Portland Weekend September 2009

Highlights were Balearic Shearwater, Whinchat, Sanderling, Common Sadnpiper, Tree Pipit and Yellow Wagtail.

Friday 4th September
Ann and Jackie went to Arne on the way and saw an Osprey among other commoner species. A couple of us explored the top fields at Portland Bill and found a female Redstart.

Saturday 5th September
We got up at dawn to a bright and sunny day. The weather had been quite settled for the previous few days with very few migrants around and today was no exception. We walked down to the coast and heard a Tree Pipit and a few Grey and Yellow Wagtails flying over. At the sea the only things moving were Gannets passing by off-shore. There was a fair amount of Pipit and Wagtail movement with Rock Pipits, Meadow Pipits and a few more Grey Wagtail passing over as well as a group of 20 or so Swallows. There were a few Wheatear at the Bill and we saw a couple more and a Sedge Warbler, as we walked back to the Obs for breakfast.
After breakfast we drove to Barleycrates Lane and walked back along the cliff tops. It was very quiet as far as migrants were concerned and all we saw was about 10 Wheatear and a Whinchat found by Ashley. However we did also see a Fulmar, Kestrels and a few butterflies – a Speckled Wood, a few Meadow Brown and Small Heath, 2 Small Copper and, at Culverwell, Painted Lady, Red Admiral, several Common Blue and a Humming-bird Hawk moth. Back at the Obs there was a Convolvulous Hawk moth that had been caught in the moth trap last night.
After lunch we went to Lodmoor via Ferrybridge. Both sites were fairly quiet. At Ferrybridge there was 2 Sanderling with many Dunlin and Ringed Plover, a Mediterranean Gull, 3 Sandwich Tern and a Wheatear. At Lodmoor there was 2 Common Sandpiper, some Black-tailed Godwit and Dunlin, a Chiffchaff and, most surprisingly, a Great Spotted Woodpecker in a line of trees.
As usual, during the evening we all cooked a joint meal together at the Obs! The late afternoon was of note for Ashley who watched the sea for over an hour and finally found a Balearic Shearwater passing by!

Sunday 6th September.
First thing we wandered down to the Bill for a seawatch, stopping to look at the Little Owl in the Obs Quarry on the way. The seawatch was quiet, just Gannets, 17 Common Scoter and 3 Great-crested Grebe. A Peregrine passed over our heads and as we walked back a female Sparrowhawk whizzed by. As we breakfasted we kept an eye on the sea from the obs and saw another Balearic Shearwater passing by.
After breakfast we stopped briefly at Weston to look for a Rose-coloured Starling, but had no luck. We continued on to the Verne. Very little of note here apart from 2 Raven, 3 Peregrine and some Western Gorse and Ivy Broomrape.
We stopped in Easton at the Sugar Loaf, a great café, for lunch and then went on to Radipole. Radipole was also fairly quiet. The only migrants were a Wheatear and some Swallows, House Martins and Sand Martins. We also saw Great-crested Grebe, Shoveler, Gadwall, Teal and a Lesser Black-backed Gull.