Please Pass On the Blog Link to Everyone You Know!

Another month gone, and remembering to change the 'header photograph', it was a quick dash to Lodmoor in the hope of adding Long-billed Dowitcher to the ongoing April List. Daragh had preempted me in this by sending a text, long before I reached Radipole, to say he had already seen it. Under yet another leaden sky with a light drizzle falling there was little in the way of bird life on the way, with the exception of a most unusual Redpoll (presumed Lesser) 'calling' as it flew across Radipole.

Along the sea-front my attentions turned to this tanker, the Torm Kristina, herself taking fuel from the smaller vessel alongside,

as the Sail Training Ship 'Lord Nelson' appeared out of the gloom that was Weymouth Bay. The Dowitcher done, and in the company of Daragh we soon bumped into

Christine Milner and partner Neil Arnold also (at least Neil) looking for the American Wader! Always good to see these people, it was now time to part company with all 3 and resume the birding alone.

First encounter was with c5 male Pochard all neck stretching, bill dipping and whatever else was required to attract the single female.

The Mallards meanwhile seemed content perched on a nearby roof, while just a little further along there was my first

Sedge Warbler of the year chattering away in the reeds. Only a short while earlier Daragh had predicted that one would soon show up, so I called him to report the find. There were said to be c2 Grey Plover close to this spot but I saw neither, but overhead there were c4 Swallows in company with a dozen or so Sand Martins plus Bearded Tits in the reeds, while on the beach there was a well hidden Ringed Plover and a passing Common Gull.

At Portland, this Long-tailed Field Vole appeared to be having a sleep, but no, it was dead but a chance to view this small but common mammal at close quarters. With not a lot happening at the Observatory, and with one or two things having been seen to seaward, I decided to try my hand along the coast.

While many consider 'Sea Watching' the epitome of the hobby, I have spent far to many years rolling around on the stuff to be that interested, but did decide to invest an hour doing just that today. I was rewarded with a distant but lingering

Great Skua, the first seen since my retirement 3 years ago. There were also c4 Gannets and a single Fulmar passing by.


These record shots were taken from the oil rig Buchan Alpha many years ago.

The GB Year List now = 196

Returning to the Obs to report my good fortune, a tardy Redwing had just been released from a mist net and before 'ringing' there was time to get this shot. Otherwise a few more photographs from the Colombia archive of one Woodpecker and 5 Tanagers - ENJOY!

Crimson-mantled Woodpecker

Purplish-mantled Tanager

White-capped Tanager

Lacrimose Mountain Tanager

Gold-ringed Tanager

Flame-faced Tanager

finally an update on Statistics, where it was seen that we got just over 200 readers on average per day during March. In addition 5 new countries joined the readership as

	Num	Perc.	Country Name
	8001	76.20%	United Kingdom		UK broke the 8,000 barrier while
	540	5.14%	United States		the US dropped about 100 readers.
	191	1.82%	Estonia		Estonia maintained reader numbers but lost
	182	1.73%	France		second place to US as Taiwan plummeted
	180	1.71%	Germany		from 300+ reader to almost off the radar at 4
	160	1.52%	Spain		Highest increase in readership pro-rata
	112	1.07%	Canada
	100	0.95%	Ecuador		Ecuador have done well to reach treble
	83	0.79%	Sweden		figures with Sweden closing fast!
	76	0.72%	Netherlands
	68	0.65%	Italy
	66	0.63%	Australia
	53	0.50%	Belgium
	46	0.44%	New Zealand
	39	0.37%	Japan
	35	0.33%	India
	33	0.31%	Russian Federation
	26	0.25%	Thailand
	25	0.24%	Poland
	22	0.21%	Mexico
	20	0.19%	Brazil
	18	0.17%	Hungary
	18	0.17%	Czech Republic
	17	0.16%	Greece
	16	0.15%	Singapore
	15	0.14%	Ireland
	15	0.14%	Hong Kong
	15	0.14%	Denmark
	14	0.13%	Portugal
	12	0.11%	Romania
	12	0.11%	Dominican Republic
	12	0.11%	Peru
	12	0.11%	South Africa
	11	0.10%	Bulgaria
	11	0.10%	Serbia
	11	0.10%	Finland
	10	0.10%	Argentina
	10	0.10%	Philippines
	10	0.10%	Korea, Republic Of
	9	0.09%	Indonesia
	9	0.09%	Europe
	9	0.09%	Colombia
	9	0.09%	Switzerland
	9	0.09%	Norway
	9	0.09%	Croatia
	8	0.08%	Israel
	8	0.08%	Austria
	8	0.08%	Malta
	7	0.07%	Slovakia
	7	0.07%	Ukraine
	6	0.06%	Sri Lanka
	6	0.06%	Venezuela
	6	0.06%	Turkey
	5	0.05%	Jordan
	5	0.05%	Chile
	5	0.05%	United Arab Emirates
	5	0.05%	Pakistan
	5	0.05%	Guernsey
	4	0.04%	Barbados
	4	0.04%	Malaysia
	4	0.04%	Taiwan
	3	0.03%	Mauritius
	3	0.03%	Saudi Arabia
	3	0.03%	Vietnam
	3	0.03%	Anonymous Proxy
	3	0.03%	Iceland
	3	0.03%	Bahamas
	3	0.03%	China
	3	0.03%	Belarus
	2	0.02%	Luxembourg
	2	0.02%	Zimbabwe		New reader in March heading skywards
	2	0.02%	Jersey
	2	0.02%	Yemen
	2	0.02%	Egypt
	2	0.02%	Morocco
	2	0.02%	Moldova, Republic Of
	1	0.01%	Georgia
	1	0.01%	Albania
	1	0.01%	Oman
	1	0.01%	Gabon		New reader in March
	1	0.01%	Latvia
	1	0.01%	Guadeloupe
	1	0.01%	Bosnia And Herzegovina
	1	0.01%	Tanzania, United Republic Of
	1	0.01%	Qatar
	1	0.01%	Puerto Rico
	1	0.01%	Costa Rica
	1	0.01%	Virgin Island, U.s.		New reader in March
	1	0.01%	Slovenia
	1	0.01%	Lebanon
	1	0.01%	Iraq		New reader in March
	1	0.01%	Bangladesh
	1	0.01%	Uruguay		New reader in March
	1	0.01%	Bermuda

It is very much hoped that ALL readers will pass on the link to Family & Friends in the hope of a higher daily average readership this month. Thank You!