Dorset Walks

Walks on Portland - wildlife highlights for 2019

Friday December 27th
Westcliffs - Bowers Quarry

A very damp and misty day but the Fulmars out on the Westcliffs gave a great display, with 15 or so counted at the nesting colony.

The damp conditions meant that the lichens were at their very best this morning and we added several species to our Portland list.

The walk back took us round a very wet Bower's Quarry and past a garden bird feeder with a flock of 30 or more Goldfinches.

The day's list:
Birds: Gannet, Fulmar, Stonechat, Cormorant, Herring Gull, Peregrine, Goldfinch
Insects: Nero Beetle
Lichens : Placynthium nigrum, Physcia caesia, Lecanora dispersa, Xanthoria parietina, Aspicilia calcarea, Nostoc (blue-green algae)

Fulmar

Friday December 20th
Ferrybridge - Hamm Beach

Parking in the Ferrybridge car park we started by picking out the one Pale-bellied Brent Goose amongst the small flock of Dark-bellied birds. We also sorted out the five species of gull that were there.

Crossing the road to Hamm Beach we were pleased to see a distant Great Northern Diver and even more pleased when a different one flew almost right over our heads (see right).

Finally we walked back along the shore of Portland Harbour and found a suprisingly wide range of sealife washed up on the strandline.

The day's list:
Birds: Great Northern Diver, Eider, Red-breasted Merganser, Kestrel, Great Crested Grebe, Cormorant, Shag, Herring Gull, Great Black-backed Gull, Black-headed Gull, Mediterranean Gull, Common Gull, Grey Heron
Strandline : Slipper Limpet, Common Limpet, Queen Scallop, Pod Razor Shell, Spiny Cockle, Common Cockle, European Oyster, Rough Winkle, Edible Winkle, Flat Winkle, Grey Topshell, Great Topshell, Purple Topshell, Toothed Topshell, Pullet Carpet Shell, Banded Venus, Sting Winkle, Netted Dogwhelk, Common Mussel, Green Sea Urchin, Shore Crab, Keeled Tubeworm, Spiral Tubeworm
Plants : Thrift (in flower)

Great Northern Diver

Friday December 13th
Penn's Weare

Walking along the old Weymouth - Portland railway line we managed to avoid most of the strong winds and saw a few birds as well. The first sighting was near Church Ope Cove where a couple of female Common Scoter could be seen just offshore.

Further along towards Grove Point we found what we were really looking for when up to ten Fulmars could be seen circling the cliffs.

The biggest surprise though came right at the end of the walk when a Goldcrest popped up onto a wall just in front of us!

The day's list:
Birds: Common Scoter, Kestrel, Sparrowhawk, Buzzard, Raven, Wren, Robin, Great Tit, Long-tailed Tit, Magpie, Goldcrest, Fulmar, Gannet, Common Gull
Plants : Ivy-leaved Toadflax, Maidenhair Fern, Sea Spleenwort

Friday December 6th
Portland Castle - Hamm Beach

A search for seabirds today concentrating on finding some of the divers that have been in the harbour recently. At first we had trouble finding anything other than a few mergansers but we persevered and on the way back a fine Great Northern Diver appeared for us in the marina.

This video was taken at the same site four years ago.

The day's list:
Birds: Rock Pipit, Meadow Pipit, Pied Wagtail, Stonechat, Great Northern Diver, Red-breasted Merganser, Shag, Cormorant, Dark-bellied Brent Goose

Friday November 29th
Kingbarrow - Admiralty - Fancy's Farm - New Ground

A longer walk today taking in the DWT reserve at Kingbarrow, the rapidly-infilling Withies Croft Quarry, a quick look at Admiralty Quarries and a leisurely stroll and a coffee at Fancy's Farm.

Not many birds about today but the mammal list has to be the best ever!

The day's list:
Birds: Kestrel, Sparrowhawk, Raven, Wren, Robin, Dunnock, Magpie, Jackdaw, Crow, Goldfinch, Great Black-backed Gull, Herring Gull
Mammals: Bennet's Wallaby, Alpaca, Portland Sheep, Donkey, Guernsey Goat, Bagot Goat, Horse, Kune Kune Pig
Plants (in flower): Bristly Ox-tongue, Common Cats-ear
Fungi: Field Blewit, Dog's Vomit Slime-mould Mucilago crustacea

Friday November 22nd
Portland Bill

As it was raining when we got to the Bill we headed straight into the Lobster Pot while the squall blew over. We were still birdwatching though and through the windows managed to see a number of Gannets and Rock Pipits and even a brief glimpse of a flock of Purple Sandpipers.

Once the rain had stopped we braved the fresh air and searched the coast next to the cafe for the Purple Sandpipers. We soon found two of them and later another six when we walked over to the Bill.

At the Bill we were treated to a constant stream of Gannets heading east along with flocks of auks and Kittiwakes. Around the lighthouse we saw lots of tame Rock pipits and a flock of Goldfinches.

The day's list:
Birds: Gannet, Purple Sandpiper, Kittiwake, Guillemot/Razorbill, Cormorant, Shag, Raven, Rock Pipit, Goldfinch, Great Black-backed Gull, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Herring Gull

Friday November 15th
Cheyne

Parking at Cheyne Point we walked along the road to Cheyne House, where we took the path down to the Eastcliffs. On the way a feather caught our attention on the grass verge. Closer inspection revealed it to be from an owl, most likely a Short-eared Owl.

Reaching the cliff edge we spent a very enjoyable fifteen minutes or so watching the Peregrines hunting migrating thrushes over the sea. This culminated with the male catching an unidentified bird only to have it forcibly stolen by the female!

We were still getting over this excitement when a female Black Redstart appeared on the rocks below us, soon to be joined by a superb adult male.

The day's list:
Birds: Gannet, Rock Pipit, Black Redstart, Robin, Buzzard, Kestrel, Peregrine, Raven
Plants (in flower): Bristly Ox-tongue, Red Valerian, Ivy-leaved Toadflax, Smooth Sow-thistle, Fennel, Ivy

Friday November 8th
Tout - Inmosthay

Today we walked from the hotel through Tout to the Westcliffs, stopping on the way to admire some Golden Waxcaps. Reaching the cliff-fall we observed that in spite of the recent gales and torrential rain there has still been absolutely no movement here since the cliff shifted four years ago.

All the time we were out this morning enormous numbers of birds were flying overhead into the north-easterly wind. Most were Chaffinches (about 1200 in two hours) with hundreds of Starlings as well and smaller numbers of Linnets, Goldfinches and Meadow Pipits.

The day's list:
Birds: Meadow Pipit, Rock Pipit, Linnet, Goldfinch, Chaffinch, Wren, Robin, Buzzard, Kestrel, Sparrowhawk
Insects: Fox Moth caterpillar Fungi: Golden Waxcap
Plants (in flower): Yarrow, Bristly Ox-tongue, Rough Hawkbit, Viper's Bugloss, Daisy, Field Scabious, Red Valerian, Buddleia, also Maidenhair Fern

Golden Waxcap

Friday November 1st
Portland Castle

Back on form today with a negative result for our search for a Black Redstart around Portland Castle and the marina. We did see a few things though including our first Mergansers of the autumn and a very confiding Turnstone on the beach in front of the Castle.

We also had a new addition to our vehicle list (if we had one) in the shape of a soon to be restored WW2 DUKW amphibious vehicle.

