Just two Gannets seen this afternoon. However..........
...................there were a good forty plus Guillemots going back and forth around The Bill.
It wasn't until I edited this photograph of this Rock Pipit, that I realised it had a BTO metal ring on its right leg. Unfortunately it was too far away to read it.
This female Black Redstart was feeding on the rocks to the east of the lighthouse.....
...............when it was attacked by a Rock Pipit. (Video slowed down to show the attack)
A pair of Ravens keeping a wary eye on Ted and Theo on Portland Common
General Shots:
Looking south towards Portland Lighthouse
And looking north towards the Coastguard Cottages and the Portland Bird Observatory Lighthouse.
Penns Wood, St Andrew's Church, Church Ope Cove, Rufus Castle and Bumpers Lane
Everyday there are changes at the cove, with absentees today being the overwintering pair of Stonechats, the fem/juv Black Redstart and three of the four Chiffchaffs.
So this morning the highlights at the cove were 7 Rock Pipits, 1 Pied Wagtail, a Grey Wagtail and a single Chiffchaff.
Birds Recorded: Herring Gull Great Black-backed Gull Wood Pigeon 7 Rock Pipit 1 Pied Wagtail 1 Grey Wagtail 1 Dunnock 12+ Robin 1 Chiffchaff Long-tailed Tit Great Tit Blue Tit Wren Magpie Carrion Crow House Sparrow Chaffinch Goldfinch
A little further south from the cove were these Herring Gulls and Great Black-backed Gulls congregated on the rocks.
Today there were seven Rock Pipits feeding on the beach including one of the ringed individuals from last year. Unfortunately I couldn't tell whether it was AAL or AAX.
Just the one Pied Wagtail on the beach, plus the.........
.........Grey Wagtail from yesterday.
And just this lone Chiffchaff at the back of the huts. Where were the other three from yesterday!!
Flies, Craneflies, Gnats and Midges Recorded: Kelp Fly (Coelopa frigida)
General Shots:
Looks are deceiving. The sun came out for about 10 minutes and then disappeared behind a wall of cloud for the rest of the day.
Ted and Theo:
So what is this all about. Ted trying to hide and........
...........Theo as well!!!
Ships Today:
This is the British Fishing Boat WH425 "Quarter Bell" on its way back from its fishing grounds to Weymouth Harbour. More on this vessel Here.
Penns Wood, St Andrew's Church, Church Ope Cove, Rufus Castle and Portland Museum
Well that was a big change in the weather, with lots of cloud and very little sun today compared to yesterdays balmy day.
And it was a bit of an odd day at the cove as well, with no Rock Pipits and Pied Wagtails, but instead the "return" of the overwintering pair of Stonechats and a Grey Wagtail.
Other birds of interest here were 4 Chiffchaffs instead of the 3 seen yesterday and the long staying female Black Redstart.
Birds Recorded: 2 Cormorant
Herring Gull
Wood Pigeon
1 Grey Wagtail
Dunnock
Robin
2 Stonechat
1 Black Redstart
Blackbird
1 Song Thrush
4 Chiffchaff
Great Tit
Blue Tit
Wren
Magpie
Carrion Crow
Jackdaw
2 Raven
House Sparrow
Chaffinch
Goldfinch
There were no Pied Wagtails on the beach today, but instead there was this Grey Wagtail
Well yesterday there was no sign of...........
...........this male Stonechat and..........
..............his mate. But they were back today on the beach
Below are a few images of the fem/juv Black Redstart at the cove again.
And below are three of the four Chiffchaffs at the cove as well.
Flies, Craneflies, Gnats and Midges Recorded: Kelp Fly (Coelopa frigida)
Plants:
Mahonia sp.
This Mahonia is really late in flowering. In previous years it has flowered around the 17 Dec 21. There are around 70 species of Mahonia, so you can take your pick as to which one this is. More on this plant Here.
General Shots:
The area this side of the huts.........
...........was were the Stonechats, the Black Redstart and 4 Chiffchaffs were feeding today.
Ted:
Ted coming down Penn's Weare.
Ships Today:
There was quite a swell out to sea, as.......
..............the British PO9 Fishing Boat "Freya May" made its way back to port.
This is the Madeiran Container Ship "Independent Horizon" on its way from Southampton to Cork. More on this vessel here.
Penns Wood, St Andrew's Church, Church Ope Cove, Rufus Castle, Bumpers Lane, Silklake Quarry, Broadcroft Quarry Lane, Broadcroft Butterfly Reserve, Higher Horse Paddock and Lower Horse Paddock
A new month and a very nice day with plenty of sunshine and a bit of warmth in a few sheltered spots.
Main highlights were 11 Rock Pipits, 3 Pied Wagtail, a fem/juv Black Redstart and 3 Chiffchaff on the beach at Church Ope Cove.
Elsewhere there was a Song Thrush and a Greenfinch in Broadcroft Quarry Lane. Plus 3 Stonechats in the butterfly reserve, the overwintering pair and another female.
Other highlights were 3 Buff-tailed Bumblebees on the Hebe sp. on the beach, where there were also 2 Common Droneflies.
Birds Recorded: 1 Sparrowhawk 1 Kestrel Herring Gull Wood Pigeon 11 Rock Pipit 3 Pied Wagtail Dunnock Robin
3 Stonechat 1 Black Redstart Blackbird 2 Song Thrush Great Tit 3 Chiffchaff 5 Long-tailed Tit Blue Tit Wren Magpie Carrion Crow Jackdaw Starling House Sparrow Chaffinch Goldfinch 1 Greenfinch
I was watching this male Kestrel, as it was sat on the top branches of a Sycamore in Bumpers Lane, when all of a sudden it flew off across the otherside of the lane and pounced on a mouse sp in the Ivy.
There were 11 Rock Pipits on the beach until.........
......they were disturbed by some walkers.
This Pied Wagtail was one of three on the beach, and like the others it just waited for the Kelp Flies to fly by before grabbing them.
Here is the male Stonechat on the butterfly reserve with his.........
.............mate, who doesn't seem to happy about this..........
...........new female which has just arrived on the reserve.
Back to the beach and the fem/juv Black Redstart is still present, but there was no sign of the pair of overwintering Stonechats.
Below are a few images and videos of the three Chiffchaffs on the beach today feeding on Kelp Flies.
And Bumpers Lane has had a facelift, with a bit of hedge trimming either side of the track. In the centre is the apple tree I asked them to leave, which apparently the Butterfly Conservation Group had already decided to do so. This is the apple tree which hopefully after some grafting and DNA test will by November be named as "Portland Russet".
Ted
What have you seen Ted........
...........Oh great the two "Off Gridders" have gone and this is the mess they have left in Silklake Quarry.
This is 24 Oct 23 when they set up camp.
Aircraft Today:
This is a Aeromexico Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner, on.........
...........its way from Mexico City to London Heathrow. More on this aircrafts flight here.
