Port and Wey

6 Apr 24

Old Quarry Lane, Wakeham Meadows, Wakeham Railway Cuttings, Wakeham Railway Cuttings (east), The Cuttings Quarry, Bumpers Lane, Silklake Quarry, Broadcroft Quarry Lane, Broadcroft Butterfly Reserve, Higher Horse Paddock and Lower Horse Paddock

After feeling quite lousy with covid for the past week, I did at least feel a bit better today and decided to get out and get some fresh air. However the strong winds of Storm Kathleen, gusting to over 40mph, really didn't help my ears. But I really did need to get out.

Unsurprisingly with that brisk south-westerly blowing, it was difficult to find any Spring migrants and the best I could do was 4 Swallows over the Lower Horse Paddock and 3 Chiffchaffs singing between Old Quarry Lane and Wakeham Railway Cuttings.

Other highlights though were: singles of Green-veined White and a Comma, both in Wakeham Railway Cuttings, a few bee species, a Dark-edged Bee-fly and two Harlequin Ladybirds.

Birds Recorded:
Herring Gull
Stock Dove
Wood Pigeon
4 Swallow
Dunnock
Robin
Blackbird
Song Thrush
3 Chiffchaff
Great Tit
Blue Tit
Wren
Magpie
Carrion Crow
Jackdaw
Starling
House Sparrow
Chaffinch
15+ Linnet
Siskin
Goldfinch
2 Greenfinch

A male Greenfinch in the butterfly reserve.

Reptiles Recorded:

1 Slow-worm

My first Slow-worm this Spring

Butterflies Recorded:
1 Green-veined White
1 Comma

Bees Recorded:
10+ Buff-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus terrestris)
5 Red-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus lapidarius)

2 Early Mining Bee (Andrena haemorrhoa)

1 Flavous Nomad Bee (Nomada flava)

A Buff-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus terrestris)

And a Red-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus lapidarius)

An Early Mining Bee (Andrena haemorrhoa) and............

...........another one. It also goes by the name of Orange-tailed Mining Bee, which you can just about make out in this photo.

I believe this is a Flavous Nomad Bee (Nomada flava) on Alexanders (Smyrnium olusatrum)

Hoverflies Recorded:
1 Common Dronefly (Eristalis tenax)

Flies, Craneflies, Gnats and Midges Recorded:
1 Dark-edged Bee-fly (Bombylius major)
12+ Yellow Dung Fly (Scathophaga stercoraria)

On this Alexanders (Smyrnium olusatrum) are two Yellow Dung Flies (Scathophaga stercoraria) and a Small Black Ant (Lasius niger).

Bugs and Beetles Recorded:
1 Bloody-nosed Beetle (Timarcha tenebricosa)
2 Harlequin Ladybird (Harmonia axyridis) - form succinea

A Bloody-nosed Beetle (Timarcha tenebricosa)

And two.......

............Harlequin Ladybirds (Harmonia axyridis) - Both form succinea

Ants Recorded:

Small Black Ant (Lasius niger)

Plants:

Portland Russet (Malus x domestica)

And the "Portland Russet" is not only in leaf, but a few flowering buds are beginning to appear.

General Shots:

Well the mess left by the Off-gridders has now been bagged up. I guess the problem now is getting them out of Silklake Quarry

Ted and Theo:

And more Theo than Ted!!

5 Apr 24

Easton

Highlight today was my first male Yellowhammer on Portland. And it's only taken 6 years and 11 months to record one on the island; in which time I've seen more Cirl Buntings, than Yellowhammers here.

As I drove past Grove Road here, it flew east to west in the direction of Jordan's Mine here.

It was also my #100th bird species this year for my 2024 Port & Wey Bird List.

Below are a few photos of Yellowhammers I photographed in Wiltshire almost 10 years ago to this day.

4 Apr 24

Portland Castle Beach, Portland Harbour and Portland Marina

Having left the Doctors Surgery with the knowledge that I have Covid again, I took Ted for a walk along the esplanade between Portland Castle and Portland Marina, before heading home to recuperate..

Main highlights were a Great Northern Diver feeding on Shore Crabs, 20 metres from the esplanade, a drake Red-breasted Merganser just off the south-east corner of the marina breakwater and a fly-by Swallow, which whistled past on a strong south-westerly wind.

Birds Recorded:
1 Great Northern Diver
Cormorant
Shag
1 Red-breasted Merganser
20+ Herring Gull
3 Great Black-backed Gull
1 Swallow
Magpie
Carrion Crow

Below are a few photos and a video of a Great Northern Diver in Portland Harbour feeding on Shore Crabs (Carcinus maenas). More on Shore Crabs here.