The day's list:
Birds: Red-breasted Merganser, Turnstone, Oystercatcher, Cormorant, Shag, Little Egret, Grey Heron, Rock Pipit, Pied Wagtail, Chiffchaff
Plants: Eleagnus

Friday October 25th
Old Hill - New Ground

A very rare event happened today when we actually managed to find what we were loking for - a Yellow-browed Warbler! The bird had been seen yesterday in the Sycamores on Old Hill and we didn't know if it would still be there. But as soon as we reached the spot we could hear it calling loudly and eventually got some brief views of it high up in the tree.

All along the path we carried on finding migrant birds with the highlight being several Firecrests and Goldcrests. A fungus found by one of the old railway bridges was probably a Scarlet Waxcap.

Climbing up onto New Ground we were back in the wind and much colder. Soon it started raining as well so we decided to cut our losses and finish a bit early.

The day's list:
Birds: Long-tailed Tit, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Chiffchaff, Goldcrest, Firecrest, Blackcap, Yellow-browed Warbler, Greenfinch, Chaffinch, Kestrel, Buzzard, Lesser Black-backed Gull
Insects: Red Admiral Fungi: Parasol Mushroom, Scarlet Waxcap

Friday October 18th
France Quarry - Crown Farm

Walking down the hill into Easton we turned off into Foundry Close, the site of Portland Fire Station before it moved to Grove Road about 25 years ago.

Taking the footpath leading north-east we walked through the little wood of Sycamores at the back of the church and vicarage. Seeing that the old quarry here had recently been cleared of rubbish (well most of it anyway) we descended down into the gully and walked along it, coming out at the end of New Street.

Very few birds could be seen at first but eventually we found a small flock of Long-tailed Tits along with a Chiffchaff and a Goldcrest.

The day's list:
Birds: Long-tailed Tit, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Chiffchaff, Goldcrest
Insects: Red Admiral, Speckled Wood, Nero Beetle, Ground Beetle, Harlequin Ladybird
Plants: Sticky Groundsel, Eleagnos, Sycamore, Himalayan Cotoneaster, Stern's Cotoneaster, Hart's-tongue Fern, Male Fern, Soft Shield Fern

Friday October 11th
Chesil Cove

For once we decided to take the weather head-on and went down to the Cove in a force 6-7 south-westerly.

Surprisingly the storm had blown very few birds in for us to see, although in the end we did get a pretty good gull list.

On the land were just the usual Rock Pipits and a single Pied Wagtail (seen from Quiddles window!).

The day's list:
Birds: Gannet (dead), Rock Pipit, Pied Wagtail, Herring Gull, Great Black-backed Gull, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Common Gull, Black-headed Gull

Friday October 4th
Penn Weare

On a very breezy day the path under the Eastcliffs along the old railway line was suprisingly warm, bringing out quite a selection of butterflies.

A few birds were seen, notably one of the Peregrines and at least two Sparrowhawks.

As usual we checked out the Maidenhair Fern that we first found here fifteen or more years ago and found that it wasn't doing very well at all, back to a single stem now. But we were pleased to see that there were still two healthy plants of Sea Spleenwort growing up on the cliff-face.

The day's list:
Birds: Meadow Pipit, Long-tailed Tit, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Chiffchaff, Raven, Peregrine, Sparrowhawk, Kestrel
Insects: Red Admiral, Small White, Large White, Painted Lady, Comma, Speckled Wood, Common Blue, Bloody-nosed Beetle
Plants: Whitebeam, Maidenhair Fern, Sea Spleenwort

Friday September 27th
Pennsylvania Castle

Hoping for an American vagrant blown across in the recently vicious weather we visited the trees around Penn Castle. Plenty of birds were about but mostly common residents such as Chaffinches and Great Tits. The only migrants seen were a single Goldcrest and a Blackcap.

A few invertebrates were found in spite of the damp and blustery weather including a huge slug (see right) and a whole nest of wasps. Out on the sea a few Gannets were passing along with what was most probably a Balearic Shearwater.

The day's list:
Birds: Gannet, Balearic Shearwater, Rock Pipit, Long-tailed Tit, Blackcap, Chaffinch, Goldcrest, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Dunnock, Wren
Insects: Red Admiral, Small White, Wasp, Comma, Hornet Hoverfly, Hummingbird Hawk-moth
Plants Echium, Cyclamen, Horse Chestnut, Elm, Sycamore

Friday September 20th
Westcliffs - Barleycrates Lane

With the wind gusting very strongly from the east we drove to the Westcliffs and walked out to Blacknor where we sought shelter in front of the WWII Battery Observation Post. Next to us was an emplacement for a 15-pounder BL gun, originally installed in WWI.

From the clifftop we had a dramatic but very brief sighting of a breaching dolphin, one of only two dolphin sightings ever made on these walks.

Our route back took us along Barleycrates Lane where the Ivy was well out in flower. Feeding on it were huge numbers of insects including several Ivy Bees.

The day's list:
Birds: Gannet, Meadow Pipit, Kestrel, Swallow, House Martin, Pied Wagtail, Pheasant
Mammals: Dolphin spp
Insects: Painted Lady, Red Admiral, Small White, Bush-cricket spp, Buff-tailed Bumble-bee, Ivy Bee, Dronefly, Hoverfly Scaeva pyrastri, Greenbottle, Seven-spot Ladybird
Spiders: Garden Cross Spider
Plants Wild Madder, Wild Cabbage, Field Bindweed

Scaeva pyrastri

Friday September 13th
Portland Bill

We don't normally visit the same spot two weeks running but with both Wryneck and Lapland Bunting present a return visit to the Bill was irresistable.

Initially we failed to find either of these rarities, but still had a very good time looking at Wheatears and Rock Pipits in the fields and a Chiffchaff and a Blackcap in the Obs Quarry.

Walking back for our second go at the Lapland Bunting we noticed that a crowd was starting to gather. Investigating the cause of this we found that the bunting had been found hiding under a rock. No wonder we didn't find it the first time!

The day's list:
Birds Oystercatcher, Gannet, Wheatear, Rock Pipit, Meadow Pipit, Kestrel, Swallow, House Martin, Blackcap, Whitethroat, Chiffchaff, Lapland Bunting, Pied Wagtail, Yellow Wagtail
Insects Common Blue, Buff-tailed Bumble-bee

The Lapland Bunting

Friday September 6th
Portland Bill

We usually walk westwards when we visit the Bill but today we avoided the worst of the wind and rain by walking along the Eastcliffs, as far as the Blow-hole opposite Culverwell.

Most of the birds seen were sheltering under the cliffs, including one or two Wheatears along with the usual Rock Pipits. The ledges held several Oystercatchers as well as three Turnstones and a single Dunlin which didn't hang around for long.

The clear highlight though was the bull Grey Seal which was "bottling" just off Red Crane.

The day's list:
Birds Turnstone, Dunlin, Oystercatcher, Gannet, Cormorant, Shag, Wheatear, Rock Pipit, Linnet, Great Black-backed Gull, Lesser Black-backed Gull
Mammals Field Vole, Grey Seal
Insects Small White, Painted Lady, Bumble-bee spp
Plants Autumn Lady's Tresses, Lady's Bedstraw, Bladder Campion, Rock Samphire, Golden Samphire, Sea Aster

Autumn Lady's Tresses

Friday August 30th
Southwell

Today's target species (a roll-over from last week) was kept a secret so as not to jinx it, a strategy which worked well as we saw several Clouded Yellows including one which briefly settled.

