Portland / Weymouth - Part I

With the restrictions eased just a little bit more and a pressing visit to the Weymouth / Portland area in the pipeline yesterday was as good as it was going to get for such a venture, but not before the       Moth Traps! En-route we found the pondside

MUTE SWAN
to be sitting, but still only 2 males

while it looked every bit as if the

MAGPIES
had completed their domed construction.
Success followed at the traps with a more than decent catch consisting of c2 Firsts for the Year

BRINDLED BEAUTY

while slightly upstaging it a

FROSTED GREEN
With the tide just about as high as it ever gets it was directly to the

PORTLAND BIRD OBSERVATORY
where we found the Warden Martin Cade, his Assistant Erin Taylor (a lady who has now been in residence for quite some time but still not met - a delight) and long standing member Graham Walbridge) However, on the downside we had just missed a wandering

GLAUCOUS GULL
(archive for illustration)
but even though deathly quiet Martin did manage to pluck this

fine looking gentleman from the mist nets

BLACKCAP
The follow-up report of a

CALIFORNIAN QUAIL
(an escapee or more likely released)
did nothing to stimulate the interest as we wandered off to the

BILL
but more particularly the

TRINITY HOUSE OBALISK
where had it not been for a few of the more common Seabirds we would have drawn a blank.

A juvenile looking

SHAG
Then in quick succession from

PULPIT ROCK

RAZORBILL

punctuated by

CHARTER FISHING BOATS

and even a

SPEARFISHERMAN

2 of my Vary Favourites in earlier days.

Just a few

GANNET

all on the wing

while on the sea

and cliffs a host of

GUILLEMOTs
Otherwise, just singles of

ROCK PIPIT
and

GREAT BLACK-BACKED GULL
while what is presumed to be

DANISH SCURVYGRASS
put a very plesant lip around the tops of some of the redundant quarries!

At a distance from this traditional site the
OBS QUARRY

we claim to have seen c2

LITTLE OWL
A few features of the Island on the way back to the mainland included

SAINT GEORGE's CHURCH at EASTON
which is said to have been designed on the lines of St Paul's Cathederal, London
but feel that may have been through Rose Coloured Glasses?

The Islands Answer to Stonehenge
and the Best View in Town along the 18 miles of Pebbles that form

CHESIL BEACH
along with the greatest misnomer of them all the

PORTLAND's 2012 SUMMER OLYMPIC RINGS
The whole gig which featured Portland almost in the entirety was only ever refered to as the Weymouth Olympics and to my knowledge the same way throughout the media!
The Magic Island
lost its moment again!
That however was not the end of my day as pulling into a Birdless Ferrybridge we caught sight od 8 Chinese Students

just taking in the view the kind of Magic Moment that is not to be missed.
Engaging them and welcoming them to both our Country and Portland we had a long chat before parting by buying them a drink. Having enjoyed such warm welcomes right across the World it is just a small thing which usually 'lasts forever'!
There was even a COMMENT yesterday and thank you ALL again!

In case you missed it

Hi Bagsy, I am Jie Zhang, one of the Chinese friends you met in the day. We are deeply touched due to your kindness and hospitality, which made the trip more impressive in Dorset. Finally, we all look forward to your next visit to China, that’s what I want to say.
TO BE CONTINUED.