A MORNING OUT ON PORTLAND AND FRRYBRIDGE
WEATHER: still no rain!! Hot, humid and very dry. Max temp 32C
Today I met up with John and Gill Stacey, good friends from Leicester who are down our way on holiday for a few days. We meet up at Ferrybridge at 6:45am.
The tide was high and so not many birds were visible out on the fleet, we did see a small number of Ringed Plover over on the grassy slopes of Chesil Bank and a few Meds Gulls were dotted about on the water with a few very distant Oystercatchers along the shoreline.
We drove directly to the Bird Obersvatory at protland Bill and spent a short time on the terrace. Out on the sea there were dozens of Herring Gulls, Kittiwakes, Lesser and Great Black-backed Gulls with plenty of Gannets further out. We were told by the local guys that there was no shearwaters passage today!
a party of Linnets in the top fields
a very dry Portland
looking down from the Top Fields to Portland bill Lighthouse
A quick look in the Obs Quarry produced a Little Owl sighting and not much else, so we decided to walk up the slope to the top fields. Along the track we noted plenty of Linnets, some Goldfinches and a few Skylarks.
a Little Owl, seemingly squashed into a crevice in the Obs Quarry wall.
In the fields we saw plenty of Stonechats, it took us 40 minutes or so to see a single Wheatear and a very distant Whinchat. As we walked back to the Observatory we saw a Willow Warbler and a Pied Flycatcher in the Obs front garden.
We drove to Reap Lane to view the horse paddocks near the old Barn. From the track leading to the west cliffs we found two more Wheatears, another Willow Warbler, more Stonechats and a few Meadow Pipits. From the west cliffs we noted hundreds more Herring Gulls sitting on the water but not much else.
one of only three Wheatears seen today
We mad a second visit to Ferrybridge, this time the tide was receding, plenty of mud was exposed. A large number of Ringed Plover had gathered to feed, probably in excess of 70 birds, At least 20 Dunlin were with them and two Sanderling, they were moulting from summer to winter plumage. A raft out on the fleet was covered in Terns, mostly Common Terns but also Sandwich Terns, we couldn't find a Little Tern (perhaps they had migrated already?).
a Raven on the top of the Lower lighthouse which house Portland Bill Bird Observatory
Lots of mediterranean Gulls gathered on the shoreline with a party of 22 Sandwich Terns and 6 Oystercatchers.
We finished our morning birding off with a visit to Sandsfoot Castle which overlooks the northern shore of Portland Harbour. We ate a delicious Pastie and drank coffee whilst reminiscing and enjoying the scenery.