Migrant birds were well-represented with Whinchat helpfully perched next to Stonechat and a couple of Wheatears not far away. We also had a good look at some of the lichens on the rocks here with several new species recorded for our Portland list (see bottom of page).

The day's list:
Birds Kestrel,Peregrine, Raven, Fulmar, Oystercatcher, Whinchat, Stonechat, Wheatear, Stock Dove, Meadow Pipit, Linnet
Insects Small White, Speckled Wood, Meadow Brown, Small Heath, Wall, Clouded Yellow, Common Blue, Red Admiral, Painted Lady, Mint Moth, Hummingbird Hawk-moth, Silver Y, Dark Fruit Tree Tortrix, Common Green Grasshopper, Common Field Grasshopper
Plants Ploughman's Spikenard, Portland Spurge, Viper's Bugloss, Dwarf Elder, Carline Thistle, Scarlet Pimpernel
Lichens orange: Caloplaca aurantia, Caloplaca flavescens, Caloplaca holocarpa, Xanthoria parietina, white: Aspicilia calcarea, pink: none (it was paint!)

Speckled Wood

Friday August 23rd
Shepherd's Dinner

Today turned out to be a bit of a celebrity tour as we were joined by Hannah Sofaer from the Portland Sculpture and Quarries Trust and later by homeopath Sheila Ryan.

Our target species will remain a secret to increase our chances of seeing it next week but we certainly weren't short of insect sightings even if the birds were a bit hard to find. Star sighting was a beautifully fresh female Adonis Blue, with Grayling and Wall also notable. The 11-spot Ladybird was probably the rarest insect but my favourite was the much better behaved Bloody-nosed Beetle, which is on You-tube at https://youtu.be/MXQOdrUlxvo.

The day's list:
Birds Kestrel, Buzzard, Raven, Whitethroat (heard), Stock Dove, Greenfinch, Linnet, Goldfinch
Insects Small White, Gatekeeper, Meadow Brown, Wall, Grayling, Chalkhill Blue, Common Blue, Adonis Blue, Red Admiral, Painted Lady, Mint Moth, Bloody-nosed Beetle, 11-spot Ladybird, Long-winged Conehead
Plants Golden-rod, Elder, Dwarf Elder, Rosemary, Carline Thistle,

11-spot Ladybird

Friday August 2nd
Fancy's Farm - Admiralty Quarries

In almost calm conditions we took the opportunity of exploring one of the highest paths on the island without the danger of being blown off the cliff.

After admiring the Wallabies and then the Alpacas we walked out to the high cliff edge overlooking the Victorian Gun Batteries above the port. Ravens and Kestrels were our companions here with a young Buzzard squeaking not far away. It was perhaps not quite warm enough for most of the butterflies but we did get quite a list in the end with Chalkhill Blue the most numerous.

On the way back a Willow Warbler flew across the path, our first migrant of the Autumn!

The day's list:
Birds Kestrel, Buzzard, Raven, Willow Warbler
Insects Small Skipper, Gatekeeper, Meadow Brown, Wall, Chalkhill Blue, Common Blue, Small Copper, Red Admiral, Painted Lady, Peacock, Cinnabar Moth, Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing
Plants Marjoram, Greater Knapweed, Carline Thistle, Common Centaury

Friday July 26th
New Ground - High Angle Battery

With a recent record of a family of young Barn Owls nearby today's walk was initially a bit of a disappointment as there was no sign of them at their nest site.

We soon forgot about the owls though when we reached the High Angle Battery which was awash with flowers and swarming with butterflies. No rare flowers were seen although the numbers of Burnet Saxifrage was outstanding and we did see a single late Pyramidal Orchid. Three insect sightings in particular stood out: the aberrant Chalkhill Blue pictured right, the Brown Argus pictured below and the three or four Jersey Tigers seen.

The day's list:
Birds Kestrel, Stock Dove, Wren, Dunnock (heard), Great Tit (heard)
Insects Small Skipper, Gatekeeper, Meadow Brown, Ringlet, Marbled White, Wall, Chalkhill Blue, Common Blue, Brown Argus, Small Copper, Green-veined White, Large White, Red Admiral, Peacock, Jersey Tiger, Six-spot Burnet, Brown-tail, Mint Moth Pyrausta aurata , Shaded Broad-bar (another moth), Hoverfly Chrysotoxum elegans, Field Grasshopper, Harvestman
Plants Birdsfoot Trefoil, Buddleia, Horse Chestnut, Hedge Bedstraw, Lady's Bedstraw, Marjoram, Pyramidal Orchid, Restharrow, Greater Knapweed, Viper's Bugloss, Smooth Hawksbeard, Burnet Saxifrage, Wall Rocket, Ivy Broomrape, Red Bartsia, Yellow-rattle, Common Catsear, Soft Cranesbill, Hoary Plantain, Ribwort Plantain, Woody Nightshade, Great Mullein, Knotted Bur-parsley, Yellow-wort, Male Fern, Maidenhair Spleenwort, Wall-rue The photos below can be enlarged by clicking on them

Friday July 19th
Poryland Bill

It's very rare that we get wet weather on a Friday morning but when we do we often find that the best birds are to be seen from the obelisk at the Bill, especially if the wind is from the south. The last time we had these conditions in July was two years ago when we had a superb sea-watch with several Cory's Shearwaters off the Bill. Today was almost as good with Gannets streaming past, sometimes at very close quarters, but no shearwaters. Further out the occasional Fulmar could be seen and once a flock of Common Scoter appeared out of the mist.

The day's list:
Birds Rock Pipit, Common Scoter, Common Tern, Gannet, Cormorant, Shag, Fulmar, Herring Gull, Great Black-backed Gull, Black-headed Gull

Friday July 12th
Admiralty Slopes

Parking at the Bill we walked north along the Westcliffs up the Slopes towards the Old Higher Light and the Coastwatch Lookout. The warm sunshine brought out large numbers of butterflies including the rare Lulworth Skipper.

The best bird was probably the remarkably tame Kestrel which gave us several excellent photo opportunities (see right). Less expected were the Gannets which flew along the Westcliffs at clifftop level.

The day's list:
Birds Kestrel, Linnet, Stonechat, Swallow, Starling, Meadow Pipit, Skylark, Gannet, Great Black-backed Gull, Lesser Black-backed Gull
Insects Small Skipper, Large Skipper, Lulworth Skipper, Meadow Brown, Gatekeeper, Marbled White, Painted Lady, Peacock, Common Blue, Wall, Large White, Small Heath, Hummingbird Hawk-moth, 6-spot Burnet, Cinnabar, Soldier Beetle, Thick-legged Beetle, Cliff Mining Bee
Plants Yellow Vetchling, Lady's Bedstraw, Pyramidal Orchid, Greater Knapweed, Squinancywort, Lesser Centaury, Perrenial Sow-thistle, Bristly Ox-tongue, Common Cats-ear. Red Fescue, Wild Thyme, Betony, Yellow-wort

Friday July 5th
Admiralty Quarries

Partial success today with our main target, Silver-studded Blue, being found easily but the subsidiary target, Early Gentian, not being seen at all.

To look for these Portland specialities we parked outside Fancy's Farm, where we had to stop for a while to admire a baby Wallaby. We then walked down into the infilled section of Admiralty Quarries where we found a good variety of butterflies amongst an outstanding display of wild flowers.

