25 Apr 24

Old Quarry Lane, Wakeham Meadows, Lower Horse Paddock, Higher Horse Paddock and Broadcroft Butterfly Reserve

Can you believe that with just under a week to go before the 1st May and it's absolutely freezing here on the island, especially with the really chilly south-westerly we are experiencing.

Needless to say there were just a few highlights with a Chiffchaff singing in Old Quarry Lane, and singles of Common Whitethroat and Blackcap on the Butterfly Reserve. Also noted were 3 Swallows heading north over the Lower Horse Paddock.


Birds Recorded:
1 Kestrel
1 Pheasant
Herring Gull
1 Great Black-backed Gull
Wood Pigeon
3 Swallow
1 Pied Wagtail
Dunnock
Robin
Blackbird
1 Common Whitethroat
1 Blackcap
1 Chiffchaff
Great Tit
Blue Tit
Wren
Magpie
Carrion Crow
Jackdaw
Starling
Rosy Starling
House Sparrow
Chaffinch
Linnet
Goldfinch
Greenfinch

It appears we have a Pheasant in Old Quarry Lane. In fact having just spoken to one of my neighbours, he's also brought his mate with him. The Pheasant that is!!

This Chiffchaff was in...................

...........good voice along Old Quarry Lane.

And on the Butterfly Reserve a male Greenfinch keeping guard near to his nest.

Butterflies Recorded:
None


Bees Recorded:
Buff-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus terrestris)
Gooden's Nomad Bee (Nomada goodeniana)
Honey Bee (Apis mellifera)

A Gooden's Nomad Bee (Nomada goodeniana)

Bugs and Beetles Recorded:
1 Dock Bug (Coreus marginatus)

A Dock Bug with a few Small Black Ants for company on this Alexanders flower head.

Ants Recorded:
Small Black Ant (Lasius niger)


General Shots:

A path to............

..........nowhere.

And the first house brick to be laid for the new housing development in Wakeham Meadow. I hope not!!

Ships Today:

This is the Cypriot Cement Carrier "Cembay" on its way from Plymouth to Dunkirk. More on this vessel here.

This is the Dutch General Cargo Ship "Arklow Vale" on its way from Dunkirk to Runcorn. More on this vessel here.

24 Apr 24

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

Having spent the previous two days at the southern end of Portland, it was time to have a walk around my local patch. And it wasn't a bad idea as it turned out, with a Spotted Flycatcher to add to my year list, plus some other interesting birds passing through.

Birds of note were:
Swallow: 2 over Butterfly Reserve
Reed Warbler: 1 Butterfly Reserve.
Common Whitethroat: 2 Wakeham Meadow, 1 Wakeham Wildlife Site, 3 Butterfly Reserve and 2 Bumpers Lane
Lesser Whitethroat: 1 Wakeham Meadow and 1 Butterfly Reserve
Blackcap: 2 Wakeham Meadow, 2 Wakeham Wildlife Site and 2 Butterfly Reserve
Chiffchaff: 1 Old Quarry Lane, 1 Wakeham Meadow, 1 Wakeham Wildlife Site and 2 Butterfly Reserve
Willow Warbler: 1 Wakeham Wildlife Site, 2 Butterfly Reserve and 1 Wakeham Railway Cuttings (east)
Spotted Flycatcher: 1 Butterfly Reserve
Pied Flycatcher: 1 male Butterfly Reserve


Birds Recorded:
1 Sparrowhawk
1 Kestrel
Herring Gull
1 Great Black-backed Gull
Wood Pigeon
Collared Dove
2 Swallow
Dunnock
Robin
Blackbird
Song Thrush
1 Reed Warbler
8 Common Whitethroat
2 Lesser Whitethroat
6 Blackcap
5 Chiffchaff
4 Willow Warbler
1 Spotted Flycatcher
1 Pied Flycatcher
Long-tailed Tit
Great Tit
Blue Tit
Wren
Magpie
Carrion Crow
Jackdaw
Starling
House Sparrow
Chaffinch
Linnet
Goldfinch
Greenfinch

A Sparrowhawk circling over Wakeham.

A very scruffy Dunnock

A Common Whitethroat in the Wakeham Wildlife Site

And another Common Whitethroat in the Butterfly Reserve

A female Blackcap in Wakeham Meadow and............

.............another female in the Wakeham Wildlife Site

This Willow Warbler was busy feeding on insects in amongst his Buddleia, but.......

..........did at least stop for a quick photo.

