Dipping the Dippers

With the Internet problems seemingly no nearer to being resolved, update to follow, I'll return to my journey on Friday. A pleasant day weather wise, it was decided to make a second attempt at getting to Lyme Regis hopefully without all the snags of the previous try.

KING GEORGE III
looked down from his plinth on Weymouth seafront as the

X53 Service arrived 10 minutes late.

They have tarted the buses up a bit since I last travelled this route,
some for better like this map.

A beautiful scenic run

but who for heaven's sake decided to obscure the views with
these tacky pictures - it beggars belief!

STRIP LYNCHET FIELDS
an ancient system of farming.

Dorset Downland and Heath.

IRON AGE TUMULI
(burial grounds)

FARMSTEADS

WOODLANDS and VALLEYS

It's all there just to sit back, relax and enjoy.

WEST BAY
one of several towns and villages visited en-route.

 

Approaching BRIDPORT

and the MAIN STREET there.

Heading towards CHARMOUTH with GOLDEN CAP in the far distance.

THATCHED COTTAGE

and arrival at

LYME REGIS
There had been no bird reports from this area prior to my visit,
either because no one is looking or there is nothing to be seen.
Unfortunately it was the latter! Species hoped for included Black
Redstart, Purple Sandpiper an unlikely Common Sandpiper but
most of all Dipper.

FERAL PIGEON

DUNNOCK

MAGPIE

 

close to its redundant nest,

HERRING GULL

ANCIENT FORTIFICATION?

MALLARD
in fast flowing stream and

BILL the BARD

An extensive search was made alone an extensive length of the

RIVER LYM
without effect

but there was chance of seeing again what is said to have been
the first work by BANKSY since coming out of retirement.

The views along the river are beautiful but didn't really compensate
for not seeing the Dippers or Black Redstart for that matter.

SONG THRUSH

BLACKBIRD

WOOD PIGEON

 

ROBIN
in full voice.

These shingle banks and

bridges along fast flowing water are usually ideal spots to see Dipper

but also support good numbers of

GREY WAGTAIL

Back to the seafront past the Town Clock

and a walk towards the Harbour and the World Famous Cob.

Knowing full well I'm qualified, it did take a while to get this onto
the Lorry.

HARBOUR ENTRANCE

complete with
ROCK PIPIT

and
PURPLE SANDPIPER
brought the birding to an end,

 with a steady wander along the promenade to catch the return bus to Weymouth.

The sun shining on Golden Cap the highest point on the 

south coast of England.

COMMUNICATION BREAKDOWN UPDATE

If like me you know all there is to know about Internet interruptions, then you will have sussed that it has been nothing to do with the excuses issued by British Telecom re:- defective router, flood water, conversion to Fibre Optics. No, we have been well aware all along that it's down to the

LEYLANDII TREES

Yes, these they now tell us MAYBE, but not necessarily, the reason

for the defect. Plan now is to saw one or more down after which all I am

doing is waiting for the next 'reason'!! 

I also think I may have something wrong, as on the days there have been NO Posts the Stats, especially those relating to the USA, have gone off the scale. Yesterday's total hit 1848 the highest since the Blog began - but MANY THANKS for visiting anyway!

Entry	Pageviews
United States	4000
United Kingdom	908
Germany	51
Estonia	42
Canada	32
Russia	20
France	14
Ukraine	13
Norway	8
Australia	6

Anyway - Genesis (The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway)

It is likely that the Big Companies, when forced into a corner, will tell you anything to get you off of their backs. The truth without, it seems the Internet disruption is only down in part to the weather the main reason being the problems BT are having with installing the Fibre Optic system hereabouts. A familiar story, as in recent times Portland suffered a similar 'outage' which took some while to rectify? Anyway, (they say that she comes on a pale horse but I'm sure I hear a train) as it's chucking it down with rain and there is a chance to get On-line (who knows for how long) so I have confined myself to a cold office (no Internet in the house) to hopefully get some way to getting up to date. On Wednesday (22) armed with updated information and still following my own hunch I returned to Blashford, and particularly Kingfisher Lake, to see if the

FERRUGINOUS DUCK*

was on show.

With no luck on the previous visit to the East side of the lake, where the waters are more or less obscured by vegetation, story has it that it has been seen to the West. Arriving at the end of Hurst Road, a cul de sac, I had not even left the car before a birder emerged from the pathway to inform me that the Duck was on show but at a distance. Not content simply with this, he erected his tripod. focused on the bird allowing me to see it across the lake. With the exception of Friday, which is a tale in itself hopefully to be published tomorrow (don't get too excited), I have visited the waterlogged area of the Avon Causeway daily in the hope of adding Egyptian Goose to the 'ongoing' Dorset January List. Even at the time of writing this has not been achieved and can only thing these fierce but beautiful birds like to get to terra firma for long periods?However, during these visits

TEAL 

have been extremely numerous, not even allowing me to estimate numbers,

GREYLAG GEESE

have been there by the dozen as have Lapwing, Canada Geese, Black-headed Gull along with a few Pintail, Shoveler, Mallard and Shelduck but the best finds have been 2 species not encountered there before. In the first instance my attention was drawn not only to the sight of a guesstimate 200

BLACK-TAILED GODWIT,

some already starting to show the rufous vestiges of summer 

plumage, but also the cacophony of their chatter as they fed in the 

flooded margins. Next came c2

RUFF+,

an addition to the Dorset Year List, along with singles of Little Egret 

and a singing Cetti's Warbler.

For most of Saturday morning sanctuary was sort in the Tern Hide at Blashford Lakes keeping out of the rain. Always a decent selection of Waterfowl here which included Egyptian Goose (frantically trying to 'flush' into Dorset), a few Goldeneye (both sexes), Pintail, lots of Little Grebe and pick of the bunch c2 Black-necked Grebe. However the 'title' was short lived as with continued patience a female

RUDDY DUCK

was spotted among the Pochard.

That's when Bruce from Gillingham (Dorset not Kent) arrived, someone I have known in birding circles for many a year but never got to know his surname. He was pleased to see the birds mentioned, but beat a hasty retreat when told of the continued presence of the Fudge Duck!

Being such a beautiful creature this image, from the archive, of a male

Ruddy Duck

is added for you pleasure.

Most hours of daylight yesterday were given over to the pursuit of 'one species', an addition to the Year List, but that also will have to be Posted at a later date - my legs are freezing!

15/01               No additions

16/01               158            128 

18/01               159            129 

19/01               160            130

20/01               160            131

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22/01               164            131

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24/01               165            132

Entry	Pageviews
United Kingdom	840
United States	721
Germany	59
Canada	41
Estonia	38
Ukraine	29
Russia	22
France	10
Poland	9
Australia	7