Our Cup Runneth Over - Part One

 With all this ‘off-pisteing’ and 'visitations' we have managed to fall behind quite dramatically with our posts, but will now attempt to get back on the rails with a ‘Two-Parter'. As far back as 04:00 on Saturday last, the sky was so clear and Moon-less that every Heavenly Body in the firmament could be seen, but rapid change was to come!

SUNRISE

looked promising but only lasted as long as it took to click it before the gloom took over. 

We are not noted just this 5 or 6 miles inland, like the coastal headlands, for our visible bird migrations in fact such occasions are sporadic and always exceptionally low key!

At first signs of sensible light we headed for the Moth Traps amid the gloom, full cloud cover and a temperature of just +7°C but also to a constant chattering from above. These were, in the main, from the likely 'hundreds' of Hirundines passing over and made up of just

SWALLOWs

and

HOUSE MARTINs 

However, as time past by there came other familiar vocals from both

 

LESSER REDPOLL

and

SISKIN

with at one point the very likely calls of one or more

TREE SPARROW

with most identifications being made on 'calls' alone, we add images from the archive for illustration! this mass exit certainly softened the blow of there being little of interest in the traps before focusing on the first of the day's opportunist

ROOKs

which gather daily at the Chicken Coup in hope of a free meal.

A 'charming'

 Charm of juvenile

GOLDFINCH 

perched, almost in darkness, on the cables above the main pond.
Leaving the 2 more northerly ponds until the light mist had burnt off, we headed directly for the Sewerage Works, or more particularly the hedge that surrounds it. First to show and most expected were Coal, Blue and Great Tit, Chaffinch and Dunnock before our first target was spotted  

GOLDCREST

which are thriving residents residents that breed here

while the first and likely to 'over-winter',

FIRECREST 

was not difficult to coax from cover, with both representing Great Britain's 'smallest birds'! 

Back at the Graval Pit, what would surely have been the

Bird of the Day,

had not another set of circumstances prevailed, this juvenile

LITTLE GREBE 

was met with wonderment as no signs of breeding have been seen on any of the watercourses for weeks and weeks! We did toy with the idea that it may have flown in from elsewhere, but considered it unlikely, so this little chap / chapess must have been keeping a very low profile since we last saw a 'hatchling' which must have been during June?

BRILLIANT and as for The Bird of the Day? That will have to wait for tomorrow and Part 2! 

Bill - but no Ben

 Having an appointment in Weymouth anyway and being a perpetual 'weather watcher' things looked good so little need to check the tide! However, before we set off the there was the matter of the Moth Traps from where, in the first instance, there was to be a mighty surprise in the shape of our

 

second only

ANOMALOUS

also firsts for the year

MOTTLED UMBER

and

DEEP BROWN DART

The tide, which was crucial for any form of Wader Watching at Ferrybridge, where Weymouth ends and Portland starts, must have been at, or close to, Highest Astronomical which negated any such activity. 

Onwards to Top Hill and past

SAINT GEORGE'S CHURCH

(built in part on designs for St Paul's Cathedrel in London)

and close to where I once lived for 18 years.

                                                                             Soon the whole of

PORTLAND BILL

was opening up before me and most importantly

the car park at the LOWER LIGHT BIRD OBSERVATORY lay empty.

This is the second oldest of the 3 Lighthouse at Portland.

Met by the Warden 

Martin Cade

alone in his sanctuary, there was little, or more accurately, 'nothing' to report so decided to try my hand down at Portland Bill Point.

Met en-route by stalwart John Lucas it was a suprise to hear he is now half way through his

Octagenarianship and not looking a day older than our last meeting some years ago now!

That delayed my departure for a while during which time a Chiffchaff was caught in one of the mist nets giving the opportunity to watch the processing of this tiny Warbler.

The youngster of the trio is the still active and recently refurbish

PORTLAND BILL LIGHT

which warns mariners of the trecherous

Portland Tidal Race

just off-shore among other things.

The Race

not looking to threatening on the day.

There was no sign of a large black sphere at the mast of this

Cruise Liner

which would indicate her being at anchor, but given the distance, the mist

along with the fact she did not move at all probable shows that she was in fact 'swinging to the pick'.

THE OBALISK

A Trinity House triangulation point used by mariners as a fixed point ashore

to check their position, a little outdated now but a most novel sight to see.

PULPIT ROCK

is another crowd pleaser often being climbed all over and occassionally dived from.

THE LOWER LIGHT

from a distance.

Looks like young

Artisians and Stone Masons

had been hard at work, such a wonderful place for children as my own 2 would witness!

THE OLD ADMIRALTY COMPOUND

associated with the 

Admiralty Underwater Weapons Establishment

(out of view at the top of the hill)

and now a civilian Business Park.

FISHERMEN'S BUILDINGS

 and through the murk traces of

SAINT ALBAN'S HEAD

(to the east)

High on the Hill

THE COASTGUARD STATION

 along with the oldest of the 3 Lighthouses

THE HIGHER LIGHT

now a long time private dwelling.

So, with a last look across Portland Bill and the English Channel

and passing the PBO there was one final stop to take the

Finest View of them All

CHESIL BEACH

with Portland Harbour, National Sailing Accadamy, centre, and Wyke Regis Village distantly

The Natural Phenomena of this World Renouned 18 miles long Pebble Bank

is that the stones sort by size with the 'big boys' at the Portland end 

(foreground) with the village of Fortuneswell, and the 'pea like' at distant Abbottsbury!

A most pleasany afternoon was then spent with Sue reminiscing our travels together which included

visits to one of the most northerly townships in the world, Barrow in Alaska (the argument goes on) and for sure the most southerly Ushuaia, Argentina.

A Selection of the Birds seen in Belize

In Association with Saturday's Effort 
we present just a few of the wonderous Birds of Belize but more particularly Crooked Tree!

 AZTEC PARRAKEET

(or Conure)

SWALLOW-TAILED KITE

 BARE-THROATED TIGER-HERON

 OCELLATED TURKEY

BAT FALCON

BOAT-BILLED HERON

 MONTEZUMA OROPENDOLA

 Nest's of the Same

 JABIRU

LESSER YELLOW-HEADED VULTURE

 LIMPKIN