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.

Gryllo's Blog

KESTREL

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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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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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