Mid-Dorset to Mid-Americas

Ille @ Milton Abbas

Ille @ the Cerne Giant

'Call the Hands' was a little late this morning, like 11-00 a little late, but after a hearty breakfast we were off for Dorset Tour 2. It was worth dropping in at Poundbury just to show our foreign visitor just what sort of an architectural abortion we can make in a considered civilised country, but quickly onward. We booked a table at the Greyhound, Sydling St Nicholas for Monday evening (as recommended by Mr Harris) and would say if the victuals are anything like the reception we received then we're in for some dinkum tucker! The Giant was still at Cerne Abbas, and yes he still had that huge club, plus that big stick in his hand. This was much enjoyed by Ille as I had sent her a post card of the old fella some weeks ago. Same can be said of Milton Abbas, which we found as pristine as ever. I can never understand why the rest of Dorset cannot be littler and dog s***e free like this idilic little village. We popped into see Thomas (the Bard) Cottage on the way home, where we arrived at about 17-00. Time enough to get ready to visit Nigel, Julie and Lee (my eldest daughter, my son outlaw & grandson) for dinner. Yum, Yum must run now!

Here too are the remaining photos from yesterday, at our first 'digi-scoping'session, cracking birds.

Resplendant Quetzel - Monte Verde, Costa Rica

Purple-throated Mountain Gem - Ditto

Grockles & Digi-Scoping

An excellent start to Ille's holiday starting with some much needed rest after more than enough 12+ hour shifts with her UNICEF job in Tallinn. Bacon and Egg, almost unheard of in this house, was the next order of the day before we left for a mini trip around this neck of the woods. Whitcombe church with its fine 13th century wall paintings was the first port of call, before driving on to Morton. There we marveled at the Laurence Whistler windows, before walking the ford and looking at the TE Lawrence grave. A short midday break at the Halfway Inn, was followed by a wander along the Studland Penninsular before returning home via the Sandbanks Ferry and Poole. I think we may try a little further inland tomorrow.

Black-faced Solitaire (known as the Garden Gate bird, because of it squeeky song) - Monte Verde, Costa Rica

Bare-shinned Screech Owl - Monte Verde, Costa Rica

These photographs, along with 2 others that should be posted tomorrow, mark the moment I took my first digi-scopped shots, what a place to take them. They led to yet another mania where I now seem to go nowhere without the trusty Canon.

From (the former) Russia with Love

(Bridled) Guillemot - West Cliff, Portland from earlier in the year

Cormorant (with Flounder) - Inner Harbour, Weymouth

Its an early posting today as I'll be picking the hire car up at noon and zooming (slowly) off to Stansted to meet Ille. She's over from Estonia for ten days, much of which will be spent touring Dorset, followed by 3 days in London to give her a flavour of the capital. It's also been a long time since I was in 'The Smoke' so great opportunity to visit my favorite gallery, The Courtauld. This amassing, yet bijou center representing, in the main, the Impressionists contains numbers 1 and 2 of what I consider to be the best canvases ever painted, Édouard Manet's A bar at the Folies Bergere (for its unfathomable perspective), and Vincent Van Gogh's Peach Blossom in the Crau (for the innocent simplicity).


Glaucous Gull - Buchan Alpha, 120 miles NE of Aberdeen

'Birding' for me is as much about spreading the word as seeing the birds, knowing well how anyone embracing this magical hobby will become far more aware of all living things around them, while in pursuit of their quarry. One such convert was my colleague and work mate David Penney, the Buchan Alpha Operations Coordinator. On New Years day 2005, he approached me to ask what I do every morning on the upper deck after my shift. I suggested he joined me, as 1 he had a life time passion for breeding Parrots and 2 we might just get lucky and see something unusual. The port flare boom that morning was almost bending under the weight of various species of Gull, but luck was on our side. I asked him to look through the throng to see if he could pick out anything different, and had no trouble sorting out the Glaucous Gull from the others. We didn't realise at the time, but that was it, ever since he has been an avid 'birder' and a friendship that may have paled with my retirement has continued as he visits me regularly to enjoy the hobby in our brilliant county. This first footage is believed to be the Gull that started it all off for him.


