Dorset and Devon Birding
Paul James and group
I was up bright and early again today for this trip out of county. I picked Paul up at Lancing and Sandra at Arundel. Chris and his son Tom joined us at Portland Harbour, our first stop. This was predicted to be the best weather for some time so we were keen to make the most of it.
Portland Harbour
There were several interesting birds to see here:-
- For me the biggest highlight was the sighting of the Black Guillemot, a "lifer" for me. The views were excellent in the early morning light; the only drawback was seeing it in non-breeding plumage
 |
| Black Guillemot Library picture only This bird is a rarity on south coast beaches, preferring western coastlines. I had previously contemplated going to Holyhead Harbour on Anglesey to "twitch" this bird. Now I can plan a longer visit to take in other items of interest in the area. |
- For sheer colour and good looks you can't get much better than the Red-breasted Mergansers that were present here in good numbers on the water.
 |
| Red-breasted Mergansers Library picture only |
- This is the place to be if you want close up shots of the Great Northern Diver. There were lots about today, swimming and diving in front of us, completely oblivious to the crowd of birders watching from the side.
 |
| Great Northern Diver Library picture only |
- Black-throated Divers were also here but not nearly in the same numbers. Again the proximity to the observers was astonishing. To see such rare birds so close to land was a real treat .
 |
| Black-throated Diver Library picture only |
- Shags far outnumbered Cormorants at this site. They moved majestically through the water, dominating the scene.
 |
| Shag Library picture only |
- Slavonian Grebes were also present.
 |
| Slavonian Grebe Library picture only |
- Also seen were Mediterranean Gulls, Common Gulls, Razorbills, Brent Geese.
- Before heading off to Devon we stopped of at nearby Radipole Park to take a look at the Glossy Ibis that had been reported there for some time now. Although the park was waterlogged we were able to enjoy lovely views of this welcome visitor.
 |
| Glossy Ibis Library picture only |
The only downside to this visit was our failure to see the Brunnichs Guillemot. There had been plenty of sightings in the last couple of days but none today. We subsequently heard from a birder in Devon that it had, tragically, been found dead.
Brixham Breakwater in Devon
Next stop was beautiful Brixham in Devon where we arrived just after 14.00 - allowing just enough time to twitch the White-billed Diver and then shoot off to catch the Cirl Bunting at Broadsands on the way home. That was the plan but you know what they say about the best laid plans?
 |
| Library picture only |
- The diver had not been seen since 11.45 and, despite the best efforts of all the birders present, it could not be located. In the picture above, the open sea is to the right and the bird was always seen in the harbour to the left. No-one had seen the bird leave so Paul was sure it was still there but sheltering amongst the boats. Just before 16.00, in fading light, it finally appeared in the middle of the water. What a relief, especially for Paul who had narrowly missed the Baikal Teal in Holland and the Brunnichs Guillemot this morning at Portland Harbour - two birds which meant so much to him.
 |
| White-billed DiverLibrary picture only |
- While we were anxiously waiting for the diver to appear we were able to spot several birds including a terrific Purple Sandpiper just below us on the sheltered side of the breakwater. It slipped on some seaweed,to provide a comical touch to our day, but thankfully it quickly recovered it's poise and composure.
- There were record number of Great Northern Divers in the harbour - one local birder told us that the highest number previously was 15 but in the last couple of days the figure had grown to 65! The adverse weather certainly has it's advantages.
- Incredibly we saw our second Black Guillemot of the day - again it's the old saying "you wait ages for a bus to come and then two arrive together".
We left as it was getting dark so it was impossible to get to Broadsands for the Cirl Bunting. We had to prioritise from early on and I think we got it right. The feeling was we could always return to see the Cirl Buntings but the diver was a a much rarer bird and unlikely to be seen again for a long time.
Today's species list with 2014 Year List additions in brackets:
Common Buzzard (11)
Red-breasted Merganser (12)
Great Northern Diver (13)
Slavonian Grebe (14)
Black-throated Diver (15)
Black Guillemot (16)
Rock Pipit (17)
Oystercatcher (19)
Common Gull (20)
Razorbill (21)
Cormorant (22)
Great Black-backed Gull (23)
Brent Goose (24)
Mediterranean Gull (25)
Black-headed Gull (26)
Glossy Ibis (27)
Kittiwake (28)
Mute Swan (29)
Pied Wagtail (30)
Turnstone (31)
Common Guillemot (32)
Purple Sandpiper (33)
White-billed Diver (34)
Raven (35)
Sandra also saw a Green Woodpecker from the car as I was driving and a Little Grebe at Portland Harbour which I managed to miss.
Additions to UK Birds Life List:
Black Guillemot (238)
White-billed Diver (239)
What a day! I visited two new bird sites of the highest possible quality , saw two brand new species and added another 25 species to my UK 2014 Year List. It was well worth the early start/late finish and the round trip of over 500 miles.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: only a member of this blog may post a comment.