April started at Portland Bill and a stake out for the Glaucous Gull that was loafing offshore. Patience paid off with the gull appearing out of the sun in the afternoon. No crippling photos this time but I got Roly onto the bird before it flew out of sight along the Islands West coast.
With the resumption football weekends are once again not my own but I took a short jaunt to search for a Hoopoe that had been seen near Frome Whitfield the previous evening. This time my efforts were not rewarded but not every escapade is fruitful.
News broke at the weekend of Ring Ouzels (2m,1f) at Barleycrates Lane and I expected them to have moved on by the beginning of the week. However I rocked up on the Tuesday morning seeing both the males but did not connect with the female.
I spent Wednesday at Middlebere sweeping up another new species for my Dorset list in an Osprey that had claimed rights on a vacant platform. I was not expecting to see a second bird but managed some reasonable shots as it flew by. A visit to the Watercress beds later in the day did not produce anything out of the ordinary.
Thursday I was out on another mission with three potential new birds for Dorset. Visits to Lychett Fields, and then Canford Park SANG where a pair of Mandarin had been photographed the previous day. The river along Canford School was also checked but to no avail. Last chance saloon was Lesser Redpoll at St Stephens Castle where a lone bird was viewed with a Siskin feeding in the silver birches.
Friday I spent the day on Portland walking the harbour which held Willow Warbler but sadly no Pied Flycatcher which was at the castle the previous day. I saw a single male Ring Ouzel and whitethroat at Barlycrates Lane before moving on to Reap Lane.
There were several wheatear in the horse fields and there was a gap in the human traffic along the coastal path so I checked the cliffs where a male Redstart honed into view in all its glory.
The bird moved onto the scrub feeding before it returned to the cliffs.
The rest of the evening was spent around the Observatory and Culverhouse where wheatear was the main feature of my walk. I recorded 15 birds on the Island during the day. I am learning more about Portland with every visit and hope to devise a plan during optimum conditions.
Saturday I was on my way back to the smoke for a weekend officiating on the turf! I called in at Stanpit Marsh to add Glossy Ibis and Ruff to my yearlist. My Dorset year total stands at 174 which includes species outside the traditional Vice County recording area of Dorset but a healthy total all the same!
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