Purple Sands Are All Around

Don't know if I'm going up or down.
Acting funny but I don't know why
'Scus me while I kiss the Sky.

Having fallen one day behind with recent posts, I did predict that one day of heavy rain and that would be put to rights. Even without the help of any precipitation, we are now back on the rails as yesterday was a little lacklustre on the bird front.

Having said that, and not wishing to immediately contradict myself, yesterday's Wheatear in the Ministry of Defence compound at Portland Bill

turned out to be the latest date for this species I have ever recorded. It was in fact the only November for me.

Today was a little less windy (to start with), slightly warmer and had unfortunately turned back to gloomy and overcast but did start with something of a bang. With only Goldcrest of note in the cemetery crossing the road to Radipole I was immediately met by a 'feeding'

Little Gull. Unfortunately, it only stayed for 2 plunges

before gaining great height, an estimated 300 feet, then flying directly over my head it transited the cemetery and disappeared in the direction of my house.

This was also an addition to the ongoing November List while also on the reserve were a further 6 species of Gull including

this adult winter Mediterranean Gull

which put on a fine display of 'wing stretching',

along with this 'first winter' Great Black-backed Gull

The Coot was just a flight of fancy, but other birds out of photographic range included 4 Black-tailed Godwit and half a dozen Common Snipe which looked from the height and direction they flew in from to be new arrivals. Although the 'spring tides' are now starting to sober, high water is still remains at around 09:00 so little point calling in at Ferry Bridge so straight on to catch the bus to Portland. Looking over the Town Bridge, I caught sight of fisherman friend

Kelvin and his Mate preparing their nets for the net cast.

Having not seen him for a number of months now there was time for a chat, telling me he had spent some time at one of the London Film Studios working as an 'extra' on some up and coming pirate movie. No disrespect Kelv but they got the right lad there!

The ulterior motive for seeing him back is no shortage of sea-food now - these were my last purchase from him some time ago.

At the Bill, a small group of Waders were soon located on the ledges at the bottom of the cliff and

seen to be 3 each of Turnstone & Purple Sandpiper

Unfortunately, the 6 never congregated close enough to include all in one shot

but by quietly climbing over the boulders to their level some 'close ups' were possible.

This one seems to have had a drop too much Grog!

A final 'rear view' of Purple Sandpiper.

Crossing the Bill Common the call of a Mistle Thrush (not a common bird here) alerted me to its presence as it quickly flew to the south west and out to sea, but there was also other activity. A total of 34 Fieldfare (also northern Thrushes) flew around the Lower Light a couple of times before disappearing to the north. At the Observatory I discovered there were a couple of things that had been missed such as a small party of Velvet Scoter flying over the sea and 2 Bullfinch 'in the hand', but you never see everything.

On my way home I was content to see these 2 Lapwing in the

area known as Helen's Field,

but a little nervy as most Plovers are, with a bonus provided by a lone Crossbill calling as it also flew to the north. I should also have mentioned earlier a Grey Heron flying over the football pitches at The Grove.

As may be noticed from the reflection from the window of the double deck bus to Weymouth, this image shows the start of building works on the Chesil Beach Car Park of a new Fleet Visitor's Centre. The commencement had been delayed from August, for reasons unknown, but it is said it will be completed by the time the Olympic Games begin in Summer next year.

and finally to accompany this lovely picture of Fungi from my friend Andy Lindsay in Derbyshire, a report of 'many' leaping Salmon along the course of the River Dove (a tributary of the Trent) in the same county.

A 'Fleeting' Glimpse

It was another gloomy day yesterday with more than a little moisture in the air, but with the prospect of yet another scarce bird it was 'game on'. Once again the X53 service got me to my destination, the quaint village of Langton Herring nestled in woodland just above the Fleet and Chesil Beach.

There are still a few of the old style, red phone boxes about with this one at Langton always looking pristine.

Passing the Church and

and some of the newer cottages you soon reach the

open fields where there was time to look back across the village before

continuing down the grassy slopes to Rodden Hive. The alternative to this path would have been to head straight to Herbury where the bird had also been seen, but a 'gut feeling' sent me in this direction.

The 'Hive' which is the small bay just beyond the line of bushes is an ideal refuge for a number of bird species and already in the book were Yellowhammer, Goldcrest, Skylark, Pheasant but surprisingly no Common Buzzard.

I didn't have to wait or search long for my prize as reaching the shore it was the first bird in my binoculars.

The Common Crane is not at all what the name suggests, common in Dorset

and while I have only seen 6 in the county I have been lucky enough to 'find' 2 of them.

After a very short while a small bird flew across the Fleet catching my eye, which was this Kingfisher

while in the nearby spinney Jays were letting out their raucous calls as a couple of Mistle Thrushes flew overhead.

This one's for John Gifford

Meanwhile, the Crane was content to continue preening and doing a little wing stretching.

After about an hour of checking through all the birds in the cove, including Wigeon, Shoveler, Mute Swan, Mediterranean Gull and Little Egret it was time to move on towards Moonfleet just a short distance to the east.

Passing the Langton Coastguard Cottages,

Herbury Gore (the point of land centre picture) lay ahead of me

while in bay the was a Black Swan (doubtless straight in from Australia) in with the Mute Swans.

There are 2 World War II Pill Boxes along this stretch, this one still having some turf on the roof which may or may not have been camouflage in its active days?

Brent Geese were well represented and flighty, as

were Mute Swans

but I only recorded 2 female Red-breasted Merganser my first of the autumn.

There were quite a few Redshank as well

but as usual didn't stick around too long once they caught sight of me. However, they were not the most numerous Wader as 41 Turnstones were feeding along the shingle beach in company with 2 Dunlin and a Sanderling but all too nervy to get in shot. The only other of this family group were a small flock of about a dozen Golden Plover that flew over the Chesil Bank from seaward then disappeared as quickly as they had arrived.

Reaching Butter Street Cove

there were a good number of birds on the water mainly Wigeon & Mute Swans.

This dainty little Toadstool was in the meadow just before

Moonfleet Church which is always a joy to visit,

with just a couple of the cottages in Fleet Village also in view. Here, as usual, there were plenty of Jackdaw and Rook but in addition the were also at least 4 Great Spotted Woodpecker and a single Green Woodpecker. Always a great walk along any stretch of the Fleet with the day being just that!

"SC"