Greylag west over Bridging Camp this morning thurs.
2 Linnets there yesterday likely migrants given general winter absence here. Also the wintering Whimbrel still.
On Sunday green sandpiper at Portesham withy bed + groups of 5 & 3 stonechats on the downs there seemed like passage birds.
Chesil roost with 2 yellow-flagged Curlews from north Dorset and a whimbrel
20 Feb Littlesea The Fleet First flowering Cow Parsley of the year
Alexanders at Sandsfoot
20 Feb Littlesea The Fleet
First flowering Cow Parsley of the year (later first Alexanders at Sandsfoot)
Distant view of the Chesil roost with 2 yellow-flagged Curlews from north Dorset and a whimbrel.
WEBS on 21 Feb added 4 Slavs and f Common Scoter - LTDuck still present.
Littlesea The Fleet 20 Feb
Curlew 15
Whimbrel 1
GND 2
Long tailed duck
White Tailed Eagle did a circuit c8:45 then sat on Chesil
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Razorbill Ferrybridge
Razorbill Ferrybridge
GND Stone Pier, Weymouth
GND Stone Pier, Weymouth
No luck with BTD/RNG in Portland Harbour 7 Feb
Slavonian Grebe with GC Grebes Sandsfoot/Castle Cove
Razorbill close to shore on Fleet at Ferrybridge near Crab House Cafe
Total of 6+ GND at various sites with nice close one at Stone Pier.
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Slavonian Grebes, Tidmoor Point
Lesser Black Backed Gull, Lynch Cove
Littlesea,The Fleet 6 Feb Big tide
Great Northern Diver 3
Slavonian Grebe 6 together at one point (maybe 7)
Male Marsh Harrier
Total of 13 Coot still in Lynch/Tidmoor/Cuttcleaves Coves
Few Brent, Shelduck (7), no duck bar Mergs.
One large-looking Lesser Black Backed Gull
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Littlesea 31 Jan
GND 2
Slav 4
Long tailed duck
Scaup male off Butterstreet
Camp Road to Cuttcleaves Cove
Cirl Bunting m Camp Road
Goosander 1stw male
Slav 5 Cuttcleaves
Water rail with wonky leg Lynch Cove
Marsh Harrier - heading from Fleet towards Radipole
Few Mergs, very few gc grebes
Redwing 5
RTDiver on sea
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Also long-tailed duck.
Cattle Egret near Broadmayne
Siskin
Green Sandpiper WInterborne
Count the snipe
A cycle ride to dip the Winterborne Monkton geese on Saturday 3/1.
Good to explore the Winterborne with a few nice self-found bits.
Cattle Egret by the Broadmayne road
Green Sandpiper landed in the stream front of me
Also Firecrest, a few Siskins.
c80 Golden Plover at top of Combe Valley Road.
Little Grebe on the Fleet just west of the Bridging Camp first thing - scarce here. Cold weather movement ? 5 Lapwings on the spit.
Question: what is the official name for the bay just north/west of Herbury ? I've always called it Herbury Gore but OS map calls the bay to the south/east Gore Cove.
approx 9 white-fronts SE of Waddock Dairy SY804902 ish between Moreton and Waddocks Cross CBs.
Poor views through trees with greylags from footpath @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social
Right idea, wrong day... I walked Culpepper's dish to Throop on 23 Dec. Best was a Firecrest at the main ford at Throop. Also Snowdrops now out in Briantspuddle.
Seems like a good week to look at the less-often-visited parts of the Frome and Piddle.
four Lapwing in-off at the Bridging Camp this morning a clue to something happening. pair of shoveler in Cuttcleaves Cove notable here. GND , Slav, Com scoter f
Two patch rarities - and a Long-tailed duck. Tidmoor Point.
Long-tailed duck. Tidmoor Point.
Yellow-legged gull 3w Cuttcleaves Cove - lingering at lunchtime
Yellow-legged Gull 3rd winter Cuttcleaves Cove, The Fleet.
Still 300+ Coot in the area with Scaup & long-tailed duck. Few dabbling duck this end of the Fleet this winter (esp Teal).
Pochard brought my patch/year list up to 150 - basicly Martleaves/Pirates Cove to Cuttcleaves - 5 * 1km squares.
Scaup in the normal position
Goldeneye and Scaup in the same shot
Today's Scaup and Goldeneye in Cutcleaves Cove, Chickerell, The Fleet
Cuttcleaves Cove The Fleet
Goldeneye rh
Scaup f type
Slavonian grebe 2
Tidmoor point:
Coot 310 + more Butterstreet
GND 1
Tidying up photos from the year just ending and found this of a Rock Pipit on the west cliffs of Portland, 1 May.
At the time I had assumed it was nesting material in the beak.
But zooming in it seems to be craneflies
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The Fleet Littlesea etc
White Tailed Eagle w bridging camp 9:10
GN Diver first of winter
Slav 2
Goldeneye rh Tidmoor
RB Merg 43
Whimbrel
Barwit 4
Coot c40 by chesil w of Chickerell Hive Point
Muntjac in Littlesea wood first thing. There was one knocking about last winter too.
Desert wheatear still present nw corner bridging camp
Decent enough session at Langton Herring:
Firecrest and knot at Herbury Gore, Goosander RH at Coastguards, 4 Barnacle geese+ Marsh Harrier at Rodden Hive. (+ a walker told me about WTE over in morning)
Well done @luvaducksbutt.bsky.social where was the water rail ?
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Littlesea etc
Goosander 3 in narrows later 4 Littlesea - same ?
Long Tailed Duck just w of Tidmoor
Com scoter f
Whimbrel
Grey plover 2
Barwit 4
Lapwing 1w
Water rail calling Lynch Cove
Slav 2
Snow Bunting briefest of flight views over undercliff below lower viewpoint- Littlesea The Fleet
I think the 5 Visible primaries on one of the shots seals it as hen but I am no expert. If it is a juv then streaky chest also means hen. But thankyou for the comment - the first thing I did when got home was get the books out. If I am wrong hopefully someone else will confirm true id - Steve
GWE over Tidmoor
Hen Harrier south over Southwell Quarries, Portland 8 Nov
Hen Harrier south over Southwell Quarries, Portland 8 Nov
Hen Harrier south over Southwell Quarries, Portland 8 Nov
This afternoon's Hen Harrier south over Southwell Quarries, Portland 8 Nov.
And this morning's GWE west over Tidmoor, The Fleet - having come overland from Chafey's/Radipole direction.
One day I really must try and take some sharp photos.
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Ringtail harrier heading south southwell quarties east cliff
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Tidmoor Cove:
Yellowhammer male
Great white egret over from Chafeys Lake direction then west
Lapwing 1w
Firecrest 1 west side of Tidmoor
liitle vismig happening but flock of 65 stock doves west
(Thanks Steve/Brett for confirming what I suspected on ydays buntings)
3 Buntings on wire near the Bridging Camp today. A bit distant in the murk first thing and I'm still struggling to be sure what they are. 2nd opinions invited.
Also Hummingbird Hawkmoth in the November rain today.
Enjoyable hour or so of vismig over Littlesea The Fleet first thing with all heading south:
Chaffinch 225+
Brambling 1
Stock Dove 88 - most in small single-species flocks
Skylark 11
Redwing 17
Bridge Camp 31 Oct:
Bar Tailed Godwit 3 in paddock
Sooty Shearwater 1E fairly close 09:25
Good numbers of Gannets and Auks east
The Fleet Littlesea
Common Scoter f
RB Merganser 9
No Teal down this end of the Fleet
Lynch Cove
Whimbrel
Kingfisher 2
