lower Horse Paddocks, Broadcroft Quarry Lane, Broadcroft Pools, Shepherd's Dinner, Rufus Castle, Church Ope Cove, St Andrew's Church and Penns Wood

Another change to my normal route and today I added on Broadcroft Quarry Lane, Broadcroft Pools and Shepherd's Dinner.

The 8 Stonechat in the Lower Horse Paddock are down to just a pair, but the Meadow Pipits are up to 11 birds. Also here were a Pheasant, Chaffinches, Goldfinches, 2 Pied Wagtails, 15+ House Sparrows and a Goldcrest in the Fir trees. A Song Thrush was singing within a Bramble Bush and another around Bumpers Lane Quarry.

Not much along my additional route but when I reached the South-west Coast Path, above The Cuttings there were 4 more Stonechats and a single Meadow Pipit.

Elsewhere there were 2 Firecrests calling to each other in Penns Wood, both were seen, but no photos unfortunately.

Here are a few images from today:

This Pheasant is quite at home in the fields at the back of Wakeham. He's been here for a few months now, even venturing down to Penns Wood on a few occasions.

Along Broadcroft Quarry Lane the Wild Cherry is blossoming well.

In the quarry close to Shepherd's Dinner these Giant Viper's Bugloss, Echium pininana, look like something out Jurassic Park. This Summer they should all be in flower.

Long "Strings" of Toad Spawn in the Shepherd's Dinner area. Camouflaged by the mud thrown up by the large tractors that pass along this track.

Still a few Stonechats about. These two were with a party of 4 birds along the South-west Coast Path above The Cuttings.

And a fly to ID

Mammals Recorded: 1 Bunny

Birds Recorded: 1 Pheasant, Herring Gull, Wood Pigeon, Collared Dove, 12 Meadow Pipit, 2 Pied Wagtail, Dunnock, Robin, 6 Stonechat, Blackbird, 1 Goldcrest, 2 Firecrest, Long-tailed Tit, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Wren, Magpie, Carrion Crow, Jackdaw, Starling, House Sparrow, Chaffinch and Goldfinch

Flies, Gnats and Midges Recorded: Fly sp.

Ships Today

This is the Italian LPG Tanker "Syn Zania"..............

.............on its way into Portland Harbour. More on this vessel Here.

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

2019
Today's Sightings Here.

2018
Today's Sightings Here.

22 Feb 20

Lower Horse paddocks, Bumpers Lane, Rufus Castle, Church Ope Cove, Church Ope Cove Wood, St Andrew's Church and Penns Wood

After the early morning rain had moved on, the sun eventually came out and for my walk today I decided to change my route slightly.

I'm glad I did, as I came across 8 Stonechats (5 male, 3 female) in the Lower Horse paddock, just behind the Alessandria Hotel in Wakeham. It is that time of year when the Stonechats appear on Portland, but I certainly wasn't expecting to see 8 together. Also in the field were 7 Meadow Pipits.

Elsewhere there was a small flock of Long-tailed Tits just below Rufus Castle and another flock in Penns Wood. Also in the wood were dozens of Chaffinches and Goldfinches, plus a fly-by Grey Wagtail. Sadly no crests seen or heard today, either at the back of the cove or in the wood.

Also about were a few Wall Lizards in the grounds of St Andrew's Church and around the cove I came across 3 Migrant Hoverflies.

Other insects on the wing were 4 Buff-tailed Bumblebees, 2 Tapered Droneflies, a Muscid Fly, 2 Yellow Dung Flies, a Common Green Shieldbug and my first ladybird of the year, a Harlequin Ladybird (Harmonia axyridis, form - succinea)

Here are a few images from today:

One of the male Stonechats in the Lower Horse Paddocks

And another male. In fact there were 5 males and 3 females.

Also in the paddock were several Meadow Pipits.

An adult Wall Lizard in the church grounds.

And the usual spot which regularly sees one or two Wall Lizards in a hole shared by Garden Snails.

In Penns Wood a Common Green Shieldbug

Harlequin Ladybird (Harmonia axyridis, form - succinea)

A Migrant Hoverfly, one of three seen today.

A Yellow Dung Fly with two............

...............seen at the top of Penns Wood.