The day's list:
Birds Kestrel, Sparrowhawk, Whitethroat (heard)
Insects Small Skipper, Large Skipper, Meadow Brown, Ringlet, Marbled White, Painted Lady, Silver-studded Blue, Small Heath, Pyrausta despicata (moth)
Plants Birdsfoot Trefoil, Buddleia, Dog Rose, Hedge Bedstraw, Lady's Bedstraw, Marjoram, Pyramidal Orchid, Restharrow, Greater Knapweed, Viper's Bugloss, Common Centaury, Lesser Centaury, Creeping Cinquefoil, Common Hawkbit, Wild Thyme, Wood Sage, Yellow-wort, Lichen Caloplaca aurantia The photos below can be enlarged by clicking on them

Friday June 28th
Tout Quarry

On what was supposed to be the hottest day of the year so far we stood in the hotel car park and wondered how to get out of the near-gale force easterly wind. We decided on Tout Quarry in the hope that we might find some butterflies but if it was too windy we could always look at the sculptures.

In the end we managed both targets, with a good variety of butterflies and several sculptures that some of us hadn't seen for years. My favourites were the incised "drawings" in an arena called "the ship of fools", named after Plato's take on democracy being like a ship being navigated by an inept crew. Particularly relevant to the state we find ourselves in currently some might say.

The day's list:
Birds Kestrel, Robin, Blackbird, Swift, Magpie
Insects Small Skipper, Meadow Brown, Marbled White, Painted Lady, Small Copper, Common Blue, Lackey moth
Plants Birdsfoot Trefoil, Bramble, Buddleia, Clematis, Dog Rose, Hedge Bedstraw, Hop Trefoil, Ivy Broomrape, Kidney Vetch, Lesser Trefoil, Marjoram, Pyramidal Orchid, Quaking Grass, Red Valerian, Restharrow, Small Scabious, Spear Thistle, Squinancywort, Viper's Bugloss, White Clover, Wild Thyme, Wood Sage, Yellow-wort
The photos below can be enlarged by clicking on them

Lano's Arch

Friday June 21st
Verne Naval Cemetery

Today we took advantage of the very pleasant weather and made a rare visit to the Naval Cemetery above Portland Port. Our main target was to check on the breeding pair of Peregrines but we got delayed somewhat by looking at variety of gravestones going right back to the nineteenth century, when it was a military cemetery. This last piece of information came from a chance meeting with local history buff and birdwatcher Charlie Richards.

Here is a link to a report on the recent memorial service to P.O. A. Harada, whose gravestone we saw today.

Once we managed to walk away from the cemetery we started to see a few birds and insects as well as a huge range of plant life, listed below.

The day's list:
Birds Peregrine, Wren, Blackcap, Whitethroat, Lesser Whitethroat Mammals Grey Squirrel
Insects Speckled Wood, Meadow Brown, Red Admiral, Holly Blue, Lackey moth, Small Eggar moth, Swollen-thighed Beetle, Tree Bumblebee
Plants Ivy Broomrape, Cotoneaster simonsii, Herb Robert, Shining Cranesbill, Cut-leaved Cranesbill, Pyramidal Orchid, Wild Madder, Hedge Bedstraw, Bellbine, Field Bindweed, Honeysuckle, Dog Rose, Goatsbeard, Wood Sage
The photos below can be enlarged by clicking on them

Gravestone of Jack Mantle VC, the second recipient of the Victoria Cross on the British mainland (click for larger image)

Friday June 14th
Merchant's Railway

Parking by the High Angle Battery we had a quick look at the Verne Ditch before walking down the steps and on to the Merchant's Railway.

We then enjoyed a very pleasant walk in blustery but sunny conditions looking at the huge variety of flowers out at the moment. A few butterflies were out but the insect highlight had to be the huge female Emperor dragonfly sunning itself on a bramble bush.
The day's list:
Birds Buzzard, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Wren, Dunnock, Whitethroat, Swift
Mammals Goat (14?)
Insects Speckled Wood, Meadow Brown, Small Tortoiseshell, Painted Lady, Common Blue, Lackey moth, Brown-tail moth, Six-spot Burnet moth, Emperor dragonfly, Seven-spot Ladybird
Plants Black Mustard, Black Spleenwort, Bush Vetch, Cocksfoot, Common Vetch, Common Toadflax, Cotoneaster microphyllus, False Oat-grass, Fennel, Greater Knapweed, Hartstongue Fern, Herb Robert, Hop Trefoil, Ivy-leaved Toadflax, Lesser Trefoil, Marjoram, Mouse-ear Hawkweed, Musk Thistle, Pyramidal Orchid, Red Fescue, Red Valerian, Rock-rose, Rough Meadow Grass, Rye Grass, Soft Brome, Spear Thistle, Upright Brome, Viper's Bugloss, Wall Barley, Wall Rocket, Wall Rue, Wild Thyme, Wood Sage
The photos below can be enlarged by clicking on them

Emperor (click for larger image)

Friday June 7th
Chesil Cove

In very wet weather we sought the shelter of the Westcliffs and walked along the coastpath towards Hallelujah Bay.

We struggled to see many birds but the plantlife was very luxuriant, enjoying the rain I expect. Surprisingly we did see a couple of insects, including a Hummingbird Hawk-moth on the sea-wall.
The day's list:
Birds Fulmar, Gannet, Shag, Buzzard, Great Black-backed Gull, Herring Gull, Wren, Rock Pipit,
Insects Hummingbird Hawk-moth, Red Admiral
Plants Birdsfoot Trefoil, Portland Spurge, Horsetail, Honeysuckle, Smooth Hawksbeard, Red Valerian, Wild Madder, Wild Carrot, Yellow Horned-poppy

Yellow Horned-poppy

Friday May 31st
Southwell - Cheyne

A report of a Honey Buzzard (not a Funny Buzzard as one of the group thought I said) had us dashing off to the Eastcliffs to see if we could intercept it. Of course we didn't but we did get excellent views of the resident pair of Peregrines including the almost unbelievable sight of the male picking a small bird from the surface of the sea!

After checking out the usual spot for Wall Lizards we explored a new spot just east of Southwell village where we found a huge range of plants, insects and reptiles - in fact most of the list below!

The day's list:
Birds Fulmar, Cormorant, Common Scoter, Kestrel, Peregrine, Great Black-backed Gull, Herring Gull, Skylark, Swallow, Rock Pipit, Dunnock, Whitehroat, Raven, Magpie, Linnet
Reptiles Wall Lizard, Slow-worm

Insects Speckled Bush-cricket, Common Blue, Small Blue, Brown-tail Moth, Speckled Yellow Moth, Bloody-nosed Beetle, Rose Chafer
Plants Bee Orchid, Birdsfoot Trefoil, Black Mustard, Caper Spurge, Charlock, Fennel, Hartstongue Fern, Honeysuckle, Horseshoe Vetch, Kidney Vetch, Meadow Vetchling, Mouse-ear Hawkweed, Red Valerian, Rock Samphire, Rock Stonecrop, Wallflower, White Stonecrop, Wild Carrot, Winter Heliotrope, Wormwood, Yellow Vetchling

The photos below can be enlarged by clicking on them

Friday May 24th
Topfields

In far more pleasant conditions than last week we enjoyed a very leisurely stroll round the ancient field system between Southwell and the Bill. Skylarks were everwhere, singing and chasing each other about over the fields. The only real migrants seen were a few Spotted Flycatchers but we did see several Whitethroats and lots of Swallows.

