Bird watching walk: Saturday 21st October 2023
Leader: Steve Chorley
Weather
The Forecast was for cloudy weather with heavy showers easing in the afternoon. We were lucky that it remained dry and still for the first 1 and ½ hours of our visit to Portland Bill. This was followed by a heavy shower and an increase in wind force. There was a big swell at sea with waves crashing against the rocks at the lighthouse and pulpit rock.
Portland Bill
A hardy group of 8 members met in the lighthouse car park at 10.00. Before we had even left the car park we had some great sightings of birds, including a Merlin, being mobbed by Crows, which flew straight past us at high speed. There was some discussion around identification, as a Kestrel had also been seen in the same area, so the Collins Guide was consulted for confirmation. The bird returned shortly afterwards and gave us an aerial demonstration, which left us in no doubt of its identity.
A very bedraggled, late Swallow was perched on the barbed wire around the MOD buildings. It looked very wet and sorry for itself. There were several others flying around at the bill. Meadow Pipits hopped on and off the rocks near the car park and were joined by a beautiful looking Wheatear. The resident car park attending Raven flew past with a large sandwich in its beak, pursued by an immature Herring Gull.
The Observatory had reported a Firecrest in the garden, so we decided to head over there, passing the old coastguard cottages, where a large flock of House Sparrows were enjoying the bird feeders. Starlings were attracted to this area too. The bramble patches in the same area were a good perch for a male Stonechat, hunting insects in the still air.
We stopped to look for the Little Owl in the nearby quarry, which did not disappoint. The quarry was popular with a large number of Dunnocks, which may have been on migration, as there were so many of them.
While the rest of us were scanning the quarry, Judah Baker spotted a Short-eared Owl, at some distance inland over the fields. We were very lucky as it flew over in our direction, hunting over the fields, being harried by a Sparrowhawk and a couple of Crows. We were able to watch it for 5 minutes or more. We stopped short of the Observatory to scan for Ring Ouzel among the brambles, without success; however we did get close up views of a couple of Kestrel, perched in a tree and on a telegraph post. There did seem to be a lot of them about.
The Firecrest was not showing at the Observatory, but we did get good views of a pair of Goldcrest and a Chiffchaff enjoying the insects on the sycamore trees. We left the Observatory in heavy rain. There was no sign of the Ring Ouzel that had been reported in the little owl quarry, so we headed for the obelisk and pulpit rock.
By this time the wind was very blustery and the waves were crashing on the rocks, throwing up spray. There were Gannets fishing, both adults and juveniles, which was good to see, given the depletion of their numbers this year by bird flu. A small group of waders were spotted, right down on the edge of the rocks, but it was not possible to identify them.
Lodmoor
Less time was spent at Lodmoor reserve than on Portland Bill, yet a large and varied number of birds were seen. Autumn migrants were present in small numbers, probably as the weather has remained mild over September and October. It was a pleasure to watch a small murmuration of Golden Plover at the beach road end of the reserve. There were Lapwings too, but not in great numbers. A varied selection of ducks was observed; including Shoveler, Teal, Widgeon, Tufted, Gadwall and Mallard. A pair of Marsh Harriers startled some snipe, which flew up noisily and headed towards Weymouth.
. At the point that all of the Golden Plover were settled, a lone Pied Wagtail and small groups of Dunlin were busily feeding along the island edges.
The main central track with its thick hedges yielded a noisy family group of Long-tailed Tits and another pair of Goldcrest.
Considering the cloud bursts that we had experienced earlier in the day, sometimes requiring us to seek shelter behind huts and hedges, now in full end of day sunshine, the piece de la resistance had to be the close and slow flypast over the top of the reed bed of an elusive Bittern.
In total 58 species seen and Chetti’s Warbler heard
Amanda Acland and Steve Chorley
The Birds
Pied Wagtail
Robin
Greater Black-backed Gull
Wheatear
Meadow Pipit
Barn Swallow
Jackdaw
Merlin
Goldfinch
Raven
Kestrel
House Sparrow
Dunnock
Skylark
Rock Pipit
Cormorant
Shag
Blackbird
Carrion Crow
Short-Eared Owl
Sparrowhawk
Magpie
Herring Gull
Stonechat
Wood Pigeon
Chiffchaff
Great Tit
Goldcrest
Little Gull
Little Owl
Chaffinch
Wren
Starling
Blue Tit
Brent Goose
Grey Heron
Canada Goose
Mediterranean Gull
Common Tern
Marsh Harrier
Black-tailed Godwit
Widgeon
Golden Plover
Moorhen
Coot
Mallard
Shelduck
Shoveler
Gadwall
Teal
Lapwing
Mute Swan
Tufted Duck
Common Snipe
Little Egret
Long-tailed Tit
Dunlin
Bittern