Birds Recorded: 12 Herring Gull, Great Black-backed Gull, Wood Pigeon, 7 Meadow Pipit, 1 Grey Wagtail, Dunnock, Robin, 8 Stonechat, Blackbird, Long-tailed Tit, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Wren, Magpie, Carrion Crow, Jackdaw, Starling, House Sparrow, Chaffinch and Goldfinch

Reptiles Recorded: Wall Lizard (Podarcis muralis)

Bees Recorded: 4 Buff-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus terrestris)

Hoverflies Recorded: 3 Migrant Hoverfly (Meliscaeva auricollis) and Tapered Dronefly (Eristalis pertinax)

Flies, Gnats and Midges Recorded: Muscid Fly (Phaonia subventa) and 2 Yellow Dung Fly (Scathophaga stercoraria)

Bugs and Beetles Recorded: A Harlequin Ladybird (Harmonia axyridis, orange with black spots form - succinea) and a Common Green Shieldbug (Palomena prasina)

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

2019
Today's Sightings Here.

2018
Today's Sightings Here.

21 Feb 20

The Bill

It was back down to the Bill this afternoon and this time I managed to find the Purple Sandpipers feeding to the east of the Obelisk. For some reason there was a lone bird some 50 metres away from the main flock of 11 birds. Odd!!

Also along here were 5 Oystercatchers and several Rock Pipits. Out to sea a few Razorbills, Guillemots and Gannets.

In the fields close to the Obs was a Skylark singing in the grass. Well it was very windy.

Here are a few images and videos from today:

Ten of the 11 Purple Sandpipers that came into land as I approached the Obelisk. A twelfth bird was keeping its distance from this main flock.

Coming into land..

Here 3 of the Purple Sandpipers are feeding in amongst the seaweed.

And another 3 take a break.

Some of these rocks are pretty slippery and they........

.........certainly live close to the edge as you can tell by this sequence of images as a.......

...........wave swamps the rock they were on.

The sheer force of the wave has forced the nearest bird off the rock.

Wave gone and back on the rock to continue feeding.

Dodging the waves

Living on the edge

And bath time

There were a few Oystercatchers about today. An interesting fact I heard the other day is that Oystercatchers can change the shape of their beaks to suit the food they eat. More Here

In the field next to the Obs was this Meadow Pipit. And as comparison.......

.........here is a Skylark.

It even managed to sing a couple of times, from the comfort of the ground. Well it was pretty windy.

Birds Recorded: Gannet, Cormorant, Shag, 5 Oystercatcher, 12 Purple Sandpiper, Herring Gull, Great Black-backed Gull, Razorbill, Guillemot, Wood Pigeon, Skylark, Meadow Pipit, Rock Pipit, Dunnock, Robin, Blackbird, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Wren, Magpie, Carrion Crow, Jackdaw, Raven, Starling, House Sparrow and Chaffinch

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

2019
Today's Sightings Here.

2018
Today's Sightings Here.

20 Feb 20

Penns Wood, St Andrew's Church, Church Ope Cove Wood, Church Ope Cove, Rufus Castle and Portland Museum.

A break in the weather and an opportunity for Dawn and me to walk down to Church Ope Cove for a beach litter pick. Its amazing how quickly you can fill 2 carrier bags with washed up plastic bottles, golf balls, fishing line and dozens of rubber straps stripped off the Lobster Pots.

Our walk took us through Penns Wood and it was good to see that there was at least 1 Firecrest still present here. In fact most of the birds I saw were in singles, with a single Goldcrest also in the wood, a lone Rock Pipit on the beach and a single Great Black-backed Gull keeping an eye on a Shag which was fishing just off the beach.

Birds in double figures were a party of Long-tailed Tits in Penns Wood.

Here are a few images from today:

A Great Black-backed Gull just off the beach

Just the one Rock Pipit at the cove today.

And still more empty Whelk egg cases being washed up.

Also on the beach was this "Mermaids" Purse, which of course is either the egg case for a ray or shark. This looks as if it could possibly be the egg case of what sea anglers call a Dogfish. The scientific name would be Scyliorhinus canicula (Small-spotted Catfish), but there are other similar catfish. Here's a useful website from the Shark Trust. Click Here.

Another "Sea Fern"

So much rubbish on the beach, mainly plastic bottles and this Golf Ball.

And a couple of bags of rubbish from the beach.

Birds Recorded: 1 Gannet, 1 Shag, Herring Gull, 1 Great Black-backed Gull, Wood Pigeon, 1 Rock Pipit, Dunnock, Robin, Blackbird, 1 Goldcrest, 1 Firecrest, 10+ Long-tailed Tit, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Wren, Magpie, Carrion Crow, Chaffinch and Goldfinch

Ships Today

This is the British Buoy-laying ship "Patricia" in Weymouth Bay. More on this vessel Here.

This is the Royal Fleet Auxiliary ship "Lyme Bay" in Weymouth Bay. More on this vessel Here.

This is the Liberian Tanker "Soho Square" on its way from Jorf Lasfar (Morocco) to Rotterdam (Holland). More on this vessel Here.

This is the German Tanker "Paulin B" on its way from Hamburg (Germany) to Cork. More on this vessel Here.

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

2019
Today's Sightings Here.

2018
Today's Sightings Here.