Port and Wey

26 Aug 18

The Fleet

A quick check on the boats this afternoon as gale force winds hit the South coast today. It was pretty blustery and wet out there, but for a brief few minutes I managed to dodge the showers and record a few waders braving the elements.

I counted at least 10 Ringed Plovers, 5 Turnstones, 4 Dunlin and 2 Oystercatchers.

Here are a few record shots:

Oystercatcher

An adult Turnstone

And another.

This is a juvenile Turnstone

One of the Ringed Plovers taking refuge in amongst the rocks and seaweed.

A really windy day and the boats out on their moorings are taking a right bashing. Especially our Shetland in the centre. Hope the chain holds!!

25 Aug 18

Portland Harbour

A morning spent moving tenders about from Portland Castle back to Ferrybridge in Tiki. On the moorings in the harbour an adult and 1st winter Sandwich Terns. Also about several Mediterranean Gulls and Herring Gulls.

Sandwich Terns. Left an adult winter and right a 1st winter

As above

Same again

Ferrybridge centre, Billy Winters left and Ferrybridge Hotel right

A packed Billy Winters

Ferrybridge

Ferrybridge Hotel. Rumour has it, that it's going to be demolished to make way for a relief road. A rumour that has been going on for years!

24 Aug 18

Mermaid Track, Rufus Castle, St Andrews Church and Pennsylvania Castle Wood

Yesterday was fresh, today was chilly and for the first time this Summer a jacket was needed to keep the wind out. Not very sunny either and by late afternoon heavy rain was falling.

Not a lot about, though I'm sure if I hadn't missed out St Andrew's Church I would have recorded much more.

Main highlight if you're a Sparrowhawk that is, was watching a small flock of 7 Long-tailed Tits by Rufus Castle and then crash bang there were 6. As I was taking shelter under the archway, from a short sharp shower, I was watching the Long-tailed Tits in the Sycamore when out of the blue a Sparrowhawk shot in, grabbed an unfortunate Long-tailed Tit and was gone.

Elsewhere a very vocal Willow Warbler in a Sycamore along the Mermaid Track, where there were several Marmalade Hoverflies. Overhead a few Swallows passed through and as I walked down to Rufus Castle a Raven was "chasing" a pair of Jackdaws. Or so it appeared. Wherever they flew it followed. Bizarre.

Just one Common Blue and a Meadow Brown seen. And trundling along the South-west coast path another Bloody-nosed Beetle.

Here are a few images from this morning.

Marmalade Hoverfly (Episyrphus balteatus)

A female Common Blue, told apart from the similar Brown Argus by the white spot in the top right hand corner of the forewing. A feature not found with a Brown Argus. More on this Here.

Ever wondered how a Bloody-nosed Beetle got its name.........

..........well its from the red secretion it exudes when threatened.

I'm not sure if I've come across this flower before. If I've got this right its a Mouse-ear Hawkweed. However there do seem to be to many petals, so one to check properly.

Very similar to Snapdragons, this lovely yellow flower is Common Toadflax" (Linaria vulgaris) and also goes by the names of "Yellow Toadflax" and "Butter-and-eggs".

Birds Recorded: Sparrowhawk, Herring Gull, Wood Pigeon, Swallow, Pied Wagtail, Dunnock, Robin, Willow Warbler, Long-tailed Tit (7 then 6), Wren, Carrion Crow, Jackdaw, Raven, House Sparrow, Chaffinch and Goldfinch.

Also seen: Common Blue, Meadow Brown, White-tailed Bumblebee, Marmalade Hoverfly and Bloody-nosed Beetle

23 Aug 18

Mermaid Track, Rufus Castle, St Andrews Church and Pennsylvania Castle Wood

It was certainly fresher today, but still pleasant in the sun. A few butterflies about with Common Blue, Holly Blue, a few Meadow Browns and Large Whites seen.

A few moths on the wing with a Silver Y along the Mermaid Track, where I also found a Rush Veneer (Nomophila noctuella). Also seen was what I think is a Light Brown Apple Moth which was along Penn's Weare.

Plenty of wasps and bees about, but no sign of any Ivy Bees yet. I'm sure it wont be long now before they appear, as the Ivy flowers are nearly ready to open.

A few hoverflies recorded with Marmalade Hoverfly (Episyrphus balteatus) and Dead Head Fly (Myathropa florea) seen.

A couple of Bloody-nosed Beetles (Timarcha tenebricosa) were found, with one in a Bramble. A few more White-lipped Banded Snails about as the damper cooler weather has brought them out and there was a larvae of a Harlequin Ladybird in the same spot I found one on the 15 Aug 18. Surely not the same one!

And finally a mystery fly to ID.

Here are a few images from today:

An unusual fly. One to ID later.

A Honey Bee (top right) and a Common Carder

A Speckled Wood

And a Common Blue

This is the first time I've seen a Bloody-nosed Beetle in the brambles.

All the ones I've ever seen have been trundling along the paths.

Hopefully I've got this right a Rush Veneer (Nomophila noctuella)

A White-lipped Banded Snail (Cepaea hortensis)

Just managed to photograph this Common Field Grasshopper (Chorthippus brunneus) before it hopped off.

That's more like it, a Bloody-nosed Beetle trundling along the track.

Common Blue butterfly

As above.

Epiphyas postvittana, Light Brown Apple Moth

An Oystercatcher heading south in Church Ope Cove, with its wing dipping into the sea.

A pair of mating Meadow Browns.

One of the pair, a very bedraggled specimen.

A Holly Blue in the grounds of St Andrew's Church.

A Green-bottle fly and a Common Wasp on the Blackberries.

Another Speckled Wood, this one in Penn's Wood.

Also in Penn's Wood the larvae of the Harlequin Ladybird

By the main road at Wakeham a Dead Head Fly (Myathropa florea)

A Common Buzzard over Wakeham

In fact there were two.

This is the second bird.

Ships Today

This is the Ro-Ro Cargo vessel the Grand Dahlia, flying the flag of Panama. Its had a long journey from Boston, USA and is headed for Southampton. More on this vessel Here.

22 Aug 18

Portland Bird Observatory, Obs Quarry and Pasture Field.

This morning it was back down to Portland Castle and some final checks on Star, our 23ft Tamar fishing boat. The good news is, she hasn't sunk and I must admit she does look good bobbing about on her new mooring.

Looking good and hopefully a few pelagic trips in and around Portland Harbour before she's craned out for the winter.

So now with some time I'm on my hands, I thought I'd pay the Obs a late afternoon visit to see what was about. What was apparent was the large number of Willow Warblers about, especially in the Obs garden and on the other side of the south facing wall, where there were several flitting about in the Brambles. Also here a Blackcap calling.

Also about were some Pied and Spotted Flycatchers, which I was told about, but sadly didn't see. However there were 4 Common Whitethroats, with 3 feeding in the Obs Quarry. As I sat on the quarry edge watching them, a Willow Warbler also dropped in.

In the Obs Pasture Field there was a very vocal juvenile Meadow Pipit, which allowed me to get pretty close. Overhead were dozens of Swallows, with many youngsters amongst the adults. A juvenile Kestrel was sat on a telegraph pole at the bottom of the Obs garden and in the distance a Common Buzzard was quartering the Top Fields.

Other birds noted were: Cormorant, Herring Gull, Wood Pigeon, Dunnock, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Wren, Carrion Crow, Jackdaw, House Sparrow, Linnet and Goldfinch.

Here are a few images and videos from this afternoon:

Note: Apologies for the lens noise as it tracks the Whitethroats in the videos, plus the noise of the wind. Looks like I might have to invest in a Dougal to cut out the wind noise.