I spent most of the day at home doing a few household chores. But there was a bit of interest from the garden, with a mouse at the pond last night and during the day, the Great Tits busy feeding their youngsters in the nest box. Also noted, above the noise of the building site behind the cottage, was a Common Whitethroat singing.
A mouse caught on the Trail Camera by the garden pond last night.
The Great Tits are still busy feeding their youngsters in the nest box.
Having dropped the car off at the garage for some minor repairs, I decided to walk from Ferrybridge to Hamm Beach, before I got a lift back by Dawn.
Today's weather was pretty decent and for the first time in ages there was no rain. main highlights were the waders on the Sandflats with a good 80+ birds made up of mainly Dunlin, Ringed Plovers and a few Sanderlings. The latter my first for the year. Also about were a few Oystercatchers, Little Terns and Herring Gulls.
On the Portland Harbour side and along the waters edge up to Hamm Beach I came across 20 Turnstone with a Dunlin and another Sanderling feeding alongside them.
Other birds noted were a few Swallows over the harbour, a pair of Meadow Pipits collecting food for youngsters and a Kestrel keeping its beady eyes open for a meal.
Here are a few images and videos from today:
Oystercatcher
Dunlin and Ringed Plover
And a short video of them feeding along the water's edge.
And another video where they are further out on the Sandflats
Ringed Plover
Feral Pigeons feeding in amongst the seaweed.
Close to Hamm Beach were these Turnstone and a..........
...........Sanderling.
Here are the 19 Turnstone making their way along the waters edge, along with the Sanderling and a Dunlin.
An adult Meadow Pipit looking for food for youngsters close by
Birds Recorded: Kestrel, 4 Oystercatcher, Ringed Plover, Dunlin, Sanderling, 19 Turnstone, Black-headed Gull, Herring Gull, Great Black-backed Gull, Little Tern, Skylark, Swallow, Meadow Pipit, Pied Wagtail, Magpie, Carrion Crow, Starling, House Sparrow and Linnet
Ships Today
This is the Maltese Passenger Ship "MSC Virtuosa" back in Portland Harbour. More on this vessel Here.
Not that Lodmoor is that far from Portland, but I normally only visit the reserve when I'm close by. And today was one of those days as I had to do some shopping in Weymouth. So it was great opportunity to have a look and see what was about.
One bird I was really hoping to see was a Bonaparte's Gull which was first seen here on 19 May 21. The second bird I wanted to catch up on was an Iceland Gull and the third bird a Spoonbill. Well I didn't manage all three, but I did see my first ever Bonaparte's Gull and had great views of the Spoonbill which has been here since Sunday.
Apparently the Iceland Gull appears on the reserve mid to late afternoon, with other roosting gulls. Unfortunately I had to get back to Portland by 3:00pm and also it started to chuck it down with rain. So no Iceland Gull, but hopefully another time.
Other birds of interest were my first Common Terns and Black-tailed Godwits of the year, plus my first Lapwing as well, which I saw flying over the north end of Radipole Reserve on my way home.
Here are a few images and videos from today:
A Bonaparte's Gull all the way from North America and a lifer for me.
1st Summer Bonaparte's Gull
Not brilliant as it was raining, but a closer view of the Bonaparte's Gull. Well done to the birder who discovered it a week ago I for one would have had it down for a Black-headed Gull or even a Little Gull for its size. For a comparison between a Bonaparte's and Black-headed Gull click Here.
There I was watching the Common Terns on their rafts when all of a sudden they took to the air.
I didn't see what it was that spooked them, but a friend of mine, Brendan Shiels said he saw a Marsh Harrier someway behind them. That would do it!!
And two for the price of one. Behind the Spoonbill is the Bonaparte's Gull.
After sifting through the water searching for food its............
.............time for a good preen.
