A ridiculously early start to the day.. 5 am!! Destination Portland.. and a day of seeing what was incoming on migration. We set off early, because my friend Joe doesnt like sleep.. that has to be the reason?
Picking him up in Andover at 6am, we made our way to our first port of call - Lodmoor in Weymouth where a Long Billed Dowitcher had set up camp.
A noisy Cetti's was an alarm call for anything that might still be sleeping.. Still havent caught a glimpse of 1 yet this year - so it stays off the list for now. The Dowitcher took some finding. But I guess (considering the size of the reserve) we were lucky to find it, sitting at the side of one of the pools. (I had nothing to do with finding it, all Joe's work).
With the Dowitcher in the bag, not literally, we had a quick look out over the Sea there and also in Portland Harbour.. Very quiet!
Onto Portland, on what was a wet day :o( Hiding between the Beach Huts we kept an eye out on what was out to Sea. A few Gannets passing through, all good.
A Hot Chocolate and a bowl of chips in the cafe (my first chips of the year!) and we set off down the Point. On the way we picked up a Purple Sandpiper. Nice.
Seawatching on the point found us more Gannet, Common Scoter, Fulmar, Red Throated Diver, Manx Shearwater, Great Skua, Razorbill, Guillemot and a solitary Puffin flying across. Happy days!
A little search around the point and a lovely female Black Redstart plus an increasing number of Wheatear were now dropping in.
A few pics.. including a cute Sparrow..
Purple Sandpiper.
Gannets passing by.
A Wheatear that had just flown the Channel. 
And this sweetheart had just been ringed at tPortland Obs.. Not in my hand, but lