On my usual rounds on the 14th, the highlights were another Marsh Harrier, this time heading high over The Hump towards the Bill, and a Grasshopper Warbler flushed from behind the former Weston Craft Centre.
There are a number of butterflies still on the wing, including Small Copper.
The next day I found what has to be an extreme Portland rarity, in the form of Marsh Cudweed, which normally grows in dried up ponds/puddles on acid soils.
Its position in a garden is a tad suspicious though, but I feel its not been planted, though instead may have arrived as seed in fertiliser/peat.
Later that day at around half 10, I was searching the long grass at the edge of the football field down Watery Lane when I suddenly heard the Gulls over Weston going a bit mad. I looked over to find them all flying in the same direction, and from that direction I got the sight of a large bird of prey flying straight at me, with a pale head and dark eye-mask. A HONEY BUZZARD! It came closer, and closer, and I was able to snatch these shots as it passed (into the sun, sadly).
I had often wondered in the past whether I'd have trouble picking out Honeys in the spur of the moment, as I'd only ever seen them before on territory, when I was expecting to see them. I needn't have worried, as the birds jizz was distinctive, though the fact that it was a strikingly pale individual did help a lot!
It flew round a bit before heading back north, and was last seen circling in the distance above the north of the island.
I have a suspicion it came in-off the sea at Blacknor. The rough route it took (green star, my location):
And a (fanciful!) facsimile of how it looked:
Sorry, you may have guessed I'm a tad obsessed with HBs!
A tidy 6-pointer in the Patch competition!
The only highlight on the 16th was my 5th juvenile Marsh Harrier on the island this year, as a bird sailed over my head at Reap Lane. I wonder how many individuals are involved in these sightings? I suspect not many.
Yesterday, a visit to Ferrybridge yielded now 3 Little Stint, as well as a tidy Yellow-legged Gull.
Also, there was a very impressive passage of hirundines occurring, with a very fraught half-hour sample count yielding 1,413 through! I was only watching the sheltered side of the centre too, so I no doubt missed a load as well!
I then spent an hour or so searching for the Tawny Pipit at the Bill, but to no avail sadly.
Later, whilst working, I found a long-dead Grasshopper Warbler at the side of a road in Castletown, I suspect a victim of window-strike. Yes, I did make sure it was a Common Gropper!
The moth trap that I'm tending at the moment has been pretty quiet for highlights in recent days, though this morning produced a few snippets of quality.
Namely, the migrant European Corn-borer...
...the scarce pyralid, Mecyna asinalis (keen followers of the blog may have remembered I drew attention to the larval damage on Wild Madder a few posts ago).
...and, best of all, a rather sorry-looking Red Underwing.
Ferrybridge yielded the hoped for Little Stint, with all 3 showing together. There were also 2 Knot and a female Teal, the latter only the second I'd ever seen there, and first one on the deck!
Next, we popped into Lodmoor, where the pair of Spoonbill stole the show. Look how close they were to the path!
They were two juvenile birds, which have been there for a while now.
The other highlights here were two Marsh Harrier, and yet another Little Stint.
A look at Radipole produced little.
Well, things have certainly perked up, but are things about to go mad, if those birds currently on the east coast are to filter down here? Only time will tell.
It's been almost two weeks since my last update, but you needn't worry about missing anything! I have made a certain amount of effort into birding Portland in that time, but rarely have I been rewarded. A few snippets of other wildlife around to look at too however. Those who are only interested in the birds can skip towards the end!
I think I've finally got the enthusiasm for getting up early for birding again! My first sighting of this in a long time.
On a walk up near the Verne prison one day, I stumbled on these botanical delights, not having a clue they were here. There were over a hundred examples of the strange spiralling Orchid, Autumn Ladies-tresses.
Plus a number of Autumn Gentian, just coming out.
It's official. Autumn is here!
I visited the Obs a couple of times, and the flowers there are always covered in pollinators, including a couple of Hummingbird Hawk-moth (lots around at the moment) and this striking hoverfly, Chrysotoxum cautum.
The other day-flying moth that's quite obvious at the moment are the scarce-for-Portland Jersey Tiger. I've come across three in the last two weeks.
On one day I spotted the little mouthful-of-a-micro, Schreckensteinia festaliella, here showing it's strange spiky, sticking-out forelegs.
I've also noticed a fair amount of moth feeding-signs recently. This is an area that I really would like to improve my knowledge on. But, just like most other areas of natural history, there's so much to learn!