The only surprise was right at the end of the walk when we found a colony of Bee Orchids right next to our cars!

The day's list:
Birds: Buzzard, Whitethroat, Spotted Flycatcher, Swallow, Skylark, Meadow Pipit, Yellow Wagtail Mammals:Bunny Insects: Holly Blue, Large White, Brown-tail Moth, Lackey Moth, Yellow Shell
Plants: Black Mustard, Black Bryony, Field Poppy, Sainfoin, Red Campion, White Campion, Hoary Cress, Wild Clary, Woolly Woundwort, Bee Orchid

The photos below can be enlarged by clicking on them

Friday May 17th
Bill - Westcliffs

Today we visited the seabird colony on the Westcliffs just as a family of Ravens arrived and scared all the birds off the cliffs. This gave us an opportunity to count the number of (presumably) breeding birds which came to a remarkable 200 Guillemots but only 20 Razorbills.

We had planned to proceed on to the Observatory Quarry to look for the Little Owl but the sight of a huge concentration of gulls just off the Bill sent us there instead, in the hope we might see some dolphins. None were found and we never did discover just what the gulls were excited about. We did find a very handsome male Whinchat though (the photo is from the archive).

The day's list:
Birds: Buzzard, Whinchat, Stonechat, Raven, Guillemot, Razorbill, Common Tern, Shag, Cormorant, Fulmar, Gannet, Kittiwake, Wheatear, Swift, Meadow Pipit, Rock Pipit, Skylark, Swallow
Mammals: Brown Rat, Bunny Insects: Brown-tail Moth
Plants: Black Mustard, Milkwort, Buckshorn Plantain, Wild Gladiolus

Friday May 10th
The Verne Citadel

A very different walk today as we explored for the first time the area to the east of the Jailhouse Cafe. Not much in the way of wildlife but the views were amazing.

The day's list:
Birds: Kestrel, Buzzard, Peregrine, Wheatear, Swallow
Insects: Red Admiral, Wall Brown, Brown-tail Moth
Plants: Birdsfoot Trefoil, Black Mustard, Changing Forgetmenot, Cowslip, English Bluebell, Germander Speedwell, Horseshoe Vetch, Least Trefoil, Mouse-ear Hawkweed, Spanish Bluebell, White Stonecrop, Wall Rue

Friday May 3rd
Broadcroft Quarry

A very pleasant walk today from Wakeham across the back of Silklake to Broadcroft, where the birds were hard to find but the insects and wild flowers were extremely abundant.

The day's list:
Birds: Kestrel, Wheatear, Swift, Whitethroat, Robin, Wren, Dunnock
Reptiles: Common Lizard, Slow-worm
Insects: Peacock, Small White, Green-veined White, Orange-tip, Holly Blue, Wall Brown, Green Shield-bug, Six-spot Burnet Moth, Brown-tail Moth, Green Longhorn Moth (Adela reaumurella), Large Yellow Underwing, Common Wasp, Nomad Bee, 7-spot Ladybird, St Mark's Fly
Spiders: Crab Spider, Wolf Spider
Plants: Alexanders, Ash, Birdsfoot Trefoil, Black Medick, Black Mustard, Blackthorn, Bramble, Buddleia, Bulbous Buttercup, Clematis, Cotoneaster, Cow Parsley, Cowslip, Cut-leaved Cranesbill, Daisy, English Bluebell, False Brome, Fennel, Field Speedwell, Fodder Burnet, Germander Speedwell, Grey Willow, Hartstongue Fern, Hawthorn, Herb Robert, Horseshoe Vetch, Mouse-ear Hawkweed, Red Fescue, Red Valerian, Ribwort Plantain, Sainfoin, Spanish Bluebell, Spear Thistle, Spotted Medick, Sycamore, Three-cornered Leek, Wayfaring Tree, Weld, Widow Iris, 'Wild' Gladiolus, Wild Privet, Winter Heliotrope, Wormwood, Yellow Vetchling
Lichens: Caloplaca flavescens, Xanthoria parietina

The photos below can be enlarged by clicking on them

Friday April 19th
Portland Bill - Old Higher Light

On the first really warm day of the year we visited one of our favourite spots on the island - the Lobster Pot cafe.

First we walked out to the Bird Observatory where the "Prof", Peter Morgan, showed us first a Willow Warbler and then a female Redstart. In the photo Peter is the one on the left.

Walking back past the Observatory Quarry the Little Owl was nowhere to be seen but the Short-eared Owl over the Strips more than made up for its absence.

The day's list:
Kestrel, Raven, Short-eared Owl, Willow Warbler, Chiffchaff, Wheatear, Stonechat, Skylark, Swallow, Gannet, Shag, Common Scoter, Guillemot, Pheasant
Peacock, Brimstone Moth, Hebrew Character Moth
Alexanders, Spanish Bluebell, Blackthorn

Friday April 5th
Old Hill - Tout - Inmosthay

A really quite nasty wet day today, with very little in the way of birdlife out at all. The quarries were still there though and we had a good look at the different strata, which show up much better when they are nice and wet!

Passing the section of cliff-fall on the Westcliffs it would appear that nothing has changed, as the photo on the right shows.

Walking back through Inmosthay we were pleased to find a thriving colony of the very rare Maidenhair Fern.

The day's list:
Sparrowhawk, Raven, Wren, Jackdaw, Carrion Crow, Great Black-backed Gull,
Ground Ivy, Dog Violet, Maidenhair Fern, Cotoneaster,

Friday March 29th
Reap Lane - Westcliffs

Almost a repeat of last week's walk but in the other direction and starting at Reap Lane where we hoped to see a Hoopoe. On arriving at the site we found that the Hoopoe had been scared off by a Sparrowhawk just minutes earlier but would most likely come back. We decided not to wait around for it but to continue our walk along the cliffs and enjoy the amazing views on this beautifully calm day. Looking back we could see the twitchers looking intently at something...

Skylarks and a Stonechat provided plenty of bird interest for us and along the cliff-top path the Alexanders were home to a large number of ladybirds, along with several hoverflies. Out at sea a line of five Gannets coukd be seen flying east, no doubt the start of the Spring migration.

The day's list:
kestrel, gannet, meadow pipit, skylark, stonechat, pied wagtail, linnet, seven-spot ladybird, peacock, brown-tail moth, alexanders

Friday March 22nd
Barleycrates Lane - Westcliffs

With increasing numbers of Spring migrants arriving every day we headed off to one of island's migration hotspots - Barleycrates Lane in Weston.

Not long as we arrived the commotion amongst the Herring Gulls suggested a passing bird of prey, perhaps an Osprey, but nothing could be seen. The ploughed field near the cliff path held a flock of at least thirty wagtails, mostly Piec but with several White Wagtails in amongst them. An even larger flock of Meadow Pipits was in the next field along with a few linnets.

The coast path produced a somewhat out of place Chiffchaff and a less unusual pair of Stonechats whilst overhead two small parties of Sand Martins were seen heading north.

