Stayin' Alive - Bee Gees

Still trailing by a day, so it's back to the second day of frost but otherwise another lovely day. Walk through the cemetery produced this winters first 'feeding'

Redwing, the very few others have all been fly-overs, and not surprisingly

in this apple tree closest to the house and outwith the graveyard wall. This tree must attract as many birds as all the others combined so always worth a long look. Chaffinches predominated here today with singing bids seeming to be perched in most of the trees.

This car was covered in ice that morning, but I'm sure readers living further north would be happy to swap weather conditions.

Have you ever seen a Blackbird looking 'sheepish'?

Well now you have, and one that was lucky to still be with us.

Feeding in a local garden it hadn't seen what I had, but all of that was about to change as the local

Sparrowhawk

launched itself from the ridge and gave chase, fortunately we can report

it made off empty taloned.

Over at Radipole water levels were back to their previous low, where what Common Snipe were present seemed to be flying in from further up the River Wey Valley.

Ice had also formed on the Buddleia Lagoon,

and also today the Cormorants were able to stand on the now exposed rock island.

As in the cemetery there were plenty of Chaffinches here as well a little bolder that usual now food is becoming harder to find.

On the car park I met Derrick the Duck Ringer along with Terry Coombs and his helpers Guy and Catherine. Unfortunately, the lovely photograph of the latter 3 was lost due to a 'technical error' (aka 'gross incompetence) leaving just this one of baiting the Ducks.

The target of this ringing exercise were Tufted Ducks, which on this occasion seemed to be keeping there distance. Even a bucket full of corn wasn't having the desire effect, luring everything including the Hooded Merganser and the Strange Duck. It may be of interest to some that I for one have never seen the Merganser take any human offered food, only ever seeing it feed on small Crabs, Eels and other small fish. That is not to say it is not 'hoovering' the bed of the lake for corn or bread, but there is a theory that it is attracted to the feeding station as are the fish and crabs.

However, the corn was attracting good numbers of Coot & Mute Swans.

Portland on the whole remains quiet except I did see, at great distance, one of a few Red-throated Divers picked up by the Sea Watchers but unfortunately not the Eider Duck.

Nevertheless, there are still the stalwarts that can be relied upon including the 2 Little Owls

One of at least 3 Common Kestrels

a Magpie

plus beautiful sunny views across Weymouth Bay and onward to the Purbeck Hills

and Southwell Village. Finally, a couple of shots from a little further afield, firstly from my friend

Patricia Shearing of this fine male Mandarin just 10 minutes walk from her home in the Thames Valley,

and a little closer to home from my mate Paul Harris who saw this Great Bustard fly over his house earlier this week and the next day found it feeding in a field at Buckland Ripers a small village just outside of Weymouth. Thank you both for a pair of stunning photographs.

The Long Week End

A little bit of 'catch-up' after a busy week and therapeutic week-end. The whole of the week-end was a bright sunny affair and the first since last Sunday that I could once again follow the Bagsy Trail. As the Christmas week-end is rapidly approaching it may pay dividends that we are a day behind with the posts. With plans for the festive season now laid and paid for, as are those for the first few days of the New Year, we will endeavour to catch up over the holiday period.

This little fella met me at the cemetery gate and being so obliging and more than 'full frame' who could resist a Grey Squirrel? In addition there was a Song Thrush close to home, while both Goldcrest & Coal Tit continue to 'sing' there.

The rain of the previous couple of nights had certainly lifted the water level at Radipole, this Cormorant is standing on a small rocky island that is more often than not well out of the water. In addition, a late walk around the Reserve showed a total lack of Common Snipe, but today a couple were back taking advantage of the recently cut patches of reed along the main path.

At the north end of The Loop, Pochard numbers had increased 6 fold on my best count of 5 so far this winter, but that is far, far below the usual number at this time of the season.

Whilst watching and counting the Ducks my attention was drawn to squawking high in the trees along Radipole Park Drive. There I watched a pair of Great Spotted Woodpeckers 'displaying' for a full 10 minutes - bit early for that kind of nonsense!

