X53 Bus Away Day

On a day when the readership reached a major milestone, I'm off on yet another short junket so have little time to prepare a post. As the number of individual 'readers' (not 'hits') of this Blog reached the 10,000 mark, I am on my way to visit my old Royal Navy mates John (Ginge) & Val Prince at Northmoor Park, Wareham. Just a 45 minute bus ride, Ginge has already insisted on picking me up and driving straight way to the Wareham water meadows in the hope of seeing the White Stork that has been there for a few days now. As for the readership, well what can I say! It's great to have so many of you onboard and only hope I can maintain an interest level for you all. Thank you all so much, and 'pass it on'.

In that respect, I'm once again having to search the archive with the subject this time being Owls. I don't know anyone who doesn't love them and I consider it fortuitous when I stumble across one, like theNightjar family they are usually difficult to locate.

Little Owl - Portland Bill, Dorset

Tawny Owl - Weymouth, Dorset

Short-eared Owl - Portland Bill, Dorset

Long-eared Owl - Buchan Alpha Oil Rig, North Sea

Both of the last 2 species occurred annually on the Buchan with Short-eared appearing both Spring and Autumn (occasionally in double figures) in each of my 20 years off-shore, while Long-eared were far less numerous and in some years absent in Spring.

Austral Pygmy Owl - Alto Plano, Chile

Burrowing Owl - Salinas, Ecuador

Bare-shinned Screech Owl - Monte Verde, Costa Rica

Cape Eagle Owl - Tulbar, South Africa

Great Horned Owl - British Columbia, Canada

Snowy Owl - Barrow Alaska, USA

Stumbled across this Snowy Owls nest by the (what might be described as) roadside. A couple of quick shots and vacated the area.

Stygian Owl - Laguna Sonso, Colombia

and finally,

R.I.P. Sir Norman Wisdom (1915 - 2010) one of very few who could make me laugh endlessly without even uttering a word. There are 'millions' like me!

Birds, Bugs & Butterflies

It was a blessing to both human and wildlife today to see the sun break through, but a chilly start meant an early jacket and scarf. These were soon discarded as what little cloud there was dissipated and things could only be described as 'hot'. Even early, the birds in the cemetery were vocal and on my approach there was already evidence of Long-tailed Tit, Robin, Dunnock, Goldcrest plus Coal, Great and

Blue Tit

A little unexpected were Sand Martins, still in small numbers, but the greatest surprise came by way of c2 Pied Flycatchers. Not unheard of, stragglers have been recorded through October, but not usually a species associated with this month. In addition these were the first I have ever recorded at what is considered my 'local patch' so a good addition to that list.

Pied Flycatcher, this photograph is taken from the archive for illustration purposes, was not the only welcome species as a small group of vocal Siskin flew overhead, Swallow and House Martin also appeared, plus a single Great Spotted Woodpecker albeit briefly.

Walking the Weymouth Inner Harbour, known as the 'Backwater' by many, the large shoal of Grey Mullet continued to cruise the shallow, but while they are known to be capable of tolerating a certain amount of pollution

European Smelt (or Sparling) certainly are not. Seeing these dainty little fish, which both taste and smell like cucumber, indicates there can be little wrong with local waters.

Moving on to Ferry Bridge, again at snail pace, there is little point in using the words 'traffic jam'. Weymouth at the moment is at a halt due to major road works in every direction, but the good new at least for this stretch of road at the Portland border is that the works should be complete this very day.

Maybe these scenes can now be confined to the history book??

Not unusually, dog walkers who are prepared to ignore the signs requesting that they do not exercise their animals on this sensitive feeding area for migrating bird, spoilt the show once again today.

c4 Sandwich Tern were unable to touch down because of them, while a single

Curlew hightailed it to the sanctuary of the upper Fleet. I can imagine these individuals sat at home in front of their idiots lantern bemoaning others who grind Tiger bones for aphrodisiacs or use White Rhinoceros horns as trinkets, but never give a thought to the damage they are doing themselves. The Barleycrates area (along with most other parts of Portland) was once again teeming with

Crane Flies much to the delight of House Sparrow, Meadow Pipit and Pied Wagtail alike making for a small but doubtless tasty meal. However, they were not the only insects in evidence as this warm day was also a Butterfly day. The path leading to the West Cliff and flanked by Ivy and Bramble bowers where alive with thousands of Bees and an array of Butterflies including

Painted Lady upper wing
and under-wing.
Comma similarly
showing the small silver 'punctuation mark' on the under-wing from where it derives its name,

