Monday 30 September 2013

Million Dollar 'Bill' - Whitney Houston

With a lunch date planned there was only time for a forenoons birding, but what a start to the day. What early morning mist there was soon cleared and the fret seemingly heading our way from the east cut off into the English Channel not effecting us one bit. The wind had also died right down overnight and things remained humid making for a good haul of Moths both at the Observatory and in Secret's garden. Best catch was undoubtedly a
 CONVOVULOUS HAWK-MOTH
in one of the Wardens traps.
I did get a 'call-out' late evening to witness a huge migration of birds, centred on the active lighthouse, but was unable to get out but no matter it continued into this morning. Almost the first bird on show was a somewhat expected
YELLOW-BROWED WARBLER
given the number in the country at the moment, which was 
immediately followed by a second. the photos are from the archive
one of 7 that day on the Oil Rig.
From then until mid-morning the sky was literally full of birds including c6 
 REDWING
which was both an addition to the Year List and my 'ongoing'
September List (yes sad I know)
and the resident LITTLE OWL also obliged as another first for
the year..
Both photos from the archive.
Apart from tending my own Moth Trap the rest of the morning has been spent wandering the tip of the Island and meeting a few face not seen in a long time.
PULPIT ROCK
Portland Bill
SHAG
WHEATEAR
CUTTLFISH BONE
THE ACTIVE LIGHTHOUSE
TRINITY HOUSE OBELISK
Avid birder JULIAN THOMAS (left) and
even more avid 'World-wide birder IAN (Grylo) LEWIS
who has promised some photos of his recent visit to the South Pacific
in the near future.
KESTREL
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Sunday 29 September 2013

Loving Every Minute - Lighthouse Family

A couple of 'catch-up' identifications from yesterday's Post with thanks to Martin Cade, Janet Read and John Gifford, both Insects are from Parley Court Farm and welcome additions to the Property List.
 PEARLY UNDERWING*
Best Bet at this time is
WESTERN CONIFER SEED BUG
A recent addition to the Great Britain Fauna List first found at
Weymouth Collage by our friend and local Wildlifer
Bob Ford - Photo Library 
GUELDER ROSE
not Field Maple as suggested.
A stiff sou'-easterly overnight breeze heralded my arrival which brought in a fair amount of heavy rain for the morning and backed into the east later in the day, Setting the Moth Trap in Secret's Garden at Sweethill allows for the best of both worlds, my own first then the 6 run each night at the
The Old Lower Light
aka Portland Bird Observatory
another 'first for me as I have never slept in a Lighthouse before.
The best from mine were
FEATHERED BRINDLE
and
FEATHERED RANUNCULUS
and at the Obs
BEAUTIFUL GOTHIC
From the traps it was straight on to the birds and just for once I
seem to have made the right call. With only a single medium-size
Wader (at great distance) at Ferry Bridge the area was by-passed
until later. Continuing on to the Caravan Camp at Littlesea all that
was added to the list were
c114 BRENT GEESE
so back to the BRIDGE.
At a distance this
PIED WAGTAIL
made for a nice picture if nothing else. Given the tide, the water
not pushing right up to the Visitors Centre, gave great opportunity
to view all the Waders present at fairly close quarters.
TURNSTONE
totalled 23
while there were
c6 BAR-TAILED GODWIT
as shown on
Portland Bird Obs - Latest News 
in excess of 50 DUNLIN
and RINGED PLOVER
SANDERLING totalled c3
as did GREAT BLACK-BACKED GULL
Otherwise there were just singles of
MEDITERRANEAN GULL
and
RED KNOT
which was the most obliging bird of all.
Others added during the day included Collared Dove, Starling, Oystercatcher, House Sparrow and Lesser Black-backed Gull. I may have missed a couple out but the Trip List now stands at 59. It should be pointed out we are one day in arrears, so today is yesterday!
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Saturday 28 September 2013

Sitting on the Dock of the Bay - Otis Redding

Recuperate is too strong a word, but if you have sit around doing nothing for a couple of days then where better than the Portland Bird Observatory. It was pure coincidence that a 'group' booked to stay there had cancelled at short notice and seeing this on the Warden's web site Portland Bird Observatory I struck while the iron was hot! Time for a leisurely coffee while tending the Moth Trap, which contained
 DUSKY THORN
 a new addition to the Property List in the shape of
 SMALL WAINSCOT*
 
 and another
 All else amounted to what might be a SHIELDBUG
then time for the steady drive to Portland.
While I doubt much ground will be covered on foot, the intent will be to keep an ongoing list for the week back up by as many images as possible. In addition the trap will run at Sweethill, just a mile or so to the north of the Obs, in the hope of catching things a little different to here. Luckily, and with a little 'local knowledge', one can still park at various places at the northern edge of Poole Harbour so without leaving the comfort of the car get reasonable views of the bird life there.  First to show and in the same bush were
 BLUE TIT and
 GREAT TIT
 while on the water was found
BLACK-HEADED GULL,
 CANADA GOOSE,
 GREYLAG GOOSE,
 HERRING GULL,
 MUTE SWAN
 and COOT.
 FIELD MAPLE Sp??
 The Tits continued and were represented by
LONG-TAILED
 then back to the sea where a good number of both
BLACK-TAILED GODWIT
 
and WIGEON 
which now seem to have established themselves.
 LITTLE EGRET
were, as usual, numerous and all that was seen of
 DUNLIN
was this small flock heading at speed away from the observer.
 Finally on the photo front this
COMMON BUZZARD
put in a brief appearance, disappeared then returned
being mobbed by a couple of 
CARRION CROW.
During this period Jay, Magpie, Moorhen, Feral and Wood Pigeon, Nuthatch, Chiffchaff, Robin, Dunnock, Wren, Shoveler, Redshank, Teal, Curlew, Meadow Pipit, Greenshank, Jackdaw, Blackbird, Great Black-backed Gull, Pied Wagtail and c2 Kingfisher were recorded but escaped the lens. The continuation to Portland was punctuated by a visit to my ol' shipmate and mentor John (Ginger) Prince and his wife Val which turned into lunch and a session of 'swinging the lantern' - "oh for a life on the rolling sea"!
So, the List kicks off with a modest 36 - Watch This Space!
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                 10