Deja Hoopoe

After the success of the previous week, things continued in a similar vein, very much against expectations.

'My' Hoopoe was re-found by myself a few days after my initial discovery. I flushed it from the path at the back of the big horse-field along Weston Street (and I've since seen it again, at Avalanche Road).  Unlike my first encounter, the bird actually hung around long enough for others to connect.

Whilst I watched it, the most extraordinary moment was when it appeared flying around in the air, crest erect, being pursued by a Sparrowhawk!  They circled around each other a few times, before the Hoopoe saw its opportunity and escaped.  This was the most notable of a string of spectacular bird of prey hunting episodes I witnessed over a few days that also included a Peregrine plunging through, and scattering, a flock of Redwing, a Sparrowhawk carrying a Blue Tit, and a pair of Peregrine stooping in perfect harmony on a Feral Pigeon.  I love raptors!

Birds of interest in Portland Harbour have included a male Eider, a 1st-winter Velvet Scoter today (I was disappointed to see its white wing-panels, bearing in mind there has been a Surf Scoter nearby!), a number of Great Northern Diver and Black-necked Grebe, as well as the usual Black Guillemot.  This is the first time I've seen it out the water.

Also, on one day there was a nice flock of 5 Shelduck hanging around, later joined by two others.  Unusual in the Harbour.

A few other notable birds found mid-island during the period included a Golden Plover over Watery Lane, 6 Lapwing over Barleycrates Lane on two days, and a Mistle Trush at Weston Street whilst looking for the Hoopoe - a Portland tick!  Also Black Redstart continue to be a daily occurrence.

On the 19th, I was having a casual look at Blacknor, when I heard a familiar 'tack' call coming from near some Brambles. 'Not a Dusky surely. Mmm, could've been a Stonechat' I thought. Sure enough, there was a female Stonechat on the fence, so I about turned and started to move off.  Then, I suddenly heard the bird again, and flushed a Dusky Warbler from some Brambles!  It flew off, and sat on the side of a bush for me to see (in similar circumstances to my first find!).  My second in exactly a week!  It's nice to get some luck, but I can't help wishing I could find something different!

Gulls are building up on the flooded and stubble fields of Barleycrates lane currently.  Among them have been this 2nd-winter Lesser Black-backed Gull...

 

 ...and this American Herring Gull-like Herring Gull with its streaky head and chest and tertial marking.

 

On a day in which I narrowly dipped Barnacle Goose and Snow Bunting, I was compensated reasonably well when this ringtail Harrier flew over Blacknor, a presumed Hen Harrier.

 

 

 A big advantage of the coming of winter, are the spectacular sunrises.

 

Hoping to get on-patch for the Cameron Bespolka memorial bird-race at the weekend, and possibly also for a rare off-patch excursion.

Rarity Finding, From Dawn to Dusky

It seems that what I said at the end two posts ago was somewhat premature!  In the last few days I've learnt that you cannot predict what birds are going to do, but most of all, I've learnt never to write off Portland!

These few days were already pretty good with a Long-tailed Duck seen a couple of times in Portland Harbour, lots of Thrushes and Finches, a Short-eared Owl at Barleycrates Lane, and 6 Pale-bellied Brent Goose at Ferrybridge.

Plus, I got some of my best views yet of the Yellow-browed Warbler at the hump, on the 10th.

On top of those, there has been a bit of an influx of Black Redstart in recent days, with at least 6 seen myself, including this bird at Barleycrates Lane.

On the 12th, I shunned my usual walk round mid-island in favour of a look at Ferrybridge and Portland Harbour.  After seeing a few titbits, I still had loads of time till lunch so thought I may as well drive up to the Avalanche Rd hump to see if the Yellow-brow, or indeed anything else, was there.  I don't know why, but I decided to take the long way round, along the public footpath. 

As I was walking along, I became aware of a call coming from some close Brambles, that I nearly dismissed as a Wren. Almost immediately, I flushed the bird, and it flew off to a more distant Bramble patch.  At this point, still not sure it wasn't a Wren.  'Better go and check it out', I thought.   A few more calls, but still nothing which shouted anything other than Wren to me.  Then I flushed the bird again.  It flew back to its original Brambles, but this time sat nicely on the side of the bush for a split second.  Enough time for me to see a large dark warbler, and it clicked. DUSKY WARBLER!  I had heard the species once before, at the Bill last year, but I didn't know the call off by heart. Only on seeing the bird did the pieces of jigsaw come together!

After putting the news out, I had to wait a bit for others arrive, but they did eventually.

I've seen the bird a few more times subsequently, though it's being largely typically elusive. Some of its favoured bushes:

 

Getting any sort of documentation of the bird has been tricky with its skulking nature, but here's footage of it calling (shortly after I found it), and some footage from today of it showing (just!). Turn the sound down on the second, and play both together for the full 'experience'!

 

 

 

 

Yesterday afternoon, I wanted to put some time in at the Dusky, so walked there from home via Weston Street.

 

I was just walking along the path by the former Weston Craft Centre when I spotted a bird flying straight at me over the adjacent horse field, with a bounding flight.  A HOOPOE!  Was I hallucinating, seeing a Hoopoe in November?  It immediately dived down into a front garden along the road.  I rushed over there, only for it to pop over the fence and land on the roadside verge!  I grabbed my camera (though dropped it on the wet grass in my excitement, hence the spots on the lens!).

