Another Portland Promotion

After the shortest Spring on record, 5 days, Summer arrived with a vengeance today. Not that it brought any birds with it, and after a walk which took in the cemetery, Radipole, the full length of the Rodwell Trail, Ferry Bridge plus Barleycrates back to Victoria Square, the following were all there was of note. At the Radipole kissing-gate a sight I had not encountered before, a pair of Robins 'food passing' and a single Sedge Warbler singing its head off in a reed-bed.

I couldn't resist including this as 22 carat 'eye candy'. Sat in the hot sun with just a little cirrus cloud left in the sky. One of many wartime gun emplacements can be seen in the fore-ground, with the village of Fortuneswell peeking from behind the cliff. Beyond the curve of Chesil Beach, the National Sailing Academy (venue for the 2012 Olympic yachting), Portland Harbour and the start of Weymouth with Wyke Regis to the left.

Raven - UK's largest corvid (Crow) unusual to get one so obliging, it seemed to be suffering from the heat as it simply sat there with bill wide open.

Jackdaw - UK's smallest corvid both birds seen in close proximity of each other on the West Cliff, Portland.

The Spirit of Portland, an exceptional stone carving by Joanna Szuwalska

depicting representatives from the 2 main industries on Portland in days gone by

The Fisherman

and Stonemason (left click the images to full appreciate the fine detail)

A Stone Quarry Crane a throwback to when most tasks were done by 'hand'.

The Plinth simply signed JC Sellman, Sculptor and bearing his mark.

Quarrymen's tools

Lifting Chains and Hooks.

'Quiddles' (without the 's', a Portland word for Squid). My neighbour, Joy, has been waxing lyrical about me visiting this particularly eye-catching eatery perched on the edge of Chesil Beach at the promenade end of Chesil Cove. I had intended saving it for a day when a decent feed of seafood was required, but looking down from the stone sculpture, featured above, it looked too tempting to pass by. A slice of Walnut & Coffee cake (large enough to secure the Ark Royal alongside) and a cup of coffee sat in the sunshine, I made the acquaintance of a lovely lady Clair who's husband was serving on the RFA Argos. This was fortuitous as being the large ship I reported last week, with no pennant numbers, saying I would investigate and get back to you. I have since discovered the numbers are there but I didn't see them!

and probably only of interest to me, I do find the Statistics Counter intriguing, this is yesterdays result. It's fantastic to see so much interest still shown from many other parts of the world. Thank You All.

If you are of the mind please extend this LINK to your friends, the more readers the MERRIER, an e-Mail to ALL your Addressees would do the trick.

	Num	Perc.	Country Name
	449	89.80%	United Kingdom
	16	3.20%	Estonia
	14	2.80%	United States
	4	0.80%	Argentina
	4	0.80%	Hungary
	3	0.60%	Netherlands
	2	0.40%	Venezuela
	2	0.40%	Canada
	2	0.40%	Australia
	1	0.20%	Trinidad And Tobago
	1	0.20%	Korea, Republic Of
	1	0.20%	France
	1	0.20%	Italy