Port and Wey

27 Sep 21

Lower Horse Paddock, Bumpers Lane, The Cuttings and Penn's Weare

Today saw a real change in the weather and the overnight rain was followed with showers coming in off the sea from a westerly direction.

As High Water was around 11:00am I decided to have another fishing trip on the jetty along Penn's Weare. However, and despite the strong wind coming from the west, there were huge waves rolling in from the south. Not ideal fishing conditions, and so it proved to be, with a blank session.

Highlights on my walk there and back home were: 50+ Swallows heading south alongside the cliffs, a few Chiffchaffs at various locations, a Blackcap in Penn's Weare where there was also a Stonechat and the main highlight was a Great Spotted Woodpecker in one of the Sycamores in the Lower Horse Paddock.

Birds Recorded:
Herring Gull
Great Black-backed Gull
Wood Pigeon
Feral Pigeon
1 Great Spotted Woodpecker
50+ Swallow
Meadow Pipit
Dunnock
Robin
1 Stonechat
Blackbird
1 Blackcap
7+ Chiffchaff
Great Tit
Blue Tit
Wren
Magpie
Carrion Crow
Jackdaw
Starling
House Sparrow
Chaffinch
Goldfinch

I was wondering why this feral pigeon was looking down and as I walked around a large Buddleia, I could see it was watching one of the climbers scaling the wall at the Cuttings. It was certainly keeping a watchful eye on him.

A not very good photo of a Stonechat. I was looking straight into the sun.

Reptiles Recorded:
Slow-worm

Butterflies Recorded:
Large White
Small White
Speckled Wood
Red Admiral

Yet again the most numerous butterfly on the wing at the moment are the Speckled Woods.

Moths Recorded:
Rusty Dot Pearl (Udea ferrugalis)

A Rusty Dot Pearl on the cliff face at The Cuttings

Bees Recorded:
Honey Bees (Apis mellifera)
Common Carder (Bombus pascuorum)
Ivy Bee (Colletes hederae)

On the way down to the jetty I came across swarms of Ivy Bees and Common Drone Flies on the Ivy. On the way back home they had all but gone as a shower sent them into hiding

Wasps Recorded:
Wasp sp

Hoverflies Recorded:
Common Dronefly (Eristalis tenax)

Hoverfly sp.

Hoverfly sp.

Flies, Craneflies, Gnats and Midges Recorded:
Kelp Fly (Coelopa frigida)

General Shots:

The Cuttings looking north

To think I was fishing off this jetty a few days ago, in calm conditions. Not today, instead I had to sit a good 10 metres further back.

Bottom left is Rufus Castle, then there is the lighthouse at The Bill and on the horizon is the Portuguese Container Ship "Akacia"

Looking south with The Cuttings on the right and a shower over the sea

The same shower as the photo above heading towards the mainland.

Ted:

This is before he started barking at me, to let me know he wanted to go home.

Ships Today

This is the Cypriot Bulk Carrier "Lemessos Castle" on its way from Weymouth Bay to Tees Port (Middlesbrough). More on this vessel Here.

This is the Cypriot Container Ship "BG Sapphire" on its way from Dublin to Rotterdam. More on this vessel Here.

This is the Portuguese Container Ship "Akacia" on its way from Antwerp to Dublin. More on this vessel Here.

I'm not sure of the name of this fishing boat, but you can see how..........

.........bad the conditions were.

Not an easy task pulling up those pots in a lumpy sea.

26 Sep 21

Ferrybridge

On my way back from a shopping trip in Weymouth, I stopped off at Ferrybridge to see if there was anything about before the sandbanks were covered by the incoming tide.

There were a few Oystercatchers, a Curlew (my first for the year) and lots of Mediterranean Gulls, but not a single Dunlin or Ringed Plover.

Also along the edge of The Fleet was a Kestrel attempting to catch something in the long grass. After 4 failed attempts it flew off to another spot. On the way back to the car a Chiffchaff was in the brambles next to the Crab House Cafe.

Birds Recorded:
Cormorant

1 Kestrel

7 Oystercatcher

1 Curlew

Black-headed Gull

Mediterranean Gull

Herring Gull

Great Black-backed Gull

Wood Pigeon

1 Chiffchaff

Magpie

Carrion Crow

Starling

On the sandbank a lone Cormorant sitting in amongst Great Black-backed Gulls, Herring Gulls and Mediterranean Gulls

Three Oystercatchers in flight.

I've not be able to get this close to Curlews before.

Whimbrels seem less inclined to fly off, but today I was in luck as..........

.........this Curlew let me get fairly close, as it searched the seaweed for a snack.

An adult Black-headed Gull in Winter plumage

Ted:

This wasn't one of my brightest ideas as it was quite muddy and you can tell by Ted's tummy.

---------------------------------------------

Wakeham

I put the Trail Camera out last night, overlooking a bowl of food for the local Hedgehogs. A check of the 42 videos, triggered by the motion sensor, revealed around 15 Red Slugs in the food bowl. Other visitors were 2 cats and a Brown Rat. Not at the same time I might add.

During the morning a Grey Squirrel was videoed feeding on the fallen grain from the feeders. It wasn't interested in the Hedgehog food.

