Mellow fruitfulness

It was certainly the season of mists this morning when I rolled up at Middlebere hoping to see a Ring Ouzel, only to find I couldn't see my hand in front of my face. When the sun eventually burnt it off I could see it was also the season of mellow fruitfulness as branches bowed under the weight of Rowan, Hawthorn and Blackberries.

I managed to miss the spring passage of Ring Ouzel so catching up with the one above today more than made up for that. A hearty crop of Rowan berries kept it happy, as it fed with a flock of Mistle Thrush, Song Thrush and Blackbird, plus a few Bullfinch.

 

 



You wait for ages...

I've been back and forth to Portland this week like a quarry lorry. Blame the triple helping of Bluethroats. I did go specifically for the first one, but on my last two visits the damned things just kept turning up, each one more brightly marked than the last.

Wheatear, Chesil Beach

Wheatear, Portland Bill

First stop yesterday was at Ferrybridge, where a Kentish Plover present the day before could not be relocated. Then to an unpromising looking grassy patch at the south end of Chesil Beach which held at least 5 photogenic Wheatears. Onwards to Avalanche Road, where a pair of Ring Ouzels showed even better than at the weekend, though I had to lie down amid the horse dung on the edge of their chosen paddock to get the light behind me. Fortunately, like my fingers, most of it was frozen solid so didn't stick.

Ring Ouzel, Avalanche Road

Ring Ouzel, Avalanche Road

A not very thorough twirl around a windswept Portland Bill added nothing of note to the day's sightings, and the third male Bluethroat of recent weeks had by then been relocated so I headed back to Chesil Cove for a look. As I approached a small group of waiting birders the Bluethroat flew past me and into cover. So I'd seen it, but not a great view.

Sandwich Tern, Chesil Cove

Cormorant, Chesil Cove

Sandwich Terns fishing in the Cove provided a welcome distraction while we waited and eventually the Bluethroat reappeared to feed on the shoreline rocks. Chesil Cove was sheltered from the worst of the cold winds, so it was good to thaw out in the presence of such a photogenic bird.

Bluethroat, Chesil Cove

Bluethroat, Chesil Cove

This was a very flighty individual, and while it came briefly onto the path at our level it was soon flushed by some dog walkers back down to the beach below. When it comes to lying down in excrement for a photo, horse is one thing, but I draw the line at dog, and there was plenty of it to avoid it along this stretch of the West Weares footpath.

This bird showed a broader red breast band than the two previous males on Portland.

The white spot on the throat was also more obvious than the other two males

Nick Hopper and I were just leaving the main crowd behind and heading for our cars when the Bluethroat sat up in front of us on a rock. Portland stone has been used to builds citadels, castles and cathedrals, so it's good for many things, but making exposures easy for the photographer is not one of them, especially if the subject is a small brown bird on its sun-bleached surface. Churlish to complain though given how many opportunities the famous rock has presented to see this species lately.

Struggled a bit with the exposure on this one

A flash of yellow gape, as if red, white and blue weren't enough.

Footy and birds

The Bank Holiday weekend has been mostly footy and birds. Naturally, birds came first with a stunning male Bluethroat on Portland yesterday morning, the second in as many weeks. I think Portland now leads the rest of the country 4-3 on appearances of this species in the last fortnight.

Male White-spotted Bluethroat, Suckthumb Quarry, Portland

Portland v Rest of England on Bluethroats has certainly been a more closely fought battle than the lesson in passing football served up by a purring Wareham Rangers under-10s team to local rivals Lytchett yesterday afternoon. This bottom of the table six-pointer was held at a bitterly cold Turlin Moor, scene of a drive-by shooting in January. Son George had a good game, as did they all, in a 4-0 away win. For many of us long-suffering parents, as well as George himself, it was the first time we had been on the winning side.


Chiffchaff, Suckthumb Quarry, Portland

'What did it feel like to win'? I asked. 'Amazing', he said. In perhaps not the best parental sporting pep talk ever, I said 'so now you know what it feels like to nail a shot of a White-spotted Bluethroat'. It was certainly a more exciting scoreline, and a better game, than the dross on offer at Dean Court today in the Bournemouth (1) v Scunthorpe (0) fixture. The Bluethroat was pretty shy, and it could have found worse places to hide than the Bournemouth goal line which didn't see much action all afternoon.

Male Black Redstart, Suckthumb Quarry, Portland

As the home side were fighting for promotion, and the visitors trying to avoid relegation, a bit more passion might have been in order. George and I attended to keep Uncle Andy (a Scunny boy) and cousin Jack company. After a brief debate about which stand to go in, we settled on the away end partly out of family loyalty, but mainly because it provided better shelter from the relentless easterly winds. These have been getting a bit tiresome, but in their defence they have played their part in turning up more than the usual number of Bluethroats.

Male Ring Ouzel, Avalanche Road, Portland

Even Uncle Andy had to agree that the Rangers game was far better value for money - an average cost per goal of 50p compared to £31 at Bournemouth. At £2.20 for a cup of hot chocolate which half-breached the Trades Descriptions Act (hot, but precious little chocolate), the catering also compared very unfavourably to 50p for the perfect cuppa from Mr and Mrs Mitchell's Touchline Bistro at Wareham home games.

Female Ring Ouzel, Avalanche Road, Portland

Eddie Howe's self-proclaimed 'Barmy Army' (enthusiastic if unoriginal) sang 'Bournemouth 'til I die'. Given the average age in the seaside town, that can't be far off for some. Speaking of death, a tideline Red-legged Partridge corpse at Arne RSPB was the most noteworthy bird in a bracing walk this morning. Not wishing to remind the Scunthrope or Lytchett boys of their league prospects, I resisted the temptation to post photos of the rapidly decomposing corpse, and have included a selection of live subjects from yesterday on Portland instead.

Drake Red-breasted Merganser, Portland Harbour

Black Down bits and bobs

Leaving Black Down as dusk approached, two Wheatear were ahead of me on the path, and this Ring Ouzel was one of three in a hedgerow on the south side of the down - watched with the Pallid Harrier silhouetted in the background, on a final pipt-hunt before going to roost.

Ring Ouzel

Northern Wheatear

Pallid Harrier food

Twitch-henge, Somerset