Fly On A Windshield - Genesis

There had been early warning of rain to come late afternoon, but leaving home at 06:30 my guess was it would be with us sooner rather than later.

At Ferry Bridge and looking towards Portland, it was a continuous flight of dark rain-bearing clouds that continues to motor in from the west but nil desperandum onward to the foreshore.

On the face of it things looked much the same as during the week except that Starling numbers appeared to have increased to 100+ and this DUNLIN was more or less 'asking' to be shot (by the camera that is).       

It would seem that the KNOT had also remained on site but with little else to delay me it was off to the Bill and straight into a 'Lifer'.

Having been dormant over the past 20 years I have forgotten most of what I had picked up during the 2 previous decades of Moth trapping, but still find these diverse insects intriguing. So no surprise then at the excitement when Martin Cade (Warden of the Portland Bird Observatory) presented me with a BLOXWORTH SNOUT.

Of local (Dorset) interest, this is the first time I have ever clapped eyes on this species. A rare Red Data Book species of sea cliffs, grassy slopes and undercliffs in parts of south-western England, was first recorded at the Dorset village of Bloxworth, in September 1884. It remained a very scarce migrant until 1990, when a small population was discovered at Torbay, Devon with the species soon colonising the south coast from the Lizard in Cornwall to Purbeck in Dorset. On the Isle of Wight since 2003, increasingly recorded hibernating in small numbers in outhouses and caves, and at light, and perhaps now established on the south-east coast of the Island. In Hampshire recorded in the mid-1990s and again in 2009 at Southsea and now it would seem a colony on Portland. Its Wingspan is 29-32 mm and the Larva feeds on Pellitory-of-the-Wall. Some of the other specimens caught overnight included

MARBLED GREEN

YELLOW BELLE

COMMON PLUME MOTH

ANGLE SHADES

ROSY MINOR and

SETACEOUS HEBREW CHARACTER, a name I just love and have only found the meaning this very day. It refers to the furriness/bristliness and shape of the dark mark on its wings(there is another moth called simply "Hebrew Character" which is less "setaceous"). Thanks to the Internet.

 I first saw one of these huge Flies a few years ago sat on the wall at the Obs and bringing it to the attention of others by calling it a 'Black Bee'.

 I was quickly corrected by a 14 year old schoolboy who pronounced "that is not a Bee sir, but a FLY which is the 'largest' in Europe named GIANT TACHINID FLY, Tachina grossa which now occurs annually at the PBO.

It was fantastic to be put right, but even more so by someone so young. All I have to hope is that I've remembered the right creature!

Before leaving the Obs, this fine looking sailing vessel rounded the Bill at full speed feeling the effect of the last hour of the 'flood' tide.

While further on was this KESTREL

along with a few AUTUMN LADY'S TRESSES ORCHIDS which I had been alerted to by Dave and Ann Rashley.

To end the walk there was the sudden appearance of about a dozen WHEATEAR

plus a similar number of COMMON BLUE BUTTERFLY. However, I leave the best till last on a day when our friends Simon Earwicker, Deborah Tessier along with Dave (The Fungalpunk Nature) Higginson-Tranter and Wife started their annual Summer holiday here on Portland. Great to see you ALL again and looking forward to more in the coming week. The heavens opened soon after arriving home, making the Weatherman 'spot on' so going by that and his forecast of 'DRY' tomorrow, let's hope he's right again!

Rhythm Of The Rain - The Cascades

Rained off before 07:00 today, so returned to base to get on with a bit of homework. Lucky then that there are a few photographs outstanding from earlier in the week which included another encounter with the American rhythm

HOODED MERGANSER, with us for many months now.

It has been favouring the waterline catwalks, on the Gurkha side of the Westham Bridge sluices, and seemingly moving little. This may be due to moulting plumage as it is now in full eclipse.

At Ferry Bridge numbers of RINGED PLOVER remain around the 100 mark,

while TURNSTONE amounted to just 5.

SANDERLING were represented by a couple

and DUNLIN by about 50.

Slightly more unusual was the appearance of c2 YELLOW WAGTAIL,

while continuing on the 'migrant' theme

there were c5 Wheatear close by plus an overflying Whimbrel.

STARLING numbers were also up on my last visit,

now being well up in the 30's

while small flocks of LINNET forage among the Tamarisk.