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Cormorants, Shags, Herring Gulls and Great Black-backed Gulls on Portland Marinas breakwater.

A lone drake Red-breasted Merganser out in Portland Harbour

Ted

Nothing like a good shake Ted. I'm not sure why though, as it wasn't raining!!

Ships Today:

This is the Chemical/Oil Products Tanker "Oriental Acacia" flying the flag of the Cayman Islands. It is preparing to leave Portland Harbour for Ghent (Belgium). More on this vessel here.

This is the Dutch General Cargo Ship "Lady Anne Beau" getting ready to leave Portland Harbour for Papenburg (Germany). More on this vessel here. Sat behind it............

..........is the British A138 Replenishment Ship "RFA Tidesurge". Which according to Marine Vessel Traffic website is actually just off Plymouth. More on this vessel here.

3 Apr 24

Wakeham

It was a sunny but cold day, and had I not gone down with "Man Flu" I would have been out walking today.

So as per norm.......................

2023

Seems I didn't go out on this day last year either.

2022

One of many Chiffchaffs singing along the Buddleia Loop at RSPB Radipole Lake.

2021

Ted with his head stuck down a Bunny hole on Broadcroft Butterfly Reserve

2020

A Common Green Shieldbug (Palomena prasina) in the back garden.

2019

A Ring Ouzel in Barleycrates Lane.

2018

A Chiffchaff in the grounds of St Andrew's Church

2 Apr 24

Bumpers Lane, Silklake Quarry, The Mermaid Track, Wakeham Railway Cuttings, Wakeham Wildlife Site, Wakeham Meadows and Old Quarry Lane.

With rain forecast after lunchtime, I managed a walk around the "block", before it arrived.

There were a few highlights:
Chiffchaff: Yet again five Chiffchaffs singing.
Goldcrest: Two along Wakeham Railway Cuttings.
Linnet: A few pairs setting up territories in Wakeham Meadow and Bumpers Lane
Siskin: Two over Wakeham Railway Cuttings

Mammals Recorded:
1 Grey Squirrel

A Grey Squirrel along Wakeham Railway Cuttings

Birds Recorded:
Herring Gull
Wood Pigeon
Collared Dove
Dunnock
Robin
Blackbird
5 Chiffchaff
2 Goldcrest
Long-tailed Tit
Great Tit
Blue Tit
Wren
Magpie
Carrion Crow
Starling
House Sparrow
Chaffinch
Linnet
2 Siskin
Goldfinch

Just five Chiffchaff today.

A Long-tailed Tit along Wakeham Railway Cuttings

And a Linnet in Wakeham Meadows.

Bees Recorded:

Honey Bee (Apis mellifera)

A Honey Bee (Apis mellifera) on a Common Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale)

Bugs and Beetles Recorded:
3 Bloody-nosed Beetle (Timarcha tenebricosa)

My first Bloody-nosed Beetles this year and.....

..........a third one.

General Shots:

It seems the local Building Company have employed these guys to clear the.............

.............mess left by the off-gridders in Silklake Quarry. A thankless task.

One of the two off-gridders by their tent in October. 2023

Ted:

Ted with a spring in his step.

Ships Today:

This is the British PO9 Fishing Boat "Freya May" dropping nets just south of Church Ope Cove

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Wakeham

A Woodpigeon found its way into the kitchen this morning.......

Having released the Wood Pigeon, which had found its way into the kitchen, I hadn't realised that Theo had jumped the stone wall to follow it down the back garden.

Unaware that Theo had jumped the wall, it was 20 minutes later before I saw his head peering over the wall.

1 Apr 24

Old Quarry Lane, Wakeham Meadows, The Windmills, Watery Lane, Barleycrates Lane, West Cliff, Reap Lane Barn, Weston Street and Wakeham

It was a pretty decent day weatherwise, but whether I left it too late or there weren't too many about, but the best I could do on the Spring migrant front were 1 Swallow and 5 Chiffchaff. In fact were there were many Meadow Pipits and Linnets yesterday passing up the island, today I recorded none.

Birds Recorded:
1 Buzzard
2 Pheasant
Herring Gull
Stock Dove
Wood Pigeon
1 Swallow
2 Pied Wagtail
Dunnock
Blackbird
5 Chiffchaff
Magpie
Carrion Crow
Jackdaw
1 Raven
Starling
House Sparrow
Chaffinch
Goldfinch
Greenfinch