Red Admiral
Peacock
Meadow Brown

and Small Heath.On the way to 'The Bill' many Meadow Pipit were seen, and on the exposed ledges many Alba Wagtails were seen with just one or two

Yellow Wagtail

From there I could already see the now shining white Portland Bird Observatory as the lads from Hayle, Cornwall put the finishing touches to the new weather coating. Safety and work lines can be seen running from the platform down the left hand side. At the Obs there was also much to be seen and learnt as firstly this

Chiffchaff was taken from a mist net,

a Gem Moth female (very distinctive from the male) something I have never caught or seen for that matter, recently released from last nights catch and a particularly large and strange insect I rescued from the lounge window. The Warden Martin Cade was quick to enlighten me that it is a

Western Conifer Seed Bug. Formally confined to the USA it was transported with timber cargo's to this side of 'The Pond' and has since become common throughout. The news of an uncommon Warbler at the Southwell School was enough to send me packing and on the way came across these

Small Copper Butterflies. If my memory serves me enjoying a little post season 'nonsense' is most enjoyable!

but a 'Manage Toi'????

A half hour search for the afore mentioned Warbler was rewarded with 3 fleeting, but identifiable, glimpses of a

Yellow-browed Warbler. My most memorable moment concerning this species was a total of c7 all together on one helicopter safety net aboard the Oil Rig 'Buchan Alpha', in company with a single Pallas's Warbler. Unfortunately, no camera was at hand to record the event, but my rig mate David Penney simply plucked one from a fire hydrant which we were able to photograph (above) and rest up before release back to the wild.

PS
Just noticed (20-25) got well 'Sun Kissed' today!

The Mountain Comes To Mohamed

By noon today I was already seriously considering which photographs to select from the archive to publish in today's post. Yesterday's respite from the awful weather was extremely short lived as heavy rain and strong winds had already returned before bed time. All through the morning both wind and rain persisted, not allowing even an inkling of a chance to venture out, but that's when the

Peacock Butterfly arrived in my bedroom. Gently decanting it into a specimen pot, I then released it through the back door but it was reluctant to fly away before an

'open winged' photo call. Opening the door also led to hearing a couple of Chiffchaff 'calling' from neighbouring trees but being continually blanked out by Corvide activity overhead. At least c6 Carrion Crows were obviously being upset by something, and it wasn't long before a

Raven appeared circling the rooftops. Not in any hurry to leave the area, despite the mobbing, I though it had maybe happened upon a meal.

It lingered for a full 10 minutes all the while being pursued, eventually flying off to the south. Was there now any reason to venture out with all this activity on the doorstep? At 13-00 this question was answered as the dark rain clouds started dissipating and much of the sky turned blue, with all of this coinciding with the top of a high spring tide.

Walking through the cemetery more Chiffchaff were vocal, as were a couple of Goldcrest and a few Chaffinch while my arrival at Radipole coincided with a lady feeding the birds. I found her story a little humbling, as she told me how it had become her Sunday 'duty' to buy 6 loaves of bread to feed the wildlife. Not only that, she continued by telling me that after only a couple of visits she discovered that the Gulls and Wildfowl were not at all keen on the 'cheap'Asda bread but much preferred the better quality of Tesco . This she told me was not only more expensive but also entailed a much longer journey to get the bread. Whether the reader subscribes to the theory or not, isn't it heartwarming to think that someone is so dedicated to these creatures to make the change?

It was also good to see this years young Mute Swans and Gull thriving. Keep up the good work Missus! Further along the quay, a shoal of many dozen

Grey Mullet were evident, pleasing as numbers dropped dramatically during the 80' & 90's as Weymouth Harbour appeared to get dirtier, and the total disregard for my presence by this fearless

Little Grebe (usually the most timid of Waterfowl) was deserving of at least one shot.

At Ferry Bridge, even from great distance, I was pleased to see what for me were the first returning Brent Geese for the end of the year.

By all accounts there have already been a few spotted in Dorset,

but I always enjoy that first encounter and they obliged by staying for a full 30 minutes before a Peregrine put everything to

flight, including the Geese, which flew west over the Chesil Beach and didn't return during the remainder of my stay. Since my return from the USA I haven't seen a

Mediterranean Gull so this individual, one of three adults,

was a prime candidate for a photo shoot, putting on a fine display of

wing flapping.

A Carrion Crow put in a brief appearance, while

c15 Turnstone seemed content to rest on the shingle and this

hapless Herring Gull, complete with discarded fishing tackle around its leg, flew over the bridge. In addition there were also a few Dunlin and Ringed Plover there, along with c3 Wheatear on the grassy area, while the Grey Plover seemed content to spend at least a fourth day by the sea.