2016 Year List

2016 Year List (UK:137) (Total:165):
Key: Bold = Lifer. Red = Overseas Bold Red (Work it out!)

Starling, House Sparrow, Mallard, Eider, Pheasant, Red-throated Diver, Northern Fulmar, Raven, Carrion Crow, Hooded Crow, Rook, Jackdaw, Blackbird, Robin, Rock Pipit, Rock Dove, Black Guillemot, Kittiwake, Great Black-backed Gull, Herring Gull, Black-headed Gull, Common Gull, Curlew, Redshank, Lapwing, Oystercatcher, Gannet, Shag, Tufted Duck, Common Goldeneye, Eurasian Teal, Eurasian Widgeon, Mute Swan, Whooper Swan, Greylag Goose, Little Grebe, Cormorant, Grey Heron, Greenland White-fronted Goose, Great Northern Diver, Common Buzzard, Common Kestrel, Purple Sandpiper, Collard Dove, Redwing, Fieldfare, Chaffinch, Linnet, Goldfinch, Greenfinch, Red Kite, Wood Pigeon, Pied Wagtail, Dunnock, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Coal Tit, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Magpie, Lesser Redpoll, Bullfinch, Egyptian Goose, Northern Shovelar, Great Crested Grebe, Bittern, Moorhen, Coot, Ring-necked Parakeet, Stonechat, Cetti's Warbler, Wren, Canada Goose, Pintail, Pochard, Green Woodpecker, Chiffchaff, Goldcrest, Jay, Siskin, Gadwall, Peregrine Falcon, Long-tailed Tit, Meadow Pipit, Red-legged Partridge, Treecreeper, Shelduck, Grey Wagtail, Song Thrush, Kingfisher, Penduline Tit, Marsh Tit, Nuthatch, Cattle Egret, Little Egret, Common Sandpiper, Sandwich Tern, Sardinian Warbler, Audouin's Gull, Osprey, White Wagtail, Black Redstart, Yellow-legged Gull, Blackcap, Great Egret, Marsh Harrier, Water Rail, Stone Curlew, Green Sandpiper, Serin, Common Crossbill, Reed Bunting, Blue Rock Thrush, Crag Martin, Booted Eagle, Kentish Plover, Greater Flamingo, Moustached Warbler, Purple Swamphen, Pied Avocet, Greenshank, Pink-footed Goose, Long-eared Owl, Tawny Owl, Barn Owl, Grey Partridge, Ringed Plover, Dunlin, Black-tailed Godwit, Ruff, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Skylark, Mistle Thrush, Lapland Bunting, Dark-bellied Brent Goose, Golden Pheasant, Common Snipe, Black Grouse, Red Grouse, Wheatear, Dipper, Yellowhammer, Sand Martin, Swallow, House Martin, Goosander, Velvet Scoter, Common Scoter, Common Guillemot, Razorbill, King Eider, Whimbrel, Snow Bunting, Capercaillie, Red-breasted Merganser, Slavonian Grebe, Rock Ptarmigan, Crested Tit, Scottish Crossbill, Black-throated Diver, White-tailed Eagle, Golden Eagle, Bar-tailed Godwit, Great Skua, Puffin, Red-crested Pochard










Sunday 11 January 2015

1st outing of 2015 - Dorset - Day 2

After yesterdays geeking around Studland we travelled to Portland for our first stay at the Portland Bird Observatory.  It was the wife, myself and a friend so we opted for the cottage.  Very basic accommodation but comfortable, reminded me of many places I stayed in the Army....  I've booked to return in May although this time I'm taking the kids and we are going to stay in the lighthouse bunk rooms, thought they'd find that more exciting.  All three of us spent the evening in the Pulpit Inn where we had a very tasty meal and some equally good wine.

The following morning I spent a few hours sea watching, this is something I am a complete novice at so could have missed anything.  What I did comfortably identify though were hundreds of Guillemots back and forth from the cliff face further along the coast.

I was hoping for a Great Skua as I have still not seen one, it was not meant to be though but I had some amazing views of a huge flock of Gannet in what I can only describe as a feeding frenzy, it was great to see them performing their synchronised plunge diving.  The only other birds I really saw were Herring, Lesser Black-backed, Great Black-backed and Black-headed Gulls, some Cormorant and a couple of Shag.

After a few hours, which was all I could manage in the biting strong wind, I met the wife in the Lobster Pot for breakfast, a nice pot of tea and sausage sandwich always sorts me out.

I said goodbye to the wife who was walking the coastal path back to Weymouth where I would meet her later that day.  I'd heard there was an overwintering Black Redstart around the beach huts so thought I'd go hunt him down.

I didn't connect with the Black Redstart but did manage to find 4 Purple Sandpipers along with 5 Oystercatcher and 5 Turnstone plus the usual scattering of Rock Pipit.  The Purple Sandpipers were all taking baths in the rock pools which was fun to watch.  This time last year Purple Sandpiper was a lifer for me so it was great to connect with some I'd found myself.

Oystercatchers + Purple Sandpiper bathing

Turnstones + Purple Sandpipers bathing..

 
I was having no luck with the Black Redstart around the beach huts so I decided to try up at the horse paddocks before heading off (I had other targets to reach).  On my way there a gorgeous Raven drifting low over me 'cronking' as they do.  Still no Black Redstart but I was rewarded with this beautiful male Stonechat for my persistence.
 
Stonechat

Stonechat
 
Satisfied I took a brisk walk back to the car (still searching for the Black Redstart!) and made my way up to Grove Lane for the long staying Hooded Crow.
 
I was hoping this was going to be an easy find as this would be a UK tick for me, only seen them in Ireland and Europe.  How wrong was I... I arrived at the pig farm and there were plenty of corvids on the wing which I searched thoroughly but could only find Carrion Crow and Jackdaw, there was a few Magpies in the area too.  I scanned the hedgerows and field for 45 minutes as the crows floew back and forth but decided 45 minutes was enough.  I turned to walk back to the car only to noticed the Hooded Crow sat on a fence about 20m away!!! Probably been sat there for 45 minutes laughing at me.  I quickly reached for my camera but he had other ideas and flew to the furthest corner of the field hence this unbelievably poor record shot shows....
 
Hooded Crow - UK tick..
 
The Hooded Crow in the bag it was time to visit Portland Harbour.  I arrived to a nice adult Mediterranean Gull about 20m out.
 
Mediterranean Gull
 
I also reconnected with the Black Guillemot and Eider Duck, both I which I'd managed to get for the back end of 2013's year list a few weeks back.  The harbour also held a decent number of Red-breasted Merganser and a single Little Egret.
 
Red-breasted Merganser
 
After this I had to dash to Weymouth to pick the wife up, I convinced her to meet me at RSPB Radipole and had time to quickly view a flock of 8 Bearded Reedlings feeding relatively close to the path, I also added Reed Bunting to the year list.
 




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Location: Portland, Dorset, UK

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