This Carrion Crow was taking full advantage of the peanuts, likely intended for the smaller birds,

but having polished off the whole jolly lot it elevated itself to this bench doubtless looking to where more could be found.

A Dunnock too was enjoying this free feed, with nuts having been purposefully left 'behind' this distance marker,

while the moon, today in its 'third quarter' still lingered in the bright blue sky.

As winter creeps on more and more birds take refuge in the Inner Harbour, where these

2 Little Grebe were in company with Coot and Mallard directly under the Town Bridge. Swiftly on to Portland Bill where

at the 'point' the full effect of the NW wind could be felt Brrrrrrr!

and the waves seen to be crashing in to where

3 Purple Sandpiper were taking shelter.

Looking back to the east it could be seen what a fine day it was, but all the more pleasant in the lee of the Lighthouse.

As the sea crashed in against the East Cliff

I stopped to admire this Clinker Built Potting Boat and wondered how much such a vessel might cost these days, a lot more than a months wages I'd warrant.

Despite the spume Rock Pipits still foraged along the ledges, but with news of a Snow Bunting up by the Privet Hedge there was no time for dallying. There were also a few Gannet, Guillemot & Razorbill flying further out to sea, but I missed the moment by no longer than it take the camera to focus as both Little Owls were sat side by side in the Obs Quarry.

Like most others I was too late but an 'escaped' helium balloon did give me time to practice a couple of 'flight shots'. I doubt the image would be anything like this had it been a fly-over Great Snipe?

Finally, walking the Top Fields to the tune of a few Gold and Chaffinches, this male Blackbird presented itself so best to loose off a shot.

Rare Birds on the Dorset List - Part II

As with Part I, most of the photographs were taken outside of the UK by myself and * denotes those that are on my own County List.

American Bittern, Cape May, New Jersey, USA.

Whiskered Tern *, The Tonlé Sap, Angkor Wat, Cambodia.

Black-headed Bunting *, Paphos, Cyprus.

Red-eyed Vireo, St Mary's, Isles of Scilly, England.

Cliff Swallow, Fairbanks, Alaska, USA.

Sharp-tailed Sandpiper, Alice Springs Sewage Works, Northern Territory, Australia.

Brown Thrasher, Merced, California, USA.

Wilson's Phalarope*, Salinas, Ecuador.

Nothern Waterthrush, Fairbanks, Alaska, USA.

Surf Scoter*, Barrow, Alaska.

Pied-billed Grebe*, McQueen's Slough (pronounced Slew), Dawson Creek, Mile One Alaska Highway, British Columbia, Canada.

Black-browed Albatros, Antarctica.

White-billed Diver, Copperhouse Creek, Cornwall, England.

Rare Birds on the Dorset List - Part I

Back in the saddle today to beautiful sunshine, clear blue skies but a still persistent and chilly north westerly breeze. Unfortunately the deficit of birds continues not only around here but throughout the county, so plenty of time to bring you this, the first of 2 long promised posts.

I should point out that it's always a great delight for me to see any bird, particularly one that has not been seen before, but to see any of the 'rarities' currently on the Dorset List wherever in the world always has that extra appeal. None of the photographs that follow were taken in this country, but are © myself and only those marked * are on my own County List.

American Herring Gull*, Cape May, New Jersey, USA.

Fan-tailed Warbler* (self found Zitting Cisticola), Limasol, Cyprus.

Dark-eyed Junco*, Renton, Seattle, Washington State, USA.

Calandra Lark, near Essaouira, Morocco.

American Robin, Central Park, New York City, USA.

Red-throated Pipit, Sharm el Sheikh Sewage Works, Egypt.

Stilt Sandpiper*, Salinas, Ecuador.

Snow Goose, near Tok, Alaska, USA.

Allan's Gallinule, Jardin du Roy, Madagascar

Savannah Sparrow*, Boston, Massachusetts.

Forster's Tern*, Bombay Hook, Kent County, Delaware, USA.

Wallcreeper, Rodopi Mountains, Bulgaria.



Part 2 of this post should appear tomorrow, followed on Monday by a roundup of the week-ends events.