The day's list:
fulmar, kestrel, meadow pipit, chiffchaff, stonechat, pied wagtail, white wagtail, linnet, skylark, sand martin, brown-tail moth, crow garlic, wall speedwell, field speedwell, wild cabbage

Friday March 15th
Eastcliffs

Parking in Southwell, the most southerly village in Dorset, we walked down to the cliff path and turned south towards the Bill. We were hoping to see early migrants such as Wheatears but at first the only small birds to be seen were the resident Rock Pipits. Out at sea there was more going on with Fulmars and Gannets amongst the gulls and Cormorants. At our feet the cliffs were covered in new growth of a huge variety of plants, with an equally diverse lichen flora on the rocks.

As we approached the crane opposite Culverwell a Peregrine flew past carrying a pigeon. We turned and followed its path back to Southwell but by the time we got to its nest-site the pigeon was long-gone. We did find the Raven's nest though with the female incubating and the male patrolling incessantly. Finally, walking back up the path to the road we found our migrants - a group of three freshly-arrived Chiffchaffs.

The day's list:
peregrine, raven, gannet, fulmar, rock pipit, chiffchaff, scurvy grass, portland rock sea-lavender, buckshorn plantain, thrift, rock samphire, golden samphire, wallflower, white stonecrop, alexanders, wild carrot, red valerian, lichen Xanthoria parietina, lichen Caloplaca aurantia, lichen Aspicilia calcarea, lichen Verrucaria nigrescens

Friday March 8th
Admiralty Quarries - Verne Ditch

After checking out the wallabies at Fancy's Farm for any joeys, we walked through Admiralty Quarries looking for any early Wheatears. We stopped off at a couple of likely Adder locations but neither the Wheatears nor the Adders were anywhere to be seen.

Finding ourselves stood at the base of Nicodemus' Knob looking out over the port we noticed a path leading north through the bushes at the base of the Verne Citadel. Not having explored thus path for many years we followed it as far as we could until it terminated at the port's boundary fence. The damp, sheltered conditions here were ideal for mosses.

The day's list:
kestrel, buzzard, wren, dunnock, banded snail, field speedwell, common feather-moss, neat feather-moss

Friday March 1st
Chesil Cove

After Monday's bryophyte course I decided to take the group down to the path under the Westcliffs to look for liverworts in the springs.

Not only fid we find the liverwort I was looking for but we also found several newts in one of the tiny ponds amongst the rocks. On the way back the Black Redstart popped up on a roof in Chiswell.

The day's list:
kestrel, buzzard, raven, rock pipit, black redstart, stonechat, palmate newt, peacock, red valerian, allium spp, green hellebore, scurvy grass, great horsetail, endive pellia (liverwort), lichen Aspicilia calcarea

Friday February 22nd
Kingbarrow - Admiralty - Withies Croft Quarries

Today we had that uniquely Portland combination of fog and strong wind. In the shelter of Kingbarrow conditions were a bit warmer but birds were difficult to find in the murky weather.

So we took the opportunity to explore the old tramways, tunnels and bridges in the quarries. We also looked at the ancient tree bowls, 130 million year old algal deposits.

The day's list:
kestrel, stock dove, raven, meadow pipit, great spotted woodpecker

Friday February 15th
Grove Point - Yeolands Quarry

In complete contrast to last week we enjoyed some gorgeous spring weather this morning along the cliff-top path above East Weares and Penn's Weare.

As well as the expected Fulmars (at least five in the end) we had great views of a pair of Peregrines hunting pigeons. We were pleased to see the British Primitive Goats still present, or six of them anyway.

The day's list:
kestrel, peregrine, stock dove, chaffinch, goldfinch, raven, fulmar, marmalade hoverfly, unidentified hoverfly, red admiral(?)
wallflower, pellitory-of-the-wall, lesser celandine, dandelion, alexanders, rosemary

Friday February 8th
Verne Naval Cemetery

Today we had to cope with a southerly gale and heavy showers so we hid under the shelter of the Verne Citadel and walked past the cemetery to the edge of Portland Port.

Our first sighting was very unexpected - a dead baby Common Shrew! Then a Kestrel landed on the path right in front of us closely followed by a distant sighting of the Peregrine up on the cliffs (the photo on the right is from a couple of years ago).

The day's list:
birds: kestrel, peregrine, stock dove
mammals: common shrew
ships: RFA Argus, RFA Tideforce, RFA Lyme Bay, ex-RFA Sir Tristram, RMS St Helena, CS Sovereign

Friday February 1st
Church Ope Cove

On a very rare snowy day on Portland we decided to avoid the bitter northerly wind and pay Church Ope Cove a visit. We took the opportunity of making a detour round to see Penn's Bath and then walked down the steps to look at the even more ancient spring.

Birds were very quiet around the trees but offshore there were hundreds of auks flying north along with a few Gannets and Fulmars. Walking back to the car park we did see a few more birds, mostly Chaffinches and Redwings plus a lone Blackcap.

Over coffee back at the hotel we were glad we had a window seat as hundreds of Redwings and Fieldfares were streaming overhead looking for any grassy areas to feed on.

The day's list:
stonechat, fieldfare, redwing, chaffinch, blackcap, rock pipit, guillemot/razorbill, gannet, fulmar
tuberous comfrey, laurestinus, Japanese spindle, Hebe, sea beet, crystal brain fungus, common jelly spot Dacrymyces stillatus

Friday January 25th
Grove Stadium

Another successful search today but as we were only looking for a Victorian drain cover perhaps not so remarkable as last week. While we were there we checked out the Stadium and the Engine Sheds and then went to look for the goats on the East Weares. We didn't see them but we did find a Grey Squirrel, a rare sighting on North Portland.

The day's list
buzzard, kestrel, sparrowhawk, pheasant, redwing, grey squirrel
shepherd's purse, sweet violet, annual mercury, coral spot, silverleaf fungus Chondrostereum purpureum

Friday January 18th
Chesil Cove

A rare weather combination today - a cold southerly wind. So to escape from this we decided to visit Chesil Beach to see if we could find one of the Sea Beans that have been recorded from many parts of the coast recently. Remarkably, that is exactly what we found, along with all sorts of other fascinating finds. The one that had us most stumped was a flat skull with a long spine attached. After a great deal of online research this turned out to be a Cormorant.

The day's list
Birds (live): cormorant, fulmar, black redstart, pied wagtail, rock pipit
Birds (dead): cormorant, guillemot, herring gull
Other Vertebrates: dolphin vertebra(?), thornback ray egg case, blonde ray egg case Invertebrates: cuttlefish, whelk eggs, pink sea fan, mussel
Plants: kelp, bladderwrack, sea bean, marram grass, pine cone

Friday January 11th
Portland Castle

A walk round an area we don't often visit today at the time of year when this corner of Portland Harbour can be very productive. This morning it was very quiet bird-wise but we did get some very close views of a flock of Mergansers and a more distant view of a Black-necked Grebe. And it's not everyday you get to see a Sherman tank!

The day's list:
buzzard, red-breasted merganser, black-necked grebe, cormorant, shag, chaffinch, dunnock, kestrel

Friday January 4th
Jordan - Inmosthay

Another beautifully calm and sunny day but much colder than last week. Parking opposite St Georges Church we walked east into Jordan Quarry and had a look at the entrance to the tunnels that are planned to host the updated Jurassica/Memo development.

With very few birds about we continued into the working Inmosthay Quarry and looked at the fossil and mineral specimens left by the quarry company at the edge of the footpath. Inside a cast left by an ammonite was this collection of beautifully coloured crystals, presumably calcite.