But, I think these are the feeding mines of the Apple Leaf Miner (Lyonetia clerkella). How many different individuals are there in each leaf!?
And, I think these 'windows' in Wild Madder is where the larva of the pyralid Mecyna asinalis has been feeding on the underside.
As for birds, the best sightings in the last couple of weeks have been a juvenile Marsh Harrier circling over Blacknor on the 15th, before drifting out over the sea towards Abbotsbury. The Gulls had been going mad in the area for a little while, so it was no surprise to find this bird amongst them. Plus, the flock of Black-tailed Godwit at Ferrybridge two days later was also a patch tick. They didn't show as well as this Bar-tailed Godwit yesterday, however.
The other patch tick in the last month or so has been a number of juvenile Yellow-legged Gull. Ferrybridge is the ideal location for studying the species' subtleties (particularly the dark tertials and pale head).
Other than those, there have been a steady presence of the likes of Yellow Wagtail, Tree Pipit, and a Spotted Flycatcher yesterday. Plus decent sightings such as the likes of two Arctic Skua in Chesil Cove.
Also yesterday, I had the briefest of glimpses of a greyish-backed Whitethroat-like warbler at Suckthumb Quarry, but sadly it could not be re-found. One that got away.
The weather has been normal. Portland-weird that is! These photos taken 24 hours apart from the same point on The Verne.
There is a chance I may start to learn to ring soon. Watch this space. I'm looking forward now to what the autumn will bring on Portland, but I've also got a couple of visits to my old patch of Tice's Meadow in the offing!
Plenty to catch up on. Sorry for the length, misjudged yet again!
10th
All the signs were that today could produce a mammoth movement of Woodpigeon, so on what was a gloriously sunny day, I headed out early and positioned myself on the West Weares.
I was surprised to have walked a fair distance without seeing a single bird, so I scoped the mainland. Sure enough, a small number of birds were moving. In the time I was watching, a couple of flocks numbering 70 or so, plus a few stragglers, flew low into Weymouth Bay, before gaining height and heading off north-west. I still to this day haven't seen any migrating Woodpigeon flocks over the island!
Still, the conditions were producing a trickle of movement, which included a flock of 7 Redpoll which came over then headed out to sea south-west, plus another single later. Also 2 Redwing and a Grey Wagtail heading through.
On the way back I found Chat heaven in a horse field near Blacknor, where a fence-line held a Robin, a pair of Stonechat, and a Black Redstart, which yet again evaded my camera.
An extended route then took me towards Reap Lane barns, in what was still perfect weather.
Here I heard, and then saw a male Reed Bunting sitting on a bush. Not all that usual round here.
What was more usual though, were the Raven, but one chose to show itself really well.
I didn't have anything particularly dynamic planned for the afternoon, so when a Yellow-browed Warbler was reported at walking distance, it seemed the logical step to take.
Once I was at the trees behind the former Craft Centre on Weston Street, a couple of guys there told me it had just been showing. A little walk around the area produced nothing bar a single Chiffchaff. There really weren't many trees still with leaves on to choose from!
I remembered that just west of this little wood is a small quarry, that I believe is called Sheat Quarry. It's not at all easy to view, but I thought it worth checking out, so I forced my way there through the overgrown vegetation from Suckthumb. Almost instantly, I heard the Yellow-browed Warbler calling, but where was it? A change in my position, and bingo! In the completely still conditions, it was a sinch to pick up as it moved through a Sycamore. As I was leaving, it went into a calling frenzy, but it had now moved deep into vegetation on the other side of the quarry, and out of view.
I walked round to the road where views of the quarry were pretty poor. Despite this, I managed to see a late female Blackcap, as well as hear a surprise 'cecking' Water Rail. On my way home along Barleycrates Lane, I swear I heard the warbler calling again. If I could hear it from there, it must have been in the Blackthorn thicket at the corner of the roads, and therefore presumably had made it's way through the gardens.
Anyway, while walking back along here at dusk, I disturbed a Sparrowhawk carrying prey, then I immediately looked across to see a Kestrel sitting on a post tearing up something. Everyone was having their dinner, so it was about time for mine!
11th
The day dawned to a very foggy start. Despite this, whilst I was delivering in Fortuneswell, it was clear birds were moving. I heard Redwing going over, and I even had a Grey Heron and a Lapwing head over south, in the fog!
Even though things were happening, I wasn't expecting the news of an incredible migration spectacle going on at the Bill and Ferrybridge. So, after work I rushed down to the Ferrybridge car park.
The island had it's usual lawyers wig of cloud.
