A Friday Wryneck

I had cycled to Portland Bill four times this year prior to the end of August, but invariably on a weekend or a holiday when there was plenty of time to complete the 55 mile round trip. While sorely tempted to make a midweek dash for the Chough which appeared there back in early May, I worked out that it would be dark before I got there, so took the drive of shame for that particular bird. 

Wryneck, Portland Bill, 3rd September

I knew I could 'do' Lodmoor by bike after work, as I had successfully twitched both Black-winged Stilt and Bonaparte's Gull there. I had even managed to get to Barton-on-Sea over the Hampshire border on a school night for a Black Guillemot, which was about the same distance as Portland Bill, albeit on a flatter route. But I had yet to attempt twitching Portland by bike after work. As September began, the nights had started to draw in, and it felt like there might not be many more opportunities to try. But the presence of a Wryneck at the Bill - two in fact - on Friday 3rd September provided one such opportunity.

Wryneck, Portland Bill, 3rd September

News on the Wrynecks had come through in the morning and updates had been a bit sparse thereafter, but an exchange of messages with Martin Cade confirmed they were still there mid-afternoon at least. So I was away sharply after finishing work and, in pleasant conditions, began the familiar slog through Wool, Winfrith, Warmwell, Weymouth and Wyke Regis before dropping down to Ferrybridge to ruin the alliterative string of place names en route to the Bill. I pushed myself pretty hard and completed the 27 miles in just over 2 hours, the quickest I had managed for that particular journey.

Wryneck, Portland Bill, 3rd September

The Wryneck at the Obs Quarry was reportedly 'showing well' so I went straight there. Digi-scoping expert Paul Hackett had been there a while and broke the unwelcome news that there had been no sign of the Wryneck since his arrival. Weirdly, given the experience of several decades of regular dipping, I hadn't considered the possibility that I might not see the Wryneck. To make matters worse, I had underestimated how quickly the sun would set and it was dropping fast - not great when looking for a warmth-loving, ant-eater of a bird as the base of the quarry was now in full shade. At least one of the resident Little Owls was out enjoying the last few rays so that was something.

Wryneck, Portland Bill, 3rd September

A flattened patch of grass on the lip of the quarry suggested that this might be the best place to look for the Wryneck, so I flopped down there for a breather and decided to call Pete Coe who I guessed might know something of the birds habits. It transpired that he hadn't been down to look for it but before he could finish his sentence explaining as much, a movement caught my eye - it was the Wryneck which promptly sat up in front of me. I alerted Paul, and we enjoyed good views as it made its way around the quarry, perching in brambles and the branches of a dead elder.

Wryneck, Portland Bill, 3rd September

I was delighted, the gamble had paid off and another cycling rubicon - the post-work Portland twitch - had been crossed. Most of the journey home had to be completed in the dark, but after the traditional pit-stop at the Preston chippy, I didn't mind that at all and slept like a log that night with the year-list up to 203.

Little Owl, Portland Bill, 3rd September

Grey Sunday

It was a bit of a Grey Sunday around Portland and Weymouth yesterday weather wise. Fortunately it was brightened up by some smart birds, the memory of which was enough to cheer me along on the way into work this morning on Blue Monday - the most depressing day of the year, apparently. As well as a handsome male Black Redstart at Chesil Cove, a female type was also present. A few pictures of this and some other highlights of the day below.

Black Redstart, Chesil Cove

Just as confiding as the male

Always a pleasure to bump into this species

It's been a good winter for approachable Great Northern Divers

This one was close in off Portland Castle

A Kestrel at Portland Bill was a bit bedraggled

The Bill quarry Little Owls have a bit more shelter

 

Male Red-breasted Merganser near Portland Castle

Wren, Portland Bill

I was able to photograph this Dartford Warbler at Portland Bill out of the car window

On the way home, a Goldcrest was singing over the traffic noise in downtown Weymouth

Med Gull is virtually guaranteed in the Radipole Lake car park at this time of year

Owling on Portland

Sandwiched between close encounters with a Red-backed Shrike, I spent yesterday afternoon on Portland looking for owls. I would say 'owling' but, according to the trusty Urban Dictionary, rather than 'looking for owls', this apparently now means perching owl-like on a variety of objects and photographing one's self before tweeting (hooting, surely?) the results out on the internet. Kids today.

Short-eared Owls had been coming in off the sea all weekend and while I was unable to stay 'til dusk, which would have provided the best chance of seeing multiple birds hunting and going to roost, I was reasonably confident about seeing one as they are the most likely owl to be seen flying in the daytime. In the end I saw just one, flushed from a field edge as I walked along the west cliffs - it flew directly away and dropped out of sight so I was only able to get a rear view record shot. Frustrating, but they all count for the photo yearlist. Much more compliant were the Portland Bill Little Owls, catching some rays in the afternoon sun. Also the first time I have photographed this species in 2015.

Little Owl, Portland Bill (#228)

I spent a happy 10 minutes photographing the Little Owls before an over-enthusiastic photographer bounded up behind me - at this point they decided they didn't want that big an audience and retired to their crevices

'No more photos!'

