Port and Wey

25 Mar 25

Out and About

No walk today as I was otherwise engaged at the Doctors, the Bank, Opticians and Mobile Phone Shop.

The only birds of note on my travels were four Dark-bellied Brent Geese and a Great Black-backed Gull on the Sandflats at Ferrybridge.

A Hoopoe I saw on Penns Weare on this day last year.

24 Mar 25

RSPB Radipole Lake

Whilst Ted was having a haircut and manicure, I managed to get an hour in at Radipole Lake before I had to pick him up.

Main highlights were my first Sand Martins of the year by the North Hide and a Redpoll overhead.

Other notable sightings were a pair of Great Crested Grebes in courtship, a pair of Marsh Harriers collecting nesting material and 8+ Chiffchaffs singing.

Birds Recorded:
2 Great Crested Grebe
3 Grey Heron
2 Canada Goose
Mallard
5 Gadwall
8 Tufted Duck
1 Sparrowhawk
1 Buzzard
2 Marsh Harrier
4 Water Rail
Moorhen
Coot
Black-headed Gull
Herring Gull
Wood Pigeon
4 Sand Martin
Dunnock
Robin
Blackbird
4 Cetti's Warbler
8+ Chiffchaff
Great Tit
Blue Tit
Wren
Magpie
Carrion Crow
Jackdaw
House Sparrow
Chaffinch
1 Redpoll
Goldfinch
Greenfinch
4 Reed Bunting

A pair of Great Crested Grebes courting, with a drake Gadwall looking on.

A Grey Heron making its way through the reedbeds.

Gadwall coming into land. In the foreground a pair are just about to touch down. In the background is another drake and...............

..............his mate far right.

And in military fashion, this pair of Tufted Ducks are giving an "eyes-left"

And a Sparrowhawk put in an appearance.

A male Marsh Harrier with nesting material. (Two frames merged)

And this is..........

.............the female

A Cetti's Warbler about to fly out of this Bramble.

Escapees, Ferals, Possibles Etc.
Feral pigeon

Fish Recorded:

10+ Mullet

Mullet in the River Wey which runs through the reserve.

Bees Recorded:
4 Buff-tailed Bumblebees (Bombus terrestris)

Flies, Craneflies, Gnats and Midges Recorded:
Many unidentified flies

23 Mar 25

Barleycrates Lane, West Cliff and Reap Lane Barn

Back again, but including Barleycrates this time. The wind today had dropped considerably and when the sun was out it was very pleasant. Unfortunately a weather front moved in from the north and it became very cloudy and a lot cooler as the clock passed midday.

With a drop in the wind there was definitely more about and the main highlights included my first Swallow of Spring.

Also of note were:
Meadow Pipits - 20+ heading north
Pied Wagtails - 4 along with 4 White Wagtails in the ploughed field west of the barn.
Stonechat - 3 seen along my walk

Stonechat - 2 resident birds with the female collecting food for youngsters.
Wheatear - 6 seen in the horse field south of the barn.
Chiffchaff - 10+. several along Barleycrates, with the rest along the west cliff and Reap Lane Barn

A Common Wasp (Vespula vulgaris) on an Alexanders (Smyrnium olusatrum) was my first this year.

Birds Recorded:
1 Buzzard
2 Kestrel
Herring Gull
Great Black-backed Gull
Stock Dove
Wood Pigeon
2 Skylark
1 Swallow
20+ Meadow Pipit
4 Pied Wagtail
4 White Wagtail
Dunnock
Robin
5 Stonechat
6 Wheatear
Blackbird
10+ Chiffchaff
Great Tit
Blue Tit
Wren
Magpie
Carrion Crow
Jackdaw
Starling
House Sparrow
Chaffinch
Linnet
Goldfinch

A Common Buzzard heading up the island.

A record shot of my first Swallow of Spring.

A White Wagtail in the ploughed field west of the barn.

A Dunnock singing in Barleycrates Lane

A female Stonechat

And another female.

A very distant shot of one of the six Wheatears in the horse field south of the barn

One of many Chiffchaffs seen today.

Escapees, Ferals, Possibles Etc.
Feral pigeon

Bees Recorded:

2 Buff-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus terrestris)

Wasps, Ichneumon Wasps, Parasitic Wasps and Gall Wasps Recorded:
Common Wasp (Vespula vulgaris)

My first Common Wasp (Vespula vulgaris) of the year.

Hoverflies Recorded:
1 Tapered Dronefly (Eristalis pertinax)

Flies, Craneflies, Gnats and Midges Recorded:
Many unidentified flies

General Shots:

A weather front approaching from the north.

And the ploughed field just west of the barn, which was very popular with the local corvids, Pied Wagtails, White Wagtails and Meadow Pipits.

Ted:

I think it's fair to say that Ted knows this walk like the back of his paw.

Ships Today:

This is the Maltese Ro-Ro Cargo Ship "Sixtine" on its way from Rotterdam to Dublin. More on this vessel here.

