Tuesday, 13 August 2024

Dorset - Portland and Weymouth - Cory's Weekender!

I spent the last weekend at Portland and Weymouth. Sea-watching was the focus on Portland with a slow start on Friday. Saturday looked very much the same until I had departed The Bill for Lodmoor to be told that nine Cory’s Shearwater had passed The Bill heading east!!

Confirmation of this news via the Observatory had me turning tail and hot footing it back to The Bill to join Martin, Freddy, Phil et al hoping that more birds would pass by. It turned out to be a good move as precisely nine birds passed by west at varying distances! Were these the same birds returning from feeding! We will never know but it is likely.

I had a tour on Sunday details here, Portland was fog bound but there were a few familiar faces sea-watching as we passed by The Bill.

Lodmoor RSPB had its regular fair of shorebirds, Green and Common Sandpiper, Dunlin, Black Tailed Godwit, Redshank, Oystercatcher and a handful of Lapwing. Gull numbers at the reserve are low but this will increase as the migration gains pace!

The Bearded Reedling at Radipole RSPB have been difficult to connect with. There are family groups present but the regular areas have been very hit and miss! A Redshank was bizarrely noted resting on a lily pad on Sunday!

A Rose-coloured Starling had found its way into a garden in Broadmayne bus sadly only remained for a day!

Canary Shouldered Thorn
I had my largest haul of moths in the garden which took an age to process. I have had 87 species in the garden in four months!

I am linking up with Pete Alfrey this coming weekend with more birds and mothing on the agenda!

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