I was up and out at stupid o clock and heading off to Portland with the prospect of strong SSW winds which may offer up Skuas and Shearwaters! The sea at the bill was performing well with the sea crashing over the rocks onto the path at the Obelisk! I did question my sanity as I took up position tucked into the wall mid way along its width. There were a couple of wave and blow-hole photographers at work but beyond that the area way initially devoid of people!
Birds were generally moving east which was my general direction of observation. This tactic did cost me a Bonxie and Manx Sheerwater as they were observed from the observatory and passed behind me! High tide came and went which seemed to settle the sea to reasonable turbulence!
A four plus hour watch produced a close in dark phase Arctic Skua which cheered me up! A handful of Scoter, 47 Kittiwake a Manx Shearwater, 171 Gannet, 2 Sand Martin and a Swallow made up the tally! I returned to the Observatory and there was talk of a Dark-eyed Junco in a garden at Gillingham in the North of the county!
I have only seen one Junco in the UK and that was 7th April 2008 at Dungeness in a garden near the lighthouse! It didn’t take much thinking time before I was on the road to Gillingham to secure a new bird for my Dorset tally!
Thanks to the property owners for allowing access to their garden. It was good to see a few of the usual suspects there! I find Dorset twitches a very civilized and social event!
No comments:
Post a Comment