It's that time of year again: the Dorset Youth League Football Season is underway. Eldest son George is now Wareham Rangers' under-14s utility right-back/midfield/whatever-the-team-commands-guy, on account of us having no subs due to transfer window defections and drop-outs. Another change this season has been the move to a far more parent-friendly regime of weeknight training, freeing up Saturday mornings, and earlier kick-offs on match days, freeing up Sunday afternoons. The start of the football season coincides, of course, with the autumn bird migration season, so I have been enjoying these new-found weekend freedoms by checking out some favourite hotspots around Dorset. Some highlights from a joyous middle-age reclaimed below:
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhea6XLlVqaWZjFpk6rJwchmrh5C22ZnVHnb1T_ggNUx1Y4E0A-ic75NIQkQ-9upkhLU2jU5R0shadIhDyN1scHZ6TOeh_0-ocOs4OHS8ohNxxLWo7docdiy94SnvwQU88TzGGcBu9VGxk/s400/Blog+Wryneck+4.JPG) |
Wryneck at Portland Bill |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbL_aVZrt5X8obz7NAYAiK0uUGDsw8UkIzk9xDb-AMZLoNuyVCb4n2ybdCX_0TYEIQgJZlxGD1qWRH10OWYhTr3GvqJjwXf3Aa92QBhjYwIHuM9UqZ1rp_MYYt984INRYH2detXpPpc8o/s400/Blog+Wryneck+6.JPG) |
Wryneck appears regularly on Portland at this time of year |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilP3s0JDZzWvY_NHFxwipTNTus9ntEalyjxq6ggcpISvhm81pOJy7G9h13vWl96eT7AXgMcfSvOhPrwEVp8f5IDuAdU5iBXiav2LuMcqETSJnaveOsntuu_RzFqN5QgQw9QNzKgrb_CKw/s400/Wryneck+2.JPG) |
This one was in the Bill Quarry |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3qs3iA-qcKl6Fw6vshwE_BxF4wTRBpqNtwL0vD-pFXzcQKaV0_UD57xkCpegsWapU0fCEbKPRcguQuZUMlrYHvw5vsBtRVn633vE4ZXGBXYUR53bOcpH_ALlN3L98KtLNK_0809gvH78/s400/Wryneck.JPG) |
A half-decent flight shot |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCKZLWr884X4owyBtFEjfsy1pclj7zZq5zN9QsZitliZ6t9Ek_4_Sek80Gh_6ZBI95QBjcpKza6wXc8tvk3o0UekZNJT34pkqYvfDL1doojn7u1Xhtw1cr_vVjGGPj40BvdEC2cNtaTiY/s400/Blgo+RCS2.JPG) |
Rose-coloured Starling is another regular autumn migrant on Portland |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmOkMWTzX11u1SVnUiAbs0psGABBlNo8xoWjukJIbByq9_s2XsMNYadfgQrUg9OcHj4_6AV_65XBe36fodCj9HGc_ij5UTjO2c-9dC5qmJ_nIHX1GhrbHWy7StHTsgYQs6AOgaHHJGUrc/s400/Blog+RCS4.JPG) |
This one took a shine to a rooftop solar panel, alternating between lying down under it and loafing alongside it |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbDsNQNDBaWtcxv7ArqwkjhTuroM-bgVVSDE0SId5JOmexNV3mGEDqPFDVH40D2IQrzSzeYsVK_snmpt8sP-i99p30gXCIklk3aPE5Ft9Yvs8pGJg2fNkfOv6afWn9PFTCTHRkpbwluzE/s400/Blog+RCS5.JPG) |
It had hooked up with local Starlings on a housing estate near Weston |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhMVKo6YzNmKuJ1LbQbEYu7BDPwSxKQ0Nsw_zIffMgJ2JJ8J07a9WtHW3OjdFaBn3tChrrGwSLE5Wzntge33LgbW39BTH7FA8Lo9GVza65k9DagzL4w3RPwx6J26I6XYPPE3ImSkJa1Cc/s400/Blog+GS2.JPG) |
Middlebere is another good location for migrants at this time of year: Green Sandpipers have been on the pools in front of the hide |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihcBbT5VJsE2F06kTGt0NaOyMQ4BEPUPpwYQEebFcajf2y5f1mViW905Mnz3Qf1eHcKL9uzoKLbpHEdqBSVOvrM2uQ8rUFZtbye6XWqQa2cXI-TKU7Hir1NxJql405jxRcOYhppHSUgdA/s400/Green+Sand.JPG) |
An attractive wader |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTUmC8pKrmQfKJX_G3fB-w_c4nlAPdkDk1weM4K0ZWzAYqN3mq7iuDo7Hcw1_hswAhxF24y2QySEPiHyASmkXKPSdEJw9HVSkzJq6ky0tD-yYMVptpgD8qBhjbSMuxf7BUHTheIBPGHI4/s400/Osprey+8.JPG) |
Migrant Ospreys have also been showing some interest in the false nest platforms erected for them |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN8I43XCnCOphtE2UP-uljCbOuwiSEza3qFHWLlK2ZyI1o78F9_udj4LPxQQA7LLA0fS29efWhUJJYTFhH0eMe-mHv4wum7Tvdy0hjb9UYq1eEMLmH965ewe7i9-hJea82e20TsSkcTyE/s400/Osprey.JPG) |
The hope is they can be persuaded to stay and breed one day. Well, unlike Wareham Rangers, who have yet to win a game this season, we can dream, can't we? |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjID68lkm1add8lhFusPuNnwlAMImtJpLVO6ZsTxcpfG8CboMRlvn2JIjhQEKJT3CDNESJlQPA3goDPKzInWxmZGrSi0YpYvOz9DxUo6ReZvRCoBTUW2afX6vmkBQ9doHX0BqW2R6-V9lQ/s400/Chimping.JPG) |
I have had the pleasure of the company of Wareham Rangers right-back on several post-match jaunts - here he is practising one of the essential skills of digital photography: chimping |
No comments:
Post a Comment