The day's list:
buzzard, stock dove, chaffinch, great tit, blue tit, robin, collared dove, wren, kestrel

Full list of species seen since 2005 click on underlined species to see photos
Birds (154 species) Great Northern Diver Black-throated Diver Red-throated Diver Little Grebe Great-crested Grebe Black-necked Grebe Slavonian Grebe Storm Petrel Leach's Petrel Fulmar Manx Shearwater Balearic Shearwater Sooty Shearwater CORY'S SHEARWATER Gannet Shag Cormorant Glossy Ibis Grey Heron Little Egret Dark-bellied Brent Goose Pale-bellied Brent Goose Black Brant Red-breasted Goose Mute Swan Mallard Teal Shoveler Wigeon Pintail Common Scoter Velvet Scoter Goldeneye Eider Red-breasted Merganser Goosander Long-tailed Duck Red Kite Marsh Harrier Buzzard Merlin Kestrel Peregrine Separrowhawk Great Skua Great Black-backed Gull Lesser Black-backed Gull Yellow-legged Gull ICELAND GULL Herring Gull Mediterranean Gull Black-headed Gull Common Gull Little Gull Kittiwake Curlew Oystercatcher Woodcock Snipe Jacksnipe Bar-tailed Godwit LONG-BILLED DOWITCHER Redshank Lapwing Golden Plover Grey Plover Ringed Plover Ruff Purple Sandpiper Dunlin Curlew Sandpiper Sanderling Knot Turnstone Pheasant Wood Pigeon Feral Pigeon Stock Dove Collared Dove Turtle Dove BRÜNNICH'S GUILLEMOT BLACK GUILLEMOT Guillemot Razorbill Puffin Barn Owl Little Owl Short-eared Owl HOOPOE WRYNECK Skylark Kingfisher Swift PALLID SWIFT Swallow House Martin Sand Martin WOODCHAT SHRIKE RED-BACKED SHRIKE Meadow Pipit Tree Pipit Rock Pipit Pied Wagtail White Wagtail Grey Wagtail Yellow Wagtail Wren Dunnock Grasshopper Warbler (heard) Sedge Warbler Reed Warbler Garden Warbler Blackcap Whitethroat Lesser Whitethroat Chiffchaff Willow Warbler YELLOW-BROWED WARBLER Goldcrest Firecrest Spotted Flycatcher Long-tailed Tit Blue Tit Great Tit Stonechat Whinchat Robin Wheatear Redstart Black Redstart White-spotted Bluethroat Blackbird Ring Ouzel Fieldfare Redwing Song Thrush Starling ROSY STARLING Rook Jackdaw Carrion Crow Raven Magpie Jay House Sparrow Linnet Siskin Redpoll Goldfinch Chaffinch Bullfinch Greenfinch Crossbill Yellowhammer Snow Bunting Lapland Bunting Mammals (10 species) British Primitive Goat Common Shrew Grey Squirrel Brown Rat Oryctolagus cuniculus Brown Hare Red Fox Roe Deer (prints) Grey Seal Bottle-nosed Dolphin Reptiles (4 species) Common Lizard Wall Lizard Slow-worm Adder Amphibians (3 species) Common Frog Common Toad Palmate Newt Fossils (6 species) Belemnite Lopha gregarea Nucleolites clunicularis (sea urchin) Aptyxiella portlandica (Portland Screw) Titanites giganteus (ammonite) Trigonia gibbosa (oss's head) Molluscs (terrestrial) (4 species) Banded Snail Black Slug Garden Snail Striped Snail Dragonflies and Damselflies (3 species) Common Darter Emperor Dragonfly Migrant Hawker	Crickets and Grasshoppers (7 species) Common Green Grasshopper Dark Bush-cricket Field Grasshopper Great Green Bush-cricket Meadow Grasshopper Roesel's Bush-cricket Speckled Bush-cricket Bugs (3 species) Dock Bug Horse-chestnut Scale Insect Green Shield-bug Butterflies (29 species) Adonis Blue Chalkhill Blue Clouded Yellow Comma Common Blue Dingy Skipper Gatekeeper Grayling Green-veined White Holly Blue Large White Large Skipper Lulworth Skipper Marbled White Meadow Brown Orange-tip Painted Lady Peacock Red Admiral Ringlet Silver-studded Blue Small Blue Small Copper Small Heath Small Skipper Small Tortoiseshell Small White Speckled Wood Wall Moths (42 species) Brown-tail Burnet Companion Chalk Carpet Cinnabar Clay Cream-spot Tiger Crescent Plume-moth Dark Arches Dark Fruit Tree Tortrix Diamondback Moth Forester Fox Moth Green Longhorn Moth (Adela reaumurella) Heart and Club Heart and Dart Hummingbird Hawkmoth Jersey Tiger Knot Grass L-album Wainscot Lackey Large Yellow Underwing Lesser Yellow Underwing Light Brocade Marbled Minor Mint Moth Pyrausta aurata Pyrausta despicata Mother Shipton Oak Eggar Poplar Hawk-moth Portland Riband Wave Privet Hawkmoth Scarlet Tiger Shaded Broad-bar Shuttle-shaped Dart Silver Y Six-spot Burnet Speckled Yellow Treble Lines Vine's Rustic White Ermine White-point Yarrow Plume Moth Yellow Shell Bees and Wasps (7 species) Buff-tailed Bumblebee Common Carder Bee Common Wasp Honey Bee Ivy Bee Red-tailed Bumblebee Nomad Bee Beetles (9 species) 11-spot Ladybird 7-spot Ladybird Bloody-nosed Beetle Ground Beetle Harlequin Ladybird Oil Beetle Rose Chafer Summer Chafer Swollen-thighed Beetle Flies (7 species) Drone-fly Greenbottle Hornet Hoverfly Volucella zonaria Hoverfly Scaeva pyrastri Marmalade Hoverfly St Mark's Fly Arachnids (7 species) Crab Spider Garden Cross Spider Harvestman House Spider Nursery-web Spider Wasp Spider Wolf Spider Marine Life (55 species) Sea Bean Entada gigas Thornback Ray (egg-case) Blonde Ray (egg-case) Garfish Triggerfish Greater Spotted Dogfish Lesser Spotted Dogfish Goose Barnacle Spider Crab Edible Crab Shore Crab Portugese Man o' War Hydrozoan Whelk Netted Dogwhelk Slipper Limpet Common Limpet Common Mussel Common Oyster Blue-rayed Limpet Flat Winkle Rough Winkle Edible Winkle Sting Winkle Toothed Topshell Purple Topshell Painted Topshell Great Topshell Grey Topshell Thick Topshell Queen Scallop Common Cockle Spiny Cockle Pod Razor Shell Pullet Carpet Shell Banded Venus Keeled Tubeworm Spiral Tubeworm Cuttlefish Squid Beadlet Anemone Snakelocks Anemone Green Sea Urchin Seasquirt Dead Man's Fingers Pink Sea-fan Knotted Wrack Channelled Wrack Spiral Wrack Bladder Wrack Sea Lettuce Carragheen Laminaria saccharina Laminaria digitata Saccorhiza polyschides Fungi (11 species) Coral Spot Dog's Vomit Slime Mould Mucilago crustacea Dryad's Saddle Field Blewit Field Mushroom Honey Fungus Parasol Mushroom Scarlet Waxcap Shaggy Inkcap Silverleaf Fungus Velvet Shank Lichens (17 species) Aspicilia calcarea Caloplaca aurantia Caloplaca flavescens Caloplaca holocarpa Diploicia canescens Diplotomma alboatrum Evernia prunastri Flavoparmelia caperata Lecanora chlarotera Lecanora dispersa Lecanora muralis Nostoc (blue-green algae) Parmelia sulcata Physcia caesia Placynthium nigrum Verrucaria nigrescens Xanthoria parietina	Plants (249 species) Agrimony Alexanders Annual Beard Grass Annual Meadow Grass Annual Mercury Annual Wall Rocket Apple Ash Autumn Gentian Autumn Ladies Tresses Bastard Toadflax Bee Orchid Birdsfoot Trefoil Biting Stonecrop Black Knapweed Black Medick Black Mustard Black Spleenwort Blackthorn Bladder Campion Blue Fleabane (Brackish?) Water Crowfoot Bramble Bristly Ox-tongue Broad-leaved Dock Broad-leaved Eyebright Broad-leaved Everlasting Pea Buckshorn Plantain Buddleia Bulbous Buttercup Bulbous Meadow Grass Bulrush Burnet Rose Burnet Saxifrage Bush Vetch Calamint Caper Spurge Carline Thistle Cats-tail Changing Forgetmenot Charlock Clematis Cocksfoot Coltsfoot Common Broomrape Common Catsear Common Centaury Common Elder Common Gromwell Common Ragwort Common Spotted Orchid Common Storksbill Common Toadflax Common Vetch Cotoneaster horizontalis Cotoneaster microphyllus Cotoneaster simonsii Cotoneaster sternianus Cow Parsley Cowslip Creeping Buttercup Creeping Cinquefoil Crested Dogstail Crow Garlic Cut-leaved Cranesbill Daisy Dandelion Dog Rose Dogwood Dropwort Dwarf Elder Early Gentian Early Purple Orchid Elm English Bluebell Fairy Flax False Brome False Oat-grass Fennel Fern Grass Field Penny-cress Field Scabious Field Speedwell Fluellen Fodder Burnet Germander Speedwell Golden-rod Golden Samphire Grass Vetchling Greater Birdsfoot Trefoil Greater Horsetail Greater Knapweed Greater Plantain Great Hairy Willowherb Great Mullein Grey Willow Hairy Bittercress Hairy Rockcress Hard Rush Harebell Hartstongue Fern Hawkweed Ox-tongue Hawthorn Hedge Bedstraw Hedge Bindweed Hemp Agrimony Herb Robert Hoary Plantain Hoary Ragwort Hoary Stock Hogweed Holly Holm Oak Honeysuckle Hop Trefoil Horse Chestnut Horseshoe Vetch Ivy Ivy Broomrape Ivy-leaved Toadflax Japanese Knotweed Kidney Vetch Knotted Bur-parsley Lady's Bedstraw Lady's Mantle Lesser Celandine Lesser Centaury Lesser Trefoil London Plane Maidenhair Fern Maidenhair Spleenwort Male Fern Marjoram Meadow Vetchling Melilot Milkwort Mouse-ear Hawkweed Musk Mallow Musk Thistle Olive Willow Oxford Ragwort Pale Flax Pear Pellitory-of-the-wall Pendulous Sedge Pennywort Perennial Sow-thistle Portland Rock Sea-lavender Portland Spurge Prickly Sow-thistle Primrose Purple Toadflax Pyramidal Orchid Quaking Grass Red Bartsia Red Campions Red Clover Red Fescue Red Valerian Reedmace Restharrow Ribwort Plantain Rock-rose Rock Samphire Rock Sea Lavender Rock Stonecrop Rough Hawkbit Rough Meadow Grass Round-leaved Cranesbill Rue-leaved Saxifrage Rye Grass Sainfoin Saw-wort Sea Beet Sea Campion Sea Holly Sea Kale Sea Lavender Sea Mayweed Sea Radish Sea Spleenwort Shining Cranesbill Slender Thistle Soft Brome Soft Cranesbill Soft Shield Fern Small Scabious Smooth Hawksbeard Smooth Sow-thistle Spanish Bluebell Spear Mint Spear Thistle Spindle Tree Spotted Medick Square-stemmed Willowherb Squinancywort Stemless Thistle Sticky Groundsel Stinging Nettle Stinking Iris Strawberry Clover Sycamore Sweet Violet Tall Fescue Teasel Three-cornered Leek Thrift Timothy Tor Grass Toothed Medick Upright Brome Upright Hedge Parsley Viper's Bugloss Wall Barley Wall Rocket Wall Rue Wall Speedwell Wallflower Wayfaring Tree Weld Welted Thistle Western Polypody Whitebeam White Clover White Stonecrop Widow Iris Wild Cabbage Wild Carrot Wild Clary 'Wild' Gladiolus Wild Leek Wild Madder Wild Mignonette Wild Parsley Wild Privet Wild Thyme Winter Heliotrope Wood Sage Wood Spurge Woody Nightshade Woolly Woundwort Wormwood Yarrow Yellow Horned-poppy Yellow Oat-grass Yellow Vetch Yellow Vetchling Yellow-wort Yorkshire Fog