Birds Recorded: Cormorant, Little Egret, Grey Heron, 1 Spoonbill, Mute Swan, Canada Goose, Shelduck, Mallard, Gadwall, Tufted Duck, Moorhen, Coot, 2 Oystercatcher, Lapwing (Radipole RSPB Reserve), 2 Black-tailed Godwit, Bonaparte's Gull, Black-headed Gull, Herring Gull, Great Black-backed Gull, 80+ Common Tern, 2 Sandwich Tern, Wood Pigeon, 2 Swallow, Dunnock, Robin, Blackbird, Reed Warbler, Cetti's Warbler, Chiffchaff, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Wren, Magpie, Carrion Crow, House Sparrow, Chaffinch, Goldfinch and Greenfinch
Yet again it was another one of those days where Ted and I were set to go out for a walk and as we got to the front door a squally shower met us. In the end I gave up and just took some random photos around the garden.
This is a screen grab I took from the Portland Heights Hotel webcam looking over Chesil Beach. To the left of the image it looks like a funnel cloud forming. If it is and it touched the water it would be called a Water Spout. However if it touched land we would have ourselves a Tornado.
It did neither and we ended up with a very heavy shower. In fact one of many which intensified throughout the afternoon and into the evening.
Not really the shot I was after, but here is the female Great Tit returning to the nest box. I waited a good 5 minutes or so for her to leave, but she didn't. So I guess she was keeping her chicks warm.
Hmm one of the local Herring Gulls seemed interested in the comings and goings of the Great Tits. I guess if the Great Tits were fledglings, then this gull wouldn't hesitate in picking them off.
Aircraft Today
I just managed to get out of the back door as this Dassault Falcon flew over Portland this afternoon, hence only a record shot of it.
Here it is enlarged, though unfortunately there isn't a lot of detail to be seen. The last Dassault Falcon I saw flying over Portland was on 1 November 2019 Here; on that day the aircraft was G-FRAJ. Today's aircraft was G-FRAK and there is more info and a better photo of this aircraft Here.
Wakeham Railway Cuttings, Perryfield Quarry Butterfly Reserve, Penns Wood, St Andrew's Church, Church Ope Cove, Penn's Weare, Penn's Copse, Rufus Castle and The Mermaid Track
The forecast was for rain this afternoon, so it was a quick walk this morning to avoid getting a soaking. Unfortunately for just a few minutes after midday, Ted and I got a right soaking from a rogue black cloud. It did eventually rain but not until around 2:30pm, so the walk wasn't too bad.
The temperature is still quite low for May and yet again, there were very few invertebrates seen. Having said that I did come across my first Nettle-tap moth of the year in Penns Wood.
The only other highlights were 2 Chiffchaffs singing along the Mermaid Track, another singing along the Railway Cuttings and a male Lesser Whitethroat singing from the south facing cliffs at the cove. The latter was also here last year!
Here are a few images from today:
A couple of days ago the male Red-tailed Bumblebees were out collecting nectar and pollen. Today it was the turn of the Queens, with at least 3 seen. To be honest I would have thought it would have been the smaller females out, but it appeared not to be. Maybe the Queens have had to restart their nests due to cold wet weather.
My first Common Nettle-tap moth of the year.
The Lackey moth caterpillars still going strong on the Elms in the church grounds.
The now vacant Long-tailed Tits nest at Church Ope Cove. I wonder how many feathers they used to line it!!
The flowers between the Horseshoe Vetch (Hippocrepis comosa) are either Chalk Milkwort (Polygala calcarea) or Common Milkwort (Polygala vulgaris). I'm not quite sure how you tell the difference.
What hill. No problem for Ted.
Mammals Recorded: Grey Squirrel
Birds Recorded: Herring Gull, Great Black-backed Gull, Wood Pigeon, Pied Wagtail, Dunnock, Robin, Blackbird, Lesser Whitethroat, 3 Chiffchaff, Long-tailed Tit, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Magpie, Carrion Crow, Jackdaw, House Sparrow, Chaffinch and Goldfinch
Moths Recorded: Common Nettle-tap (Anthophila fabriciana)
This is the British Aircraft Carrier "HMS Queen Elizabeth" supposedly in Portsmouth (according to marinetraffic.com), but still off the tip of Portland.