Water Rail - Ditto

Long-tailed Duck - Ditto

High Drama Day at Radipole Lake

Great Crested Grebes - Radipole Lake (it is not known if all 3 juveniles are attributable to this parent bird)

Dunnock - Lodmoor NR (a nice subject in a nice pose)

Little Stints - Lodmoor NR this morning

Ditto

The search continued this morning for the 'summer plumage' Red-throated Diver reported a couple of days ago by Daragh Croxson, in the hope of gaining a photograph. Paul Harris saw it yesterday, so close that stood on the promenade it disappeared from time to time behind the bank of stones. Unfortunately, it was not to be but there were a few things of interest on Lodmoor. Already a Little Stint had been reported, and fortune shone as while watching it I encountered another. In addition to these little beauties, there were 44 Dunlin, 7 Ringed Plover, 4 Redshank, 16 Black-tailed Godwit, 7 Wigeon, 2 Sandwich Tern, more than a dozen Common Snipe, single Common Sandpiper and Knot plus a few each of Little Egret, Willow Warbler and Lapwing. Perhaps even more on my mind this morning were Quail, or more accurately their eggs. No, I haven't suddenly become an oologist (maybe I should say 'again', going back to my boyhood exploits) these are available at Waitrose, Dorchester and I was walking towards the bus via Weymouth Bay Avenue. That is when the massive plumes of smoke became apparent. Another case of badly burnt toast, I don't think so, no it was only Radipole 'on fire', with just about every appliance in the county attending. Don't know any more than that, but let's say it doesn't come as a surprise! The eggs? they're for dinner with Ille on Saturday, at what some have dubbed the best restaurant in the borough, Cafe Bagsy. The full menu will be posted after the surprise has been sprung - bon appetite.

Short-eared Owl - Buchan Alpha, North Sea


Long-eared Owl - Buch Alpha, North Sea

Both of these larger Owls were seen annually on the Buchan Alpha, and as often as not both Spring and Autumn. The Long-eared Owl depicted was first located early morning towards the end of the year, but without the camera I witnessed an amazing sight. Flying some way off the rig it slowly closed the heli-deck where I was stood, whereupon it seemed to mesmerize a Purple Sandpiper, plucking it out of the air with no difficulty whatsoever. It then landed, with its prey, close by to me and deftly decapitated it, then in similar fashion removed its legs and wings, before swallowing it whole. One of the joys I suppose of Oil Rig 'birding'.

It's Stansted Airport for me tomorrow, to pick Ille up, so I'll endeavour to 'post' before I leave, otherwise I hope you don't all miss me!

It's Not Every Day You Can See So Many Olympians

Olympic sailors underway

Ditto

A few of the Many Nations Flags

Estonia Forever!

Agreed, sailing isn't exactly a spectator sport, but it sure brightens up a dull day with colour, skill and speed. Today was the first of the Olympic Selection Regatta, centered at the National Sailing Academy, Portland, and was the highlight of my day. I was heavily involved with this event back in 1976 as Skipper of the F/T Lechlade, laying and recovering the various courses and acting as the official end of the start/finish gate, while carrying the race officials. The skill of these sporting mariners is never in doubt not only handling their craft with great skill, but also anticipating even the slightest change of wind, and using it to full advantage. As for colour, sails, hulls and kit certainly add to that, but for me, as something of an amateur 'vexillologist', it's the ranks of national flags that adorn the NSA. Those in the top flag photograph depict, (from fore-ground) Italy, Japan, Mexico, Russian Federation, Norway, New Zealand, Poland, Portugal, China, South Korea, USA, Morocco, Ukraine, (forgotten & obscured) and Thailand. No difficulty with the one center stage in the bottom photograph, 'Estonia' (I just hope Ille reads the Blog tonight) but never mind if she doesn't because I'll be able to show her when she arrives on Wednesday. The flag on the right is Finland.

While this short clip isn't going to blow any minds, it is hoped to give some ideal of just how many birds do migrate over the North Sea. It is no exageration to describe numbers, on some occasions, in the 'hundreds of thousands especially at night.

This Merlin enjoys a Redwing oblivious of my presence just a few feet away.

Videos From the Buchan 'Patch'

The Rodwell Trail was full of 'bird song' at 06-30 this morning, a real treat strolling beneath a tunnel of trees. Unfortunately, it was a lot less birdy at Ferry Bridge as counts revealed only 57 Ringed Plover, 7 Dunlin, 23 Turnstone, single Little Egret and Yellow Wagtail with a continuous light passage of Hirundines (mostly Swallows) plus a few grounded Wheatear. There was interest in another directions as final preparations were being made for the Olympic Sailing Trials in Portland Harbour, starting tomorrow. The Chesil Beach car park is being utilised as an over-spill park for yacht cradles, while a few camp followers have also set up temporary residence. Some of the events take place within the confines of the harbour, while the larger craft will brave Weymouth Bay, particularly if the fresh breeze forecast comes about. Those craft taking part include Lasers, 470's, Star and 49'ers to name but a few, with one thing is for certain, it will be a spectacle not to be missed. See you down there!