This is the British Trawler WY37 'Nicola-L' back out trawling along Portland's west coast. There is no info on this vessel but there is a close-up photo of her in Weymouth Harbour here.

This is the General Cargo Ship "Challenger" flying the flag of Antigua Barbuda. It is on its way from Goteborg (Denmark) to Port Everglades (USA). More on this vessel here.

22 Mar 25

West Cliff and Reap Lane Barn

With rain forecast this afternoon (again), I returned to Reap Lane Barn to see what was about. I'm glad I did as there were quite a few highlights with:

Heading north:
Meadow Pipit - 20+

In the horse fields to the south of the Barn
Pied Wagtail - 8
White Wagtails - 2
Stonechat - male and female
Black Redstart - male and female

Barn area
Chiffchaff - 2

Birds Recorded:
8 Gannet
3 Cormorant
1 Buzzard
1 Peregrine Falcon
Herring Gull
2 Great Black-backed Gull
Stock Dove
Wood Pigeon
2 Skylark
20+ Meadow Pipit
8 Pied Wagtail
2 White Wagtail
Dunnock
Robin
2 Stonechat
2 Black Redstart
Blackbird
2 Chiffchaff
Great Tit
Blue Tit
Wren
Magpie
Carrion Crow
Jackdaw
1 Raven
Starling
House Sparrow
Chaffinch
Linnet
Goldfinch

One of the resident "pale" Common Buzzards was trying to avoid the Herring Gulls as it circled its hunting ground over the Slopes, further south from where I was stood.

A Peregrine Falcon flew past me.............

...........at eye-level.

As I walked between a Bramble patch and the horse field this Meadow Pipit popped up from the long grass and flew into the field, closely followed...........

...........by its mate!! who didn't look impressed by my presence. I suspect this is a pair that have a nest pretty close to where I was stood. I moved swiftly on.

The White Wagtails were............

...........quite close to the barn today.

This female Stonechat was very interested in something.

Ahh her mate has juicy grub.

And here she is again.

How did that happen!!

A male Black Redstart in the field south of Reap Lane Barn.......

...............Earlier it was with a female a bit further down the field.

And another shot of the male as it moved closer to where I was stood in the lane.

This is...........

..........one of the two Chiffchaff around the barn today.

Escapees, Ferals, Possibles Etc.
Feral pigeon

General Shots:

Looking north with the horse fields in the foreground, Reap Lane Barn in the centre and the village of Weston in the background.

Ted:

Ted keeping a sensible distance from the edge of the cliff.

Ships Today:

This is the British Trawler WY37 'Nicola-L' trawling along Portland's west coast. There is no info on this vessel but there is a close-up photo of her in Weymouth Harbour here.

This is the British Fishing Boat "Meerkat" fishing just off Chesil Beach. More on this vessel here.

This is the British Fishing Boat "Quarter Bell" also fishing just off Chesil Beach. More on this vessel here.

21 Mar 25

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

I just managed a walk before the rain arrived, the first bit of precipitation we have had during daylight hours for quite sometime.

Main highlights were a pair of Stonechats on the butterfly reserve and a Chiffchaff in the hedgerow next to the Lower Horse Paddock.

Also noted were several bees and hoverflies.

Birds Recorded:
1 Cormorant

Herring Gull

2 Great Black-backed Gull

Stock Dove

Wood Pigeon

Dunnock

Robin

2 Stonechat

Blackbird

1 Chiffchaff

Great Tit

Blue Tit

Wren

Magpie

Carrion Crow

Jackdaw

Starling

House Sparrow

Chaffinch

Linnet

Goldfinch

An adult Cormorant in breeding plumage heading up Portland's east coast.

A lone Stock Dove in the Lower Horse paddock.

As I walked around one of the many Gorse Bushes on the butterfly reserve, this female Stonechat flew up onto a twig next to me.

Her partner wasn't so obliging and having landed on this Gorse Bush .........

.........decided this bramble was a better perch.

Escapees, Ferals, Possibles Etc.
Feral pigeon

Bees Recorded:

Buff-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus terrestris)

Honey Bee (Apis mellifera)

andrena sp.

Buff-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus terrestris)

Another Buff-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus terrestris) on a Wild Cherry (Prunus avium)

A Honey Bee (Apis mellifera) on Alexanders (Smyrnium olusatrum)

This is one of the andrena species..........

............of bee also on the Alexanders

Hoverflies Recorded:

2 Tapered Dronefly (Eristalis pertinax)

1 Hairy-eyed Flower Fly (Syrphus torvus)

1 Syrphus sp.

Slender Melanostoma (Melanostoma scalare)

A Tapered Dronefly (Eristalis pertinax)

And another Tapered Dronefly (Eristalis pertinax)

A split second after I photographed the Tapered Dronefly above, this Hairy-eyed Flower Fly (Syrphus torvus) landed on the same bramble leaf.