Only c3 MEDITERRANEAN GULLs today, but it was now time

to continue to Portland Top Hill

and to the High Angle Battery close to the VERNE CITADEL pictured. A labyrinth of earthworks including one of the 2 Prisons and World War II Fuel Dumps and maybe in the future a storage point for Natural Gas?

Here too are 4 stone bridges that cross the depression that was once the track for transporting Portland Stone from the top of the Island to the Quays below.

From this point you can see part way across West Bay,

 and here it is hoped the Information Board is of some help.

 The small estate of TILLYCOOMBE lies below here and as you walk further west

the more of the Bay and Chesil Beach opens to view. The reason for this visit had been in the hope of re-locating a

HOOPOE which has been seen here over the last couple of days.

Unfortunately no luck with that, but thought it worthwhile to publish these images of a bird seen at the Bill last year.

There were also a good number of WALL BUTTERFLIES on the win along with a few 'Blues' which remained unidentified.

Finally, on a sour note, last Friday the Warden at the Portland Bird Observatory awoke to find some CRETIN had stolen a number of 'mist nets' from the field opposite the Obs. Not to be too Draconian, let's bring back Hanging that's what I say!

Goin' To My Hometown - Rory Gallagher

One of the final words, but not visits, on Cork, Republic of Ireland goes, quite rightly, to the

GARNISH GUEST HOUSE

If you only have the slightest inkling that one day you may visit the vibrant, charming and wonderfully exciting city of CORK in Eire, then please click onto this web-site and commit details to your diary. The ultimate accolade would be if you truly put 'hand on heart' and swear you didn't like it, then I will foot the bill!

On arrival you are met by the owner, whose name we foolishly did not note, offering the most genuinely warm welcome you could ever receive along with a complimentary 'Cream Tea'.

There is a method to this madness, as Jim the Medic would tell you, as munching through an array of pasties and sipping fine teas or coffee a feeling of well-being overcomes you along with a few minor

Physical Changes as well. In full Leprechaun mode you will be truly ready to enjoy all the city has to offer.

In addition, each time we returned to the house we were offered tea and coffee along with a huge plate of cakes and pastries, free of charge, much needed by your correspondent slaving over yet another computer glitch! Some mention should be made of the breakfast menu that consists of 'traditional' grilled, scrambled eggs with smoked Salmon, a 'fish of the day', fruits, pastries et al but best of all Porridge with either Bailey's Irish Cream or Jamison's Irish Whisky - now that's the way to start any party.

Directly opposite is the University of Cork standing in magical grounds, along with

bus routes and main roads to all parts of the Emerald Isle.

Just a few incidental photographs, not previously published,

just before describing my last couple of hours in Ireland. With Ian gone at noon on Sunday and the others already departed I was left struggling with the 'photoless Blog' and a taxi booked for 13:00. Ideally, it would have been fantastic to have visited another of my all time GUITAR HEROES, but time was pressing and the car was awaiting. Telling the driver of my missed opportunity he announced "we'll soon put that to rights" while executing a U-turn.

Arriving at the cemetery just 15 minutes later and with the help of a local who was conveniently placed

I was soon paying my respects to the man who Jimi Hendrix himself, in answer to the question "how does it feel to be the Best Guitarist in the World"

(posed by a New Musical Express reporter) replied, "best go and ask

RORY GALLAGHER"! My trip had certainly been EDGED IN BLUE take a listen to a genius at work. If that were not enough of a finale, stepping off the train in Weymouth there stood 2 beautiful Ladies from the Orient,

 

none other than SYENNY (Shenny) LEE from Taiwan and WEI GE from China, who I had befriended a few weeks ago. Strangely we had exchanged e-Mails just a few days ago to arrange a day out before each of them return to their respective countries.

and what with the whirl of the Olympics and Ireland I almost forgot about Team GB's Women's Beach Volleyball players. Great Britain women's pair Zara Dampney and Shauna Mullin came from a set down to beat Canada in their opening Olympic match at Horse Guards Parade. Dampney and Mullin lost the first set 21-17 but claimed the next two sets 21-14 and 15-13 to win their Group F tie.OK, no medal but we have to remember the massive effort that goes to just becoming an Olympian, and I doubt we have seen the last of these 2 fine athletes!

What about this for Great Britain's future warship? At a glance not a lot different to my first ship in the Royal Navy

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-19312378

 HMS KEPPEL