Birds at Ferry Bridge - Wheatear

The Wheatear on its migration South tend to stop off on the coastline of Dorset.

In particular the species can be observed at Ferrybridge and most of the Portland area at this time onwards into September. After the stop off,  it will continue the migration to Central Africa for the Winter period.

A few typical more distant 'Pose' Images that are a familiar sight of the Wheatear.

 

Birds at Ferry Bridge - Turnstone

Turnstone is a Winter coastal Wader, but can be found in small numbers in August still in breeding plumage. These few I shot were on the edge of the tidal water at Ferrybridge, Weymouth.

 

Single Image Post - Rock Pipit

This single image is a Rock Pipit hiding in the long foliage.

Taken along Portland east cliff, a species that is a common sight at anytime of the year in that area.

 

Single Image Post - Speckled Wood Butterfly

A Jersey Tiger

No, there are no Tigers on Jersey, well not as far as I know anyway.😀

The Jersey Tiger Moth does however frequent the Channel Islands and has been regularly observed there. 

This is another daytime Moth that I have not seen before. 

I found this one (one of two) near Portland Bill.

It has more recently been observed along the South coast of England. 

 

Harvest Time

Having recently missed taking photographs of the Barley Harvest I wasn't going to miss the Wheat Harvest in the local area.

The local Farmers took the opportunity of our recent and ongoing superb weather to get started.

As you can see below, the trick is to be up wind when taken shots of the harvester in operation.

Wheat is not the only produce you can harvest now.

Blackberries

Slow Plums

Hazelnuts

The ubiquitous Poppy around wheat and barley fields.

Poppy

As soon as the wheat is cut, the baler comes along shortly afterwards.

Those bales are now much larger than they use to be and require a machinery to lift and shift. 

Of course it would be wrong not to photograph a few butterflies when one is out and about.

Small Copper

Meadow Brown

Common Blue (Female)

Common Blue (Female)

Golden-ringed Dragonfly

A few weeks ago while out walking the fields of Dorset I observed for the first time a Golden-ringed Dragonfly. 

It flew by at a rate of knots and I was only able to get a blurred shot of it due to wrong camera and lens settings.

Happily, I have now been able to find one (a female) that flew along pitching on a hedge close to me. It kindly remained there and I was able to get the shot.

The male and female are very similar in appearance, which is unusual in a dragonfly. This is also the longest dragonfly in the UK.

Female