And on the subject of Birding ones own Patch, which we weren't but are now, none can be more exclusive that aboard a North sea Oil Rig, some of which I'd like to share. The Talisman Energy (Canadian) owned Floating Oil Production Platform, Buchan Alpha lies some 120 miles NE of Aberdeen and has done so, with only a short exception, for 28 years. During that time there has always been a keen onboard interest in bird and other wild life. before I joined her in 1992, Peter Dale the Fire and Safety Officer made daily observations and had done so for the previous 8 years. Between us we notched up a formidable list of 173 species of which, by the time of my leaving in2007, I had recorded 169. A couple of years prior to that our Operations Coordinator, David Penney (a Parrot breeder since boyhood), also showed a very keen interest and since my departure has added a further 2 species to the list (also additions to the North Sea Bird Club List) Laughing Gull and Black Kite. Both of these were photographed and I believe have been accepted by the relevant authority.

Photography isn't something that is encouraged on an oil rig, as not being intrinsically safe and by definition a 'spark potential' could have disastrous effects with all that methane around. The use of a camera, under normal circumstances, would require the composition of a 'risk assessment', and at each use a 'work permit'. Far too much of a rigmarole when trying to capture an image of an unpredictable bird, so after discussions an inter departmental compromise was struck. To be used in agreed designated areas only Dave and I were able to compile quite an archive of visitors, both avian and other, to the rig which when posted hopefully will give readers some insight to birds outside of their normal environment. Over the next few days I will post some short video footage taken on the rig, in the main during 2005, hoping they will be of interest! Please bear in mind they were taken under some constraint so are not of Cecil B DeMille proportions.

P.S. - Yes, Nick Dempsey did strike GOLD!

Pink-footed Geese


Eurasian Wigeon

Waders & Warships

Here are the final Wader photographs, all taken in the States. I love 'birding' over there, but be advised if your looking at any of these little darlings, should you ask a local "what's that small Wader over there", the almost guaranteed reply will be, "we don't do PEEPs !!" It maybe of interest that the middle 3 were all seen in the same almost frozen pool, in company with 3 Red-necked Stint.

Semipalmated Sandpiper - Newport Harbour, Oregon, USA

Least Sandpiper - Barrow, Alaska, USA

Baird's Sandpiper - Ditto

Western Sandpiper - Ditto

White-rumped Sandpiper - East Falkland Island

Saturday's are always looked forward to as a carte blanche bus pass day. No default until 09-30, as in the week, so 06-35 and I was heading for Portland. As we stopped at Foord's Corner, to pick up the only other passenger, I noted a Capital Ship 'swinging to her pick' in Portland Harbour. Unusual enough to see a 'war canoe' here these days, there was a second, a Frigate of sorts and a third by way of a Logistics Ship already leaving harbour via the East Ship Channel. Barleycrates produced a Grasshopper Warbler plus half a dozen Wheatear while a continuous stream of Hirundines , mostly Swallows flew south along the East Cliff. Walking the southern perimeter fence of the business park, yet another warship hove into view certainly maintaining 15 knots as she passed between the mainland and the Shambles Bank. This monster was familiar to me as a mate of mine had been the Jimmy (1st Lieutenant) on her first commission from new. HMS Ocean, with dimentions of, Displacement: 21,578 tons Length: 683ft 3in, Beam: 112ft 10in, Draught: 21ft 8in, is currently the Royal Navy's largest warship, and looked an impressive sight as she steamed past the Portland Bird Observatory. Not big by comparison to our cousins across the pond, but in many ways size is of little consequence here. Back in the 60's, while in HMS Eskimo on Biera Patrol (Mozambique Channel), our flag ship HMS Ark Royal was said to have received an early morning signal from a passing US flotila, "good morning and how's the second biggest navy in the world today?", the Admiral aboard replied in super quick time, "good morning to you sir, we're very well, and how's the second best?". Walking towards Culverwell a Common Snipe put up from a nearby field, 'called' and alighted again, and along with an undetermined count of Siskin and a single Yellow Wagtail that was all of note seen. I was informed at the Obs that the other Capital ship was HMS Bulwark.

HMS Ocean passing Portland Bird Observatory