Presumably, birds that were heading west close inshore, failed to see the island with this veil of cloud, and so carried on through the Harbour and over the road.
Even though I'd missed the main course, I still succeeded in seeing a couple of large flocks of Little Gull going over, with the help of Debby and Pete of course. It was surprising how many of them were 1st-winters.
Also a few flocks of waders doing the same that included Bar-tailed Godwit, Grey Plover, and Dunlin.
I thought it'd it be a good idea to scan through Portland Harbour, just in case any of these migrants had decided to ditch. This watch was indeed a success with a/the Arctic Tern still fishing, a Great Northern Diver and a single Red-throated Diver showing distantly, as well as several Razorbill. However, I now wished I'd looked up just a bit more, as apparently a Grey Phalarope flew over my head! To compound things, myself and the Saunders' later absconded to Chesil Cove, only to hear that the Little Auk we were after had just flown off! What a rollercoaster birding is.
Nonetheless, a very enjoyable day!
13th
The day dawned to another cracker.
Birds were clearly still moving overhead, as on delivery in Fortuneswell, I had the likes of Redpoll, Siskin, Fieldfare, Grey Wagtail, and best of all, a Brambling, pass over.
14th
I attempted to go for the Richard's Pipit at the Bill this afternoon, but it was getting late, and no bird or birders could be found.
16th
I had a nice find this morning of a prefect male Black Redstart on the derelict buildings by the Verne Prison whilst I delivered up there. No bins, but was able to creep up on it using the van as a hide! The whole of that area is private, so on this occasion being a postman paid off!
An afternoon walk round the Reap Lane and Suckthumb areas produced nothing unusual but a single Fieldfare and 2 Chiffchaff still behind the Craft Centre. However, it was just nice to be out on such a beautiful day, and the common birds were entertaining me just as much. See my video of the likes of male Kestrel, Raven, and Stonechat, with a little add-on of my Yellowhammer from today. Please excuse the shakiness of some of it, I was without my tripod!
17th
For no particular reason, I fancied a long walk today.
The forecast was initially showing today as completely still, so the Harbour would have been a millpond. Conditions weren't quite like that, but I certainly thought the Harbour and Ferrybridge were the places to be, so headed out early.
By the time I'd walked to Chesil Cove, I really didn't think walking it had been worth it, as I'd not seen anything remotely notable! But, here at least I heard another rather out of place squealing Water Rail.
I walked to Portland Castle, then along the path through Osprey Quay and the marina. A Little Grebe there was believe it or not, a Portland tick (I haven't birded much here in the winter before)!
On one of the verges was a little group of Pleated Inkcap, sometimes called the Little Jap Umbrella!
Finally at Ferrybridge, and the mud was covered in Brent Goose and Mediterranean Gull. I didn't do a count of Brents, but with the help of the Saunder's, I managed an estimate of 500 Meds. A Great Northern Diver was on the Fleet just beyond the mudflats, and waders included a few Bar-tailed Godwit. I tried my best to find the Black Brants that the Saunder's had found, but to no avail. Just a few Pale-bellied birds were seen.
After Pete and Debby's departure, I found a 1st-winter Yellow-legged Gull amongst the Geese. Check out the pale head and long wings.
The moment when all the birds were spooked by a fisherman was quite spectacular!
I walked further on and did a good scan of the Harbour from Weymouth Watersports centre. A 1st-winter Little Gull was a surprise as it fed with Black-headed Gull, and many Red-breasted Merganser showed well.
The hoped for Black-necked Grebe flock were eventually picked out in the distance, and closer in were the long-staying Red-throated Diver and Red-necked Grebe still about.
I toyed with the idea of taking the bus back home, but my legs weren't actually feeling too bad, so started the long slog back.
Nothing that notable was encountered, till I took a quick glance at the bushes in Chesil Cove again, only to see a female Blackcap, and hear now 2 Water Rail squealing. And still, I'm yet to see Moorhen or Coot on Portland! The weirdness of birding an island.
Once up the towering hill, I made my way down Wide Street, and was surprised to hear a Yellowhammer flying over. The male bird then dropped down and alighted on a bush on the edge of Inmosthay Quarry. The first since I've moved here! See my video above for a little bit of footage of the bird.
Well, we are very much now at the end of autumn, and the short days now lie ahead, virtually of birding entirely in the Harbour/Ferrybridge area. Who knows what will occur though. My birding frequency will go up come the new year, not only cause I'm in the Patchlist Competition, but also because my working hours will be changing on occasion to afternoons. Birding every morning here I come!
