The Bagsy Blog

Friday, 27 December 2013

Island of Dreams - The Springfields

A foul night was forecast and by and large it arrived with seriously heavy rain, that fortunately was not too prolonged, at 05:00 accompanied by gale force winds. By 7 it was little better, except the persistent rain being replaced by squally showers as I was heading west.

Constrained by flood water this was the closest approach to a
LITTLE GREBE
newly arrived on Parley Pond this morning. However there was little
time for more as much 'bigger fish' were awaiting on the
Isle of Portland.

By daylight the sea was still rough enough but with the lee of

Chesil Beach the harbour was a good deal quieter.

Although this photo was taken at the same site a couple of days ago

it is well worth publishing now of my mate

Dave (The Fungal Punk) Higginson-Tranter

with wife Jill (left) and Karate Black Belt daughter Katie, she is

currently studying for a First Dan!
Fungal Punk Link

First to show this morning was the fairly long staying

BLACK GUILLEMOT

That little white dot is its head just right of the left pink buoy!

A 'Winter Plummage' bird, the photos are not great but given the

distance not too bad.

With a 'catch'.

and a little Wing Stretching.

From Wiki what a Black Guillemot looks like close up in

Summer Plumage and

Winter Plumage

This shot of a Summer Plumage bird was taken on the

Buchan Alpha Oil Rig

The crowds were starting to gather and the news was good the

Target Bird had been seen but absent again for quite a while.

Plenty else on show with this

RAZORBILL

hunting close inshore with one little lad saying to his Dad,

"look Dad a Penguin" he can be forgiven!

Plenty of SHAGS and Cormorants too but none of the latter

close enough to 'snap'.

Just about every promontory was 'staked out' but still no sign.

That's when I caught sight of my Friend

Dave Foot

who made my Moth Traps and immediately got a feeling of well being.

GREAT NORTHERN DIVER

at which time Dave and I moved back to Portland Castle.

Within seconds of arrival he called for the telescope and confirmed that

he had re-located the

BRÜNNICH'S GUILLEMOT

Given the RARITY of this AUK in Great Britain it is no surprise it is

the 'First for Portland' and the 'First for 'Dorset'.

I was only mussing the other day that although only here for 8 moths of the year, I have had no new species for either Dorset or GB, this is both!

When the 'shout' went up the battalions started gathering.

For a better idea, these photos were taken in the

Pribilof Islands in 2011
where they call them
THICK-BILLED MURRE

There were also a couple of

COMMON GUILLEMOT

in the harbour but too distant even for a poor shot (archive).

With excellent views of the rarity completed it was considered an

option to capitalise further and try for the

GLOSSY IBIS

on the playing fields on Radipole Park Drive.

Talk about 'in the nick of time', within a minute or two of seeing the bird it was 'flushed by a dog (or maybe that should be dog owner) not on a lead. Silence may now be the better part of valour? As it flew into the reed-beds there was just chance of a single shot of this

MARSH HARRIER

flying over the point where the Ibis had landed.

QUITE A DAY!

Entry	Pageviews
United States	1968
United Kingdom	902
Poland	181
Russia	82
Germany	53
Estonia	44
China	29
Canada	17
France	12
Indonesia	8

Thursday, 26 December 2013

Tea For Two - Theolonious Monk

1703

In sharp contrast to yesterday the sun has been shining for most of today and with no wind to talk of and little cloud it has been almost Spring-like. After what was probably THE BEST Christmas Day I have ever experience attentions once again have to turn to the archive and the continuation of travels through Colombia. Our day was full of good people, delicious food, fine wine, jaunty conversation and capped for me by a couple of Janet's Pickled Onions - easily pleased but they just 'hit the spot'. Hugh had been telling me for weeks now that this is singularly his favourite day of the year, with my main thought being that our friendship flourished after a chance meeting in

Sri Lanka 2007.

HUGH left, JANET behind telescope.

My friend ALEX ROBINSON with the 'dreads' and gnat-bite.

HUGH and I enjoying a cup of Chi.

There was also an unexpected CHRISTMAS PRESENT from all of our readers as no fewer than 1703 of you 'logged on' to read yesterday's Post. This is the single highest 'day count' since the inception of the Bagsy Blog and overtakes the previous record of 1532 by 171 which was recorded on 27/08/2010 the day I found this

RED-NECKED STINT

at Ferry Bridge, Portland, Dorset

Looking back through the day totals in every year thus far Christmas Day had attracted the lowest number of readers in each year and once again it was the United States of America that made up the bulk of the count (see 'day list Top Ten' below). So, ever onward and the second of 3 intended visits to Colombia.