Here she is again but this time in Black & White. More on this vessel Here.
As I had a few things to do in Weymouth, it was a perfect opportunity to give Radipole Reserve another visit. Main highlights were my first Gadwall, Reed Warbler and Sedge Warbler for the year.
It was still pretty breezy, but I did manage to see all three hirundines (Sand Martin, House Martin, Swallow) and also a few Swifts feeding over the Reedbeds.
Here are a few images and videos from today:
A male Reed Bunting with food for youngsters.
There were dozens of hirundines over the reedbeds including this House Martin
A drake Mallard looking for Bearded Tits. They're behind you!!
Domestic ducks, Aylesbury ducks, hmm I'm not sure.
A very smart looking drake Tufted Duck.
A pair of Tufted Ducks and a Great Crested Grebe
Birds Recorded: Great Crested Grebe, Mute Swan, Canada Goose, Mallard, Gadwall, Tufted Duck, Pochard, Sparrowhawk, Moorhen, Coot, Black-headed Gull, Herring Gull, Wood Pigeon, Swift, Sand Martin, House Martin, Swallow, Pied Wagtail, Dunnock, Robin, Blackbird, Reed Warbler, Sedge Warbler, Cetti's Warbler, 5 Chiffchaff, Bearded Tit, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Wren, Magpie, Carrion Crow, Jackdaw, House Sparrow, Chaffinch, Goldfinch and Reed Bunting
Bees Recorded: Honey Bees (Apis mellifera)
Bugs and Beetles Recorded: beetle sp.
Ships Today
This is the new Passenger Ship "MSC Virtuosa" docked in Portland Harbour. Built in France it is now flying the Maltese Flag.
Here it is reversing out from the quayside.
And now turning to its port.
Can you spot 2 of the 1000 passengers?
And now its facing the right direction its destination is back to Southampton, though I do believe it is heading to Ireland first. More on this vessel Here and Here.
Penns Wood, St Andrew's Church, Church Ope Cove, Rufus Castle and Portland Museum
For the second day running it was high winds and squally showers. In fact the strongest gust on Portland today was 73mph.
However there was a break in the weather, not the wind, but the showers, so it was off for a quick walk in the dry.
Funnily enough though, by the time Ted and I had reached the cove it started to rain, and then I realised it was the spray coming off a very stormy sea.
Unsurprisingly there wasn't much around, but it appears a pair of Rock Pipits have either a nest or are feeding juveniles at the southern end of the cove. Their normal nesting site is to the north, so perhaps they were feeding juveniles.
Out to sea were a dozen or so Herring Gulls and 2 Great Black-backed Gulls, picking off "food" from the surface. With one of the Great Black-backed Gulls landing on the beach to devour a Spider Crab very quickly.
Also seen were 5 larvae of the Bloody-nosed Beetle. All 5 were making their way across the steps which lead up to Rufus Castle. No adults were seen.
Here are a few images and videos from today:
It's nearly the the end of May and we have stormy seas and wind speeds up to 89mph on the Isle of Wight. On this day last year the temperature in the shade was 23.5C
The Herring Gulls were busy looking for "titbits" on the surface.
And their larger cousins the Great Black-backed Gulls were also about.
This one has found a Scorpion Crab, well what's left of it.
This is a male Red-tailed Bumblebee.
And more Lackey moth caterpillars on the Elm trees in the grounds of St Andrew's Church
And this weird looking creature is the larvae of the Bloody-nosed Beetle. In fact I came across 5 of these, but not a single adult.
I'm not sure why I haven't added this plant to my Portland Plant list, especially as I pass it most days on my walk. I will try and ID it later.
This was a day of exploring and there was no way Ted was going to pose for the camera.
Birds Recorded: Herring Gull, Great Black-backed Gull, Wood Pigeon, 2 Rock Pipit, Robin, Blackbird, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Wren, Carrion Crow, Chaffinch and Goldfinch