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Dorset Walks

Walks on Portland - wildlife highlights for 2019

Friday December 27th Westcliffs - Bowers Quarry

Friday December 20th Ferrybridge - Hamm Beach

Friday December 13th Penn's Weare

Friday December 6th Portland Castle - Hamm Beach

Friday November 29th Kingbarrow - Admiralty - Fancy's Farm - New Ground

Friday November 22nd Portland Bill

Friday November 15th Cheyne

Friday November 8th Tout - Inmosthay

Friday November 1st Portland Castle

Friday October 25th Old Hill - New Ground

Friday October 18th France Quarry - Crown Farm

Friday October 11th Chesil Cove

Friday October 4th Penn Weare

Friday September 27th Pennsylvania Castle

Friday September 20th Westcliffs - Barleycrates Lane

Friday September 13th Portland Bill

Friday September 6th Portland Bill

Friday August 30th Southwell

Friday August 23rd Shepherd's Dinner

Friday August 2nd Fancy's Farm - Admiralty Quarries

Friday July 26th New Ground - High Angle Battery

Friday July 19th Poryland Bill

Friday July 12th Admiralty Slopes

Friday July 5th Admiralty Quarries

Friday June 28th Tout Quarry

Friday June 21st Verne Naval Cemetery

Friday June 14th Merchant's Railway

Friday June 7th Chesil Cove

Friday May 31st Southwell - Cheyne

Friday May 24th Topfields

Friday May 17th Bill - Westcliffs

Friday May 10th The Verne Citadel

Friday May 3rd Broadcroft Quarry

Friday April 19th Portland Bill - Old Higher Light

Friday April 5th Old Hill - Tout - Inmosthay

Friday March 29th Reap Lane - Westcliffs

Friday March 22nd Barleycrates Lane - Westcliffs

Friday March 15th Eastcliffs

Friday March 8th Admiralty Quarries - Verne Ditch

Friday March 1st Chesil Cove

Friday February 22nd Kingbarrow - Admiralty - Withies Croft Quarries

Friday February 15th Grove Point - Yeolands Quarry

Friday February 8th Verne Naval Cemetery

Friday February 1st Church Ope Cove

Friday January 25th Grove Stadium

Friday January 18th Chesil Cove

Friday January 11th Portland Castle

Friday January 4th Jordan - Inmosthay

Full list of species seen since 2005