Dorset - Nothe Fort - Male Black Redstart!

 

I took a leisurely visit to Nothe Fort hoping to catch up with the male Black Redstart that has been frequenting Stone Pier of late. I didn’t have to wait long for the bird to appear the white wing patch and orange tail were obvious as it made a short flight onto the stone ledges.

The bird was feeding as it took the short flights between positions and gradually edged closer to me. The light wasn’t great but what an amazing contrast the colours were. The weather was closing in so I made good my escape before it rained.

Earlier on in the day I had seen Great Northern Divers from Sandsfoot Castle. Black Necked Grebe was seen from the sailing club with a Black throated Diver out in the middle of the harbour later on in the day. 

Perhaps I should have stayed longer but would have missed the Redstart! Swings and Roundabouts!

Dorset - Portland and Harbour - Owl and Grebe Watch!

Yesterday morning I was up and out at early o clock to get down to Portland to do some site research with the goal of locating owls on the island. I arrived in good time for dawn and began my vigil. Conditions were good with a slight wind blowing across the island. At 0730 a Short Eared Owl appeared over the hill keeping low as it hunted over the fields opposite the Bird Observatory.

My next goal was to locate Purple Sandpiper along the cliffs at Portland Bill. The tide was receding by now and a small group were noted wave jumping.

I moved down to the lighthouse where a female Black Redstart popped up onto a roof as I was photographing a Rock Pipit. The sea was fairly quiet a lone sea-watcher informed me there had been a few Red Throated Divers had flown through the Bill.

I caught up with Jodie and John at the Observatory and then moved down to Ferrybridge to check the shorebirds. Dunlin was present in good numbers along with Ringed Plover. The bird in the picture has a yellow ring with black on its right leg. I was unable to read it before a Peregrine spoilt the party by scattering the Mediterranean Gull and waders.

A Slavonian Grebe has been present in the harbour for a while now but I had not found it on recent visits. The tide was out and the wind at Sandsfoot Castle was favourable allowing me to scan the harbour. I located the bird but it took over an hour to do so, Great Northern Diver and a Razorbill were the other species of note. I added another Diver to the tally at Portland Castle before returning for owl watch at Portland.

Dorset - Portland Harbour - Winter Birding behind the Harbour Walls!

The weather this morning was terrible and it was no surprise that games were postponed. I made my way down to Lodmoor RSPB arriving just before the rain stopped. I then walked a circuit of the reserve whilst the unsettled flock of Golden Plover sometimes joined by Lapwing circled above!

I logged 37 species on my journey but there was nothing out of the ordinary. I decided to move on to Portland Harbour to see what its walls would hold! I started at Sandsfoot Castle and worked my way down to the sailing club. A distant Great Northern Diver was seen along with a female Common Scoter which was making steady progress into the wind.

I moved on to Portland Castle for the remainder of the afternoon which provided the best photo opportunities. A Great Northern Diver was first in the frame. The birds feed on crabs in this area and can be reasonably close to the shoreline.

I was a bit surprised to see a Razorbill feeding on the edge of the seaweed. The bird looked healthy enough as it zipped alone the shoreline.

I have a trip to Bristol tomorrow to visit Mangotsfield Utd Ladies hopefully the game in the stadium will still be on! If not there may be time for another outing!

Dorset - Puddletown Water Meadows Bardolf Farm - Escaped to the Meadows!

 

I was out doing the rounds at Bardolf Farm today when I chanced upon an unusual goose (which I initially thought was a hybrid) on the water meadows. Getting pictures of the bird was tricky but I continued on with the day. The bird was seen again at Athelhampton mid afternoon where it was closer and more obliging!

The verdict is the bird is a Hawaiian Goose and Hugo informs me it is likely from a collection kept at WWT Slimbridge. An escaped bird but it caught my interest and a species I have not seen before hence the initial jump to a hybrid! I get some weird looking geese on the farm!

The Canada geese have tipped the 200 mark and with more cold weather coming in the numbers are likely to grow! May even get a White fronted goose turn up as has happened around Christmas time on two of the last three years! Fingers crossed!