The wrong end of a Short-eared Owl (#229)

Northern Wheatear against the backdrop of Portland Bill's Top Fields

Windswept grass, sea, sky - and birds: Portland in October

A nice (half) day out

When we decide on a family day out, everyone says 'yay' before the fleeting consensus gives way to a dispute about where to go. The children are getting to the age where 'access to a Nintendo Wii' is an important criteria in destination selection, though this is generally ruled out of order by their parents.

This Common Tern landed on a post on the Quay on Brownsea while we waited for the boat home

Common Tern with Sandeel

'The beach' is another popular option, though less so with Daddy, especially as it's getting to the time of year when no-one in their right mind would head for Studland, our nearest stretch of golden sand, between the hours of 10 and 6. So in our house at least, the unifying destination of choice is often Brownsea Island. Something for everyone there - birds, Red Squirrels, great views, ice creams, cakes (that's me sorted), plus a gift shop full of soft toys and lavender-based toiletries for everyone else.

Mediterranean Gull, Brownsea Lagoon

This pair caused a bit of nervousness when they flew over the tern colony

The other main problem with a family day out is that by the time we've got ready, made sandwiches, set off, forgotten stuff, turned back and set off again, it's usually been reduced to a half-day out. And so it was today that lunch had been and gone by the time we got to the Island. We headed straight for the Dorset Wildlife Trust reserve and its selection of well placed hides.

Common Tern, Brownsea Lagoon

Mallard ducklings on Brownsea Lagoon

A Nightjar has been seen recently from one of these but some visitors have apparently been playing tapes in an attempt to get it to show better than it otherwise would. This stresses the bird and is probably illegal given its protected status. It is also unnecessary as with careful scanning, there is a reasonable chance of seeing one on the ground. You can't guarantee this of course, but if it's a guarantee you want, birding is probably not your thing. The formidable warden has put up some polite signs asking folk to desist from this practice, but I fear anyone he catches churring on their iPod may suffer the same fate as that famously threatened by Jamie to Olly in 'The Thick of It'. Be warned before clicking this link: it contains a teensy bit of swearing.

Black-headed Gull with eggs...

...and what comes out of the egg. You're going to have to flap harder that that to get airborne mate.

Besides, cheating with tapes can't be as satisfying as finding stuff the hard way, and even the kids enjoyed playing 'hunt the bird', picking out the cryptic plumage from lookalike dead bracken. Another family in the hide almost had a row over whether there was a second bird ('There, on that log'; 'It's only a log'; 'No it isn't'; 'Yes it is, you just want it to be a Nightjar'). This reminded me of the tale of twitchers on the Isles of Scilly who mistook a cowpat for a Common Nighthawk, the American relative of our Nightjar.

Nightjar - white patch just visible on the folded wing makes this a male

Another view of the same bird before it moved into the position above

I took some shots of the snoozing bird, hoping for a half-open eye, but, apart from a brief shuffle (not on an iPod, I hasten to add), it remained steadfastly asleep throughout our time in the hide. We got it in the scope and were able to show a steady stream of visitors, including several non-birders, all of whom were appreciative of the chance to see one. And well impressed with my scope. I should be on commission from Swarovski.

I rarely use my 2x teleconverter with the 400mm lens but, with good light or a very still subject, sometimes it's worth the effort

Ragged Robin, Brownsea

Back at the lagoon, many more Common Terns were present than on my last visit, over 100 Sandwich Terns were on eggs, and a good number of the Black-headed Gulls had already hatched. Baden Powell would no doubt have administered a sound beating to a young group of his latter day followers who were virtually moshing in the Macdonald hide. But that's not allowed these days, so they had to make do with some stern tutting from me. That really showed 'em.

Lapwing at Swineham



Black-tailed Godwits, Swineham

After a fair bit of travelling lately, it's been relaxing to spend the week around home. Which reminds me, I even made it to Swineham, which threatened to dump me if I didn't visit more often. Swifts were the main attraction, and I spent a happy hour wasting batteries and filling memory cards with dross just to get one vaguely respectable image.

Swift at Swineham

Blackbird in Wareham St Mary churchyard - voguing like a Dusky Thrush

A flooded field which was great for waders last year is looking promising again, as a large flock of Black-tailed Godwits and a couple of Lapwings dropped in.

Juvenile Starling on next door's roof - these have been out of the nest for a while now

DON'T PANIC Poole Harbour listers - this Little Owl was the subject of a chance encounter last week in Dorset/Wiltshire border country, on the way to a meeting which was insufficiently memorable to merit a blog post. Hence shoe-horning it in here.

Portland portraits

Most of the Little Brown Jobs on Barleycrates Lane, Portland, this morning, were dog turds unfortunately. Tip-toeing through them, however, I did encounter a few Whitethroats, Willow Warblers and Chiffchaffs. Attracted by the flies, no doubt. With apologies to Elvis, there was a little less excrementation, a little more action at the Bill with Wheatears and Hobbies everywhere. A few pictures from the morning below.

Male Linnet - the ring no doubt from the nearby Observatory

Male Linnet - by the Obs

Peregrine

Peregrine

Wheatear - male



Wheatear - female

Little Owl

Meadow Pipit