And my first Spotted Flycatcher of the year on the Butterfly Reserve.

On the left a Wren and on the right a male Greenfinch on the Butterfly Reserve.

And a Linnet poses for the camera.

Butterflies Recorded:
2 Speckled Wood

Moths Recorded:
1 Vetch Piercer (Grapholita jungiella)

My first.............

............Vetch Piercer (Grapholita jungiella) of the year.

Bees Recorded:
Buff-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus terrestris)

Red-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus lapidarius)
Grey-patched Mining Bee (Andrena nitida)
Honey Bee (Apis mellifera)

A Buff-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus terrestris) and a.........

.................Red-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus lapidarius) on the Cotoneaster flowers.

Plants:
Portland Russet (Malus x domestica)

There's lots of blossom now.........

...............appearing on the "Portland Russet".

General Shots:

So what's going on............

..............here in Broadcroft Quarry Lane!!

Ted:

You mind were you walk Ted. There's lots of bees in amongst the Cotoneaster.

Ships Today:

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

This is the Lithuanian Passenger/Ro-Ro Cargo Ship "Athena Seaways" on its way from Rosslare Harbour to Dunkirk. More on this vessel here.

23 Apr 24

Sweethill Farm, Crown Estate Fields, Culverwell, Top Fields, Wallsend Cove, Southwell Business Park, Reap Lane Barns and Reap Lane

It was an early start (6:45am) in the hope of finding both Whinchat and Common Redstart. But yet again I failed miserably.

However there was still plenty to see, with the following highlights noted:
Swallow: 50+ passed through starting at around 8:00am
Yellow Wagtail: My first this Spring heading north over Sweethill farm.
Stonechat: Five dotted around the fields.
Wheatear: A male and two females in the Top Fields
Common Whitethroat: Several noted along my walk.
Lesser Whitethroat: One at Sweethill Farm
Blackcap: 1 singing at Southwell Business Park
Chiffchaff/Willow Warbler: 15+ moving up the island with a least 4 singing Willow Warblers.


Mammals Recorded:
1 Brown Rat


Birds Recorded:
5 Gannet
Kestrel
8 Pheasant
Oystercatcher
Herring Gull
Great Black-backed Gull

6 Razorbill/Guillemot
Stock Dove
Wood Pigeon
Collared Dove
Skylark
50+ Swallow
Meadow Pipit
Pied Wagtail
1 Yellow Wagtail
Dunnock
Robin
5 Stonechat
3 Wheatear
Blackbird
7 Common Whitethroat
1 Lesser Whitethroat
1 Blackcap
15+ Chiffchaff/Willow Warbler
Great Tit
Blue Tit
Wren
Magpie
40+ Carrion Crow
Jackdaw
Starling
House Sparrow
Chaffinch
Linnet
Goldfinch
Greenfinch

Five Gannets heading south down Portland's west coast. Sat on the water below them are a few auks bobbing about.

A male Kestrel at the business park looking for his breakfast.

One of 8 Pheasants noted this morning.

This Skylark landed on this post............

..............and then started singing.

One of 5 Stonechats seen along my walk.

Just three Wheatears today. All in the Top Fields.

There were several Common Whitethroats...........

............singing along my walk. Well this one was before it flew off. (In slo-mo)

A Lesser Whitethroat singing at Sweethill farm

A Willow Warbler at Culverwell

Butterflies Recorded:
2 Large Whites


General Shots:

Early morning sun at The Bill.

From left to right the Obelisk, Portland Lighthouse and the Obs Lighthouse.

Looking south towards Higher Lighthouse, with Ted photo-bombing my photo again!!

Ships Today:

This is the British General Cargo Ship "Beaumont" on its way from Ghent (Belgium) to Ringaskiddy (Ireland). More on this vessel here.

This is the British Charter Fishing Boat "Meerkat" on its way from Weymouth to its fishing grounds just off Portland. More on this vessel here, here and here.

This is the British Charter Fishing Boat "Fish On 2"on its way from Weymouth to its fishing grounds just off Portland. More on this vessel here, here and here.

This is the British Fishing Boat WH425 "Quarter Bell" on its way back from its fishing grounds to Weymouth Harbour. More on this vessel Here.

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.

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Portland Castle Beach

As I was close to Portland Castle, I stopped off for a few minutes to see what if anything was about. There were streams of Swallows crossing the harbour and to my surprise there was Great Northern Diver still over-wintering here.

A Great Northern Diver is still..........

..............lingering in Portland Harbour, along with two others apparently.