For the second day running a Chiffchaff appeared in the Buddleia next to the feeders.

Mammals Recorded:
Grey Squirrel
Brown Rat

This is only the second time I have seen a Grey Squirrel in the garden

Birds Recorded:
Herring Gull

Wood Pigeon

Collared Dove

Dunnock

Robin

Blackbird

1 Chiffchaff

Great Tit

Blue Tit

Magpie

Carrion Crow

Jackdaw

House Sparrow

Chaffinch

Linnet

Goldfinch

Amphibians Recorded:
Frog

Butterflies Recorded:
Small White

Bees Recorded:
Common Carder (Bombus pascuorum)

Hoverflies Recorded:
Common Dronefly (Eristalis tenax)

Slugs and Snails Recorded:

20+ Large Red Slug (Arion ater)

25 Sep 21

Wakeham

What a really odd day weather-wise. It was cloudy, murky, still and pleasantly mild. At times it looked like the sun was going to appear and then minutes later you felt it could rain. What is it they say on this island "Keep Portland Weird", well it certainly was today.

It was another day spent gardening and if I ever get my car back from the garage, there will be a much needed trip to the recycling centre.

Highlights, there weren't too many, was a brief visit by a Chiffchaff, a lone Slow-worm under the corrugated sheet, and 2 Small White butterflies & a single Red Admiral.

Birds Recorded:
Herring Gull
Wood Pigeon
Dunnock
Robin
Blackbird
1 Chiffchaff
Magpie
Carrion Crow
House Sparrow
Goldfinch

This Chiffchaff made a very brief visit to the garden and so.......

........did this Magpie after it scared off the Goldfinches and House Sparrows on the feeders.

Once the Magpie had left the Goldfinches and a House Sparrow returned to the feeders. In the photo are 2 adult and 2 juvenile Goldfinches, plus a female House Sparrow coming into land.

Reptiles Recorded:
Slow-worm

Good to see a Slow-worm under the corrugated sheet. Under the cover of darkness it will be out looking for a meal, which is made up of a variety of invertebrates, including slugs, snails, spiders and earthworms. They have backward curving teeth, which is perfect for keeping hold of anything wriggly or slippery.

Butterflies Recorded:
2 Small White
1 Red Admiral

A worn female Small White

And a Red Admiral

Bees Recorded:
Common Carder (Bombus pascuorum)

A Common Carder Bumblebee. The only bee I came across today.

Hoverflies Recorded:
6 Common Dronefly (Eristalis tenax)

There were a lot more Common Droneflies out today.

Flies, Craneflies, Gnats and Midges Recorded:
Semaphore Fly (Poecilobothrus nobilitatus)
Common Fruit Fly (Tephritis bardanae)

A female Semaphore Fly

And another joins it. No males seen though!!

Common Fruit Fly (Tephritis bardanae)

Slugs and Snails Recorded:
White-lipped Banded Snail (Cepaea hortensis)
Brown-lipped Banded Snail (Cepaea nemoralis)
Garden Snail (Cornu aspersa)

A White-lipped Banded Snail

Looks are deceiving but this Garden Snail is only a few centimetres in size

Plants:
Buckthorn sp

These are the berries from my neighbours Buckthorn sp.

And these are its lethal 35mm thorns

General Shots:

A few before and after shots of the garden

June 2017 and.........

............today looking back up the garden.

February 2017

(Our first visit to Polly's Cottage before we moved in)

And today's view of the garden, with Ted photo bombing my picture.

24 Sep 21

Wakeham

It was a day of catching up with some gardening, which I have neglected to do, over the past few weeks. I also had a helping hand from Ted, who managed to clean out the pond when he fell in to it!!

He was pursuing a Toad along the base of the garden wall and then next to the pond, where he slipped in. Well it saved me clearing out some of the Duckweed, though I did have to spend quite sometime cleaning Ted up in the bath afterwards. Good old Ted.

Birds Recorded

In and around the garden:

Herring Gull

Wood Pigeon

Collared Dove

1 Grey Wagtail

Dunnock

Robin

Blackbird

Great Tit

Blue Tit

Magpie

Carrion Crow

Jackdaw

House Sparrow

Chaffinch

6 Goldfinch

Amphibians Recorded:
2 Frogs

Toad

The pond before Ted fell in.

I don't think these two Frogs were..........

.........impressed when the pooch fell in.

Butterflies Recorded:
Large White

Moths Recorded:

Rusty Dot Pearl (Udea ferrugalis)

"Mines" of the Apple Leaf Miner moths (Lyonetia clerkella)

A Rusty Dot Pearl

After a bit research, it transpires that these "lines" in these.......

.................Cherry Tree leaves, are the mines of the Apple Leaf Miner moths (Lyonetia clerkella). The caterpillars aren't just reliant on apple trees, but other fruit trees, including our Cherry Tree (Prunus avium). They pupate in a silken cocoon suspended from threads attached to food plant. However a few leaves had circular cut-outs, which would suggest that a few caterpillars cut out circular cases and drop to the leaf-litter to continue feeding!! More on this moth Here.

Bees Recorded:
Buff-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus terrestris)
Common Carder (Bombus pascuorum)