 

  

 

As you can see, it disappeared over the houses, but despite an extensive search, particularly of the Watery Lane area, it couldn't be re-found.  Perhaps it went into a back garden.   

 

Wow, what a purple patch. Can it continue? Not likely! Oops, there I go again, writing off Portland. Punish me birding gods, I dare you!

 

The Epop-olypse....Boom!



Although I've got 11 odd days to update, it shouldn't take too long, as in truth it's been rather quiet.

 

17th-20th

 

Various excursions around the place revealed little evidence of migration, except the one day when whilst working at The Verne, I came across a nice concentration of 10 Wheatear.  Also a Black Redstart not far away in the housing estate.  Very little elsewhere, so did they somehow filter into the same spot?

 

Some of the other highlights during this period, was my first two Swallow over Barleycrates lane, the continued presence of the Iceland Gull, and the odd sighting of Redwing, Firecrest, and Rook.

 

I also had a seawatch from Chesil Cove one morning, that saw 8 Red-throated Diver go past, as well as a pair of female saw-bill duck.  I was pretty sure at the time I saw blank white panels in the wings (making them Goosander), but I stupidly failed to check the neck markings.  One that got away.

 

21st

 

After a relatively uneventful morning, hearing my first Blackcap in song at Verne Common, and seeing Iceland Gull and Shelduck at Ferrybridge, I set off on my second circuit of the 'mid-island triangle'.

 

I was half-way round before I noticed that a goody had been found down the road at Wakeham, so I rushed back to the car.  On arrival the bird had done a vanishing act, but after a bit of searching, it was refound by John Lucas, in a garden.  They weren't great views, but it was my first Portland Hoopoe (upupa epops)!

 

 

The bird soon disappeared once more, never to be seen again!  Lucky.

 

I wasn't sure at the time whether the bird was in my patch or not, in fact I suspected it was right on the edge.  I needn't have worried, as a quick refresh of my patch map, proved that the bird was well inside.

 

22nd

 

Just a quick mention of the Dorset Butterfly Conservation AGM which I attended.  It was very interesting, but it was a particular pleasure to meet the legendary Dr Phil Sterling.  Any moth enthusiasts out there will (should) know his name!

 

23rd

 

Little to relate today, but a nice stroll round Verne Common produced a load of prehistoric looking Field Horsetail coming up (for those that don't know, Horsetails are ancient plants, distantly related to Ferns).

 

 

The other interesting observation of the day was listening to the incredible repertoire of a Carrion Crow at Barleycrates Lane.  The weak bubbling calls (which you may just be able to make out above the wind noise) I've heard before, but the Magpie-like chuckle it makes is completely new to me. I don't know if it is just a coincidence, but shortly before, I had witnessed a Crow mobbing a Magpie not far away (which incidentally, was also set upon by a pair of Peregrine, and had to ditch into a bush to escape).

 

Listen for the birds best Ptarmigan impression too!



 

It all happens on Portland!

24th

The wind was a south-easterly, and that means only one thing; seawatching.

I wasn't expecting a great deal this early in the year, but the result of three hours watching in Chesil Cove was by far the best of the year so far. 

The highlight was an early pair of 'Commic' Tern which spent a great deal of time sitting on a very distant buoy. Making out any detail was tricky, but their wings looked very white, which made me think of Arctic.  However, an Arctic on this date would be very unusual, so I had to conclude they were likely to be Common Tern which hadn't quite developed the black markings on the wing-tip of summer-plumage.

The other top sightings were a brief Puffin, a single Sandwich Tern, 12 Common Scoter, 3 Shelduck, and the Iceland Gull once again.

25th

This morning, it was a suitable day to get up at half 4, to go and hear the dawn chorus.  Myself and Megan Shersby headed down to Lodmoor, in order to connect with one part of the chorus in particular.  In recent weeks, the reserves first ever booming Bittern had taken residence, so we had to give him a listen. 

Just as predicted, we heard him even before we had finished getting out the car!  It was a great performance in the end, sounding really close too.  Such a shame however, that the sound is so low in pitch, that my camera failed to pick it up (I really need some proper sound equipment)!  Oh well, you can enjoy the dawn chorus instead!  How many species can you hear?

Just before lunch, I set up on the West Cliffs in order to count the overhead passage, which was seemingly strong this morning.

After an hour, I finished on an impressive 224 Meadow Pipit, along with smaller numbers of the likes of Linnet and Skylark.  The highlights however were a/the Red Kite again, and my first four Sand Martin of the year, inter-mingled with a Pipit flock.

Also whilst here, I found this awesome little Spider, Micaria pulicaria, which, although may not look like it here, closely resembled an Ant when it moved.

26th + 27th

Much the same as in previous days, with a further 'vizmig' session producing almost exact same numbers as the previous one. 

Although today was quite a busy day at the Bill, my usual stroll round Reap/Barleycrates/Suckthumb produced only 5 Wheatear and 10 Chiffchaff.  It's as if Southwell is an impenetrable migrant barrier!

Nonetheless, I'll leave you with one of my favourite residents, the overlooked Stock Dove.

With winds in the east, it looks as if the next week or so could be good, which is rather typical, as I'll only have the one or two mornings off!  Back on afternoons from the 7th though.