Stilted progress

The first time I 'twitched' Weymouth by bike was on the last day of April 2021 for a frisky pair of Black-winged Stilts at Lodmoor. I have done the same journey many times since and reprised it again on the penultimate day of April this year for an even friskier pair of the same species. The Stilts had been giving excellent views as they cavorted on the west scrape for five days, but I didn't quite have the time to get down there after work when this was happening. Saturday 29th provided the first real opportunity to do so and to beat the traffic, and make the most of the good forecast, I planned to start early, see the Stilts, then head to Portland to look for migrants. 

Avocet, Keyhaven, 22nd April

Avocet, Keyhaven, 22nd April

Spotted Redshank, Normandy Marsh, 22nd April

Avocet, Keyhaven, 22nd April

It was an excellent plan, the first stage being executed with an 0540 start which saw me arriving at Lodmoor just after 0700 having broken the 30mph barrier on the way down into Preston. But, as Mike Tyson said, 'everyone has a plan until they get punched in the face'. My metaphorical punch in the face took the form of news from local birders, including the assiduous Lodmoor legend Daragh Croxson, that the Stilts had not been seen that morning despite several people looking. The previous weekend I had cycled to Keyhaven in Hampshire looking for the same species only to find that it had also gone awol, so this brought my April total of miles cycled to not see a Black-winged Stilt to 89.

A close Spotted Redshank at Normandy Marsh was one of many smart waders there on 22nd April

Some compensation for dipping a Black-winged Stilt which was present the day before

Spotted Redshank, Normandy Marsh, 22nd April

Spotted Redshank, Normandy Marsh, 22nd April

To make matters worse, as I arrived I could see a missed call from Steve Smith which could only mean one thing: something good had been found back in Purbeck from whence I had just come. Steve had left me a voicemail but the signal must have been poor as I could hear only every other word, and none of the words I could hear were terribly instructive: '...just...found...by...near...viewable...100 metres from...'. So at this point I knew there was probably something good but didn't know the species, the location or even if it was was still there, though I could hazard a guess that it was at least 20 miles in the wrong direction. Pinging Phil Saunders resolved the mystery as it emerged that it was he rather than Steve who had just found a female Dotterel in the fields at St Aldhelm's Head. 

Black-tailed Godwit, Keyhaven, 22nd April

Black-tailed Godwit, Keyhaven, 22nd April

Bar-tailed Godwit, Keyhaven, 22nd April

Bar-tailed Godwit, Keyhaven, 22nd April

This stunning wader is one of my favourite species and would also be a highly desirable 'bike tick' as well as a notable addition to the non-motorised yearlist. It had been a foggy journey down to Weymouth but it was lifting slowly, and I was concerned that if the same was true at St Aldhelm's, the Dotterel would quickly move on. Time was therefore of the essence, and I resolved to get the train back to Wareham to save my legs for what I knew would be an arduous journey from there to the Purbeck coast. The 0803 was mercifully punctual, and deposited me at Wareham at 0826. I forgot to switch off my odometer until we were half way to Dorchester, so it must have had a nosebleed when we hit 60 mph!

Whimbrel, Keyhaven, 22nd April

Redshank, Keyhaven, 22nd April

Lapwing, Keyhaven, 22nd April

Greenshank, Keyhaven, 22nd April

Due to my strict rule that to make it onto the list the journey has to be non-motorised from door to door, on disembarking I made the 200m detour back home before setting off again. It was gone 0830 when I set off, and I reckoned on it taking an hour to get to the Dotterel. Local birders onsite kindly kept me informed and I made good progress as far as Harman's Cross, at which point an ascent up the Purbeck ridge posed the last big challenge. I pressed on as fast as I could but the early start and the steep incline took their toll and I dismounted to catch my breath. At this point I thought 'hang on, you could die of a heart attack here' - but concluded it would be worth it to see a Dotterel and got back in the saddle. 

Little Egret in breeding plumage, Keyhaven, 22nd April

Eider, Keyhaven, 22nd April

Redshank, Keyhaven, 22nd April

Little Tern - one of 5 new birds for the year (with Common Tern, Whitethroat, Lesser Whitethroat and Whimbrel) from a trip to Keyhaven on 22nd April

As the crest of the ridge approached, I knew the worst was over, and 10 minutes later I rolled onto the track from where the bird was being watched to find a number of big lenses and telescopes pointing into the distance. One of them belonged to fellow Wareham resident Nick Hopper who helpfully located the Dotterel so that I could see it through his scope without having to get my own gear out of the panniers. Aaaand relax! Photos were never going to be much to write home about but Pete Coe lent me his monster lens which produced a bit more than my puny 100-400mm could manage. 

Yellow Wagtail at Swineham on 21st April was my first of the year

Waders at Swineham are rarely as close as at Keyhaven - Ruff on 21st April

Two of four Little Ringed Plover at Swineham on 21st April

Green Sandpiper at Swineham on 21st April

With the pressure off I could enjoy the views of the bird which, although distant, looked gorgeous through the telescope, as did the summer plumaged Golden Plover with which it was associating. After over an hour of watching it a reeling noise behind us betrayed the presence of a Grasshopper Warbler, another great bird for the year list. Although hearing it was sufficient I kept my on the spot where the song was coming from and eventually we got views as it hopped up through the hedgerow. At about 1124, apropos of nothing the Dotterel took off and headed high north, leaving the Golden Plover, and a group of very satisfied birders, behind. A call from Phil enabled me to add Grey Partridge to the year-list and my first Spotted Flycatcher followed it soon after. 

Spotted Flycatcher, St Aldhelm's Head, 29th April

Grey Partridge, St Aldhelm's Head, 29th April

Grasshopper Warbler, St Aldhelm's Head, 29th April

Dotterel, St Aldhelm's Head, 29th April

It was too nice a day to head home so I carried on to St Aldhelm's Head proper, where volunteers in the Coastguard hut were serving life-saving tea and cake. I set up the scope for an uneventful seawatch and enjoyed the sights, smells and sounds of the headland, which included a chorus of Skylark, Corn Bunting and Whitethroat. The sprint to the Head had taken its toll so I took it easy on the way back, but still managed to break the 30mph barrier for the second time that day on the way down the precipitous Kingston Hill. 

Whitethroat, St Aldhelm's Head, 29th April

Skylark, St Aldhelm's Head, 29th April

Corn Bunting, St Aldhelm's Head, 29th April

Cuckoo, Soldier's Road, 29th April

A short detour from the A351 down the quiet Soldier's Road was productive with a Redstart, singing Willow Warbler and, best of all, my first Cuckoo of 2023. A Swineham Swift the following day brought the year list to a round 180, comfortably ahead of my previous best at this stage of the year of 171.