Whoosh! And it's nearly the end of 2024!!!

Not done one of these for a while!   ( i know.  I say that quite often).  With socail media, maybe its time to bin it?  But first, an update.

I moved to Weymouth in April 2023 and swapped an arable and woodland neighbourhood for a coastal one. This blog is heavily populated with posts from trips to the sea side.  I guess you get complacent with what is on your doorstep, and being landlocked in Berkshire, I was always daydreaming of days down the coast, seeing ducks, waders and what ever was there at the time, but moreso, just being by the sea! I used to say I got 'sea withdrawal symptons', and I really believe that.

Throwing life up in the air, and taking a leaf out of my best mate's book, I took a chance and moved down to the edge of Portland Harbour, at Ferrybrige in Weymouth, for a new life. The old life was ok, but I was ready for a new one. Life by myself, in an 18th century cottage, was damp and expensive, and friends come and go.  And recently it's been more so - go.  

But what a 527 days it's been!  Back to working for the local authority, with really nice people. I'm  dating a wonderful, amazing, beautiful, kind lady, and I currently live 180 metres from the sea. My best mate is just over the way, and our new Communal Beer Bench overlooks Portland Harbour and 'the rock',  I've basically been on holiday for almost 18 months!   

And the wildlife!!  I've had a Black Redstart 'garden tick'.  Seen 4 of the 5 UK grebes in one afternoon, on the doorstep.  The common Little Grebe being the missing one from that list.  I'm a 10 minute drive, across the causeway and up the hill from the Portland Bird Obs, where I used to and still do 'holiday' at.  It's nice to rock up at the Obs and chat for ages, before realising you have left your 'bins' in the car and actually came to birdwatch. 

Will I get more time to post on here?  I don't know.  I have only taken my camera out a few times since moving down. I'd like to, it's a mecca for birding. If only there were more hours in the day...

A few pics from the last 18 months - the new neighbours..  

Great Black Backed Gull nesting on the house opposite me.

A long staying Long Tailed Duck at Ferrybridge

A Portland Peregrine

and Little Owl

Two Great Northern Diver.  There was at least 6 wintering in the harbour.

Anything can drop in at Ferrybridge.  Like this Whimbrel

And a Grey Plover.

Slimbridge. Winter wildfowl, and another type of Sandpiper.

Making the most of being able to finally make the most of things, today saw another weekend adventure, on a freezing cold day - a return visit was made to Slimbridge. 

Ok, it wasn't freezing, but 4 degrees is still chilly when you're sitting in a hide and the wind is blowing in your face... 'Im not crying, you are'. 

 After a couple of years of sticking to exploring the local area, I seem to be Year Listing again! The last time was in 2017 when I reached the target of 200 species.  Let's try that again!

I wanted to maximise the usage of time and catch as many of the winter wildfowl that comes from the baltic and scandinavian areas - Slimbridge always comes up trumps with these, but today there was the added promise of an american visitor - a White Rumped Sandpiper. 

Pleasingly, although initially distant, the sandpiper was showing ok-ish from the Discovery Hide. Other year ticks from this hide included Pochard and Golden Plover.   Something then put all the birds up and the lake got very empty.  Time to check the other hide.

Golden Plover

Out to the hides along the path to the Estuary Tower and Bewick Swan, Barnacle Geese, (about 200) White Fronted Geese (about 100) all picked up. There was a Snow Goose and a Ross' Goose present, but these were escapees, apparently.  Oh, and a Rudy Shelduck which I also didn't count..  

Bewick Swan

Spoonbill

White fronted Geese 

Barnacle Geese

At the Tower there was a dozen Common Crane and a female Peregrine flew around for a bit, whilst the wigeon grazed below.

Peregrine

Common Crane

Wigeon

  

Back to the Rushy lake in the hope of seeing a Greater Scuap. I saw it twice, and each time it was asleep.  Oh well. a tick is a tick.

Greater Scaup, with the silver back

As it was brightening up, slightly, I checked the Discovery Hide and hope for a better view of the White Rumped Sandpiper.  Success.  Plus the two Common Gull next to it were ticks.

White rumped sandpiper, and common gull

And, as it's Slimbridge, it would be rude not to put pictures of my other favourite duck.  The Eider.  Awoooooo!   A great day back at Slimbridge.

Normandy and Pennington again.

Spent the afternoon on the South Coast. Third time in four weeks! Making the most of the sunshine amongst some really smart birds. 

After avoiding it successfully for almost 3 years, Covid-19 finally came knocking and got me last week.  Not impressed!

Thankfully the cold and the headaches had eased mostly by the weekend and I headed down to one of may favourite places to get some fresh air and spend more time with birds we don't get in Berkshire.

In a slight change to the normal way I do things, I headed to Normandy lagoon first.  Normandy is at one end of the magnificent Hants and IOW Wildlife Trust reserve - details here click

Spoonbill had been listed this week, plus the usual array of wildfowl. It wont be long before one of the best ducks, the Wigeon will be leaving us to head back to it's summer grounds.  I needed to hear their wonderful whistle calls a few more times before they leave. 

Plenty of wigeon, shelduck, teal and brent geese still present. But no Spoonbill...

Brent Geese

wigeon

Still amazes me that avocet are now common here

Lymington - Yarmouth ferry.

Wigeon and Greenshank

Spent a bit of time listening to and watching these Black Tailed Godwit, who really weren't getting on!

They fought, like men with chopsticks, for about 10 minutes.

Haven't seen any Goldeneye for a few years, so it was nice to see this trio on Normandy.

Goldeneye

Greenshank

Pintail

Teal

Cormorant

A lone Red Breasted Merganser

After an hour on Normandy lagoon I drove around to the end of Lower Pennington Lane and called in on Fishtail Lagoon.  A trio of Ruff were feeding in the flooded field next to the Car Park, just up from the Shoveler Pools. A Marsh Harier was also flying around on the other side of the Ancient Highway.

Ruff

Lapwing

Fishtail lagoon was actually quite quiet, and hard to observe anything as the sun had gone behind a big black cloud and everything became a silhouette.  Running out of places to look for the spoonbill, I headed to Oxey Marsh, and then they all started to drop in.  

Firstly four birds, then another four, and then 3 more.  I managed to get a picture of eight together.  I think that's the most I've seen together in the UK so far!

Spoonbill

Grey Plover

For a dull bird, they looked great in the low sun

The rear spoonbill, 'having a moment'.

Back at the car park, and this smart male Ruff was feeding.

A good day.