Portland Bill today

Colin Gittins and myself travelled to Portland Bill today to see the Great Spotted Cuckoo, which had been hanging around there for a while. We saw the bird straight after we parked up on Reap Lane on the Bill. The bird was quite showy at times and seemed very healthy as it munched away on a near biblical proportions of "hairy" Caterpillars.

 Great Spotted Cuckoo - a very healthy individual

 Brown-tail Moth caterpillar - main course, literally millions of these present

 Garden Tiger caterpillar - Side salad for the Cuckoo

 Supporting Cast - Peregrine, Little Owl & a fearless Dunnock

Speaking of fearless, while at the Bill, HMS Somerset [F82] passed by. She is a Type 23 Frigate based at Devonport and was commissioned in 1989 and is still going strong.

We stopped at Ham Walls/Shapwick Heath reserve in Somerset on the way back and had a great afternoon there. I've got a lot of insect photos to sort out, so I'll post that area tomorrow.