A Quiet Day At The Office II

By recent standards, today has been fairly quiet but after something of a chilly start the became 'hot' the first time for a while.

Even at 06:30 the Grey Squirrels were already chasing each other around the cemetery, but that was all there was to see.

Across the road, Radipole remains 'muddy' and still holding some of the Waders of the past couple of days including Little Ringed Plover, Black-tailed Godwit and Dunlin. Waterfowl numbers now seem to be on the increase and while Mallard predominate, Shoveler have reached double figures.

The Brown rat of yesterday was still scavenging at the Visitor's Centre, but it wasn't the only one. This juv/first winter Herring Gull was making a meal of a dead adult bird showing no signs of cause of death.

Water Rail were also making their presence 'heard' with 2 venturing out of the reeds, and there were a couple at Lodmoor too later in the morning. Talking of which it was soon time to walk there stopping as I did to check out this

rather nice Daimler Dart sports car parked at the railway Station.

On the Moor, Red & Greenshank quickly showed themselves as did a few Dunlin, Common Sandpiper, a single Ringed Plover plus 3 Sandwich Tern.

Good numbers of Migrant Hawker Dragonflies were also on the wing

but unusually only one Little Egret was seen today.

Walking north along Beachdown Way the reed-beds to the west seemed full of Bearded Tit and for the first time this week both Reed and Sedge Warblers were recorded.

Snowberry has also appeared along the hedgerows, but this is a popular garden shrub from the Americas that has escaped to the wild.

Caspian In Dorset

If yesterday was the last of the Meteorological Summer, then today is similarly the first of the Autumn. There were some changes in the weather as well as the wind veered into the south east (unusual for this part of the world), increased somewhat to a rate of about 20 knots, bringing with it a chill, and the sun came out. Even the cemetery had a different feel as loads of birds were singing including Chaffinch, Great & Blue Tit, Wren, Blackcap, Dunnock and Blackbird.

A Carrion Crow clearing up after the 'Take-Away Litter Louts'.

Radipole, still showing very low water levels, was also active as 'three figures' of Sand Martin swooped above the north end, Chiffchaff and Willow Warbler seemed to be in every tree and bush, while both Lesser & Common Whitethroat were spotted as was a passing Kingfisher.

As ever a good number of Cormorant occupied on of the islands close to the Visitor's Centre

It's been a long time coming, but with the mud comes birds and anticipation and it wasn't long before a Ruff flew in, but my sights were set on the

Little Ringed Plover of yesterday which was still in attendance and a good deal closer. An addition to my 'ongoing' September List so welcome indeed as was the next contender. Fellow 'birder' Ian Stanley already had an odd looking Gull in his sights, and joining him we discussed the merits of what it could be, and started leaning towards Yellow-legged Gull. That's when we were joined by Bob Ford and by the time he and I left we were sticking to our guns. Shortly after reaching Lodmoor I received a text from Ian confirming it to be a

'first winter' Caspian Gull (seen here with great Black-backed Gull on the right) a rare find indeed.

This was only the second time I had seen this species which coincidently

was also found by Ian in more or less the same spot

in February 2008.

A second addition to the September List!

While watching the House Sparrows pecking at a nut feeder this

Brown Rat was seen capitalising on the bits falling to the ground,

seeming unconcerned about my presance. Before leaving we also saw Curlew Sandpiper, Black-tailed Godwit, Dunlin, 14 Grey Heron plus a few Swallows.

Lodmoor remained much the same as yesterday, but this Sea Buckthorn was a sight to see laden with berries as all the hedgerows seem to be, and there were also a few Common Sandpiper, more Dunlin, a Common Redshank, several Little Egret, Black-tailed Godwit, 2 Tree Pipit, a Yellow Wagtail and 3 Sandwich Terns.

I always find it difficult to pass a Wood Pigeon by, as they are so photogenic and in my view

have beautiful eyes. I should also point out that I rarely pass them by if they are on the menu as well.

As the bus sped alongside Portland Harbour, it was unusual to see what I beleive were 2 Royal Navy (Pusser's) Whalers under sail?

Arriving at Sweethill, Portland the number of House Sparrows along the footpath seem to have doubled over the breeding season, but there was a distinct lack of migrants as I walked towards the Bird Observatory.

As with the Buchthorn, the Tamarisk in the Obs garden is showing good colour but flowers not berries.

Common Darter

This Red Fox appeared out of the undergrowth, close to the Barns, perched on top of the bushes and enjoyed a feast of an abundance of Blackberries.

At last a migrant, or as it was 3, Yellow Wagtail and on my way home found this

Small Copper Butterfly,

a few Scarlet Pimpernel and also a fast flying Hobby plus a Spotted Flycatcher.

During my visit to see my mate gary White he showed me this photograph on an insect I could not identify. However, I know a man who could so sent it to John Gifford who arrived at Leptophyes punctatissima, English name, Speckled Bush Cricket. So, there you are Secret now we all know and many thanks to you John.

Mud In Your Eye

Today was not only the last of August, but also the final day of the Meteorological Summer only it was gloomy, overcast and darn right chilly early on with the sun only breaking through mid-afternoon. For me, after a spate of travelling and a fantastic dollop of Rock 'n' Roll, it was back to the familiar circuit starting as ever in the cemetery where there was hardly a cheep of bird song! There was a fleeting glimpse of a Goldcrest, but most numerous was Magpie totalling 7, so it was quickly on to Radipole.

There, the water level was lower than I ever remember before with the 'cut' through this reed-bed looking high and dry.

It would be right out of character for the RSPB to say "OK we have had it wrong" but to see the area looking more like a Refuge for ALL birds (particularly Waders) rather than solely a prospective breeding ground for Bittern was encouraging to say the least.

Add to that the almost absence of 'industrial style strimming' along ALL pathways gave the whole place a feel of a truly Wild Place. Please keep up this good work!

So low is the water, that along the western watercourse these Mallard were standing where previously they have only ever paddled.

Far more importantly, on the exposed mud outside of the Visitor's Centre the first Wader to be seen (thanks to Ian Stanley) was this Little Ringed Plover. In addition there were a few Dunlin, c2 Black-tailed Godwit while yesterday there was a RUFF! Ask yourself when was the last time you saw Ruff at Radipole?

This Grey Heron seemed also to be capitalising, having caught this good sized Eel which it occasionally dropped to the ground and speared with its stiletto like bill.

Black-headed Gulls would be here regardless of the water level, but it was interesting to see this 'first winter' bird

but even better as far as I was concerned this adult Lesser Black-backed Gull

with a hungry juvenile, a stage of plumage not previously photographed. Also seen here were a few House Martin, Chiffchaff, Blackcap plus Willow and several very vocal Cetti's Warblers.

So, onwards to Lodmoor where today I decided to walk the upper level along the Greenhill gardens, allowing a more elevated view of Weymouth Bay looking east to The Purbeck Peninsular and then

west towards the Isle of Portland, distant left, and Weymouth Town and Seafront.

Passing the tennis courts this shoal of fish caught my eye, making for a lovely splash of colour on an otherwise uninteresting fence.

On closer inspection each were seen to be unique in shape, style and decoration, with fishing hooks on this one replacing scales. Not only eye-catching but also a cleaver idea which I thought, had it been created by Chris Ofili, perched on 2 Elephant turds and hung in the Royal Academy would be worth £1000,000 and awarded the Turner Prise?

On arrival at the Moor, there was news of a Curlew Sandpiper which was seen but too distant for a photo, but there was also this Sandwich Tern,

a single Black-tailed Godwit,

3 or 4 Common Sandpiper, 2 Redshank, a Green Woodpecker and a Common Buzzard.

An impromptu shot from the bus heading for Portland shows preparation for a fairly large sailing event, also seen later in the day close to the Middle Arm Breakwater.

Janet Reed had e-mailed me yesterday evening to tell me of the impending arrival of the Paddle Steamer Waverley to local waters. Thank You Janet.

Built in 1946, on the River Clyde, Scotland she is the last sea-going, passenger carrying Paddle Steamer in the world. It is also worrying to think that funds to keep her sea worthy are very much depleted. If you are able to help, please visit the web-site.

At the Observatory, Martin had held onto this Feathered Gothic Moth, a scarce visitor to the Island,

and also allowed me to photograph this bizarre looking Caterpillar of the Bedstraw Hawk-moth.

Next I spotted the 14 volumes, each one a tome, of the

which have been

I could easily have spent the rest of my life, let alone the rest of the afternoon, flicking through these pages, but found the paragraph above 'disheartening', to say the least. That was when John Lucas arrived back to report the now long-staying

Wryneck was showing well in the Obs Quarry. That was true enough, but still at some distance but today's image is an improvement on Sunday's, albeit slight.

At Culverwell, the 'tongued' blooms of Lords & Ladies have now been replaced by ripe berries and the birding about to be replaced by music.

Calling in to see my long time friend and shipmate Gary (the Secret Lemonade Drinker) White, is a guarantee of some stimulating muso talk and today was no exception. From Barclay James Harvest to Ten Years After, we were talking for a full 2 hours until this little beauty arrived in the garden.

One of 3 recorded today, this Common Redstart

took a thorough 'wash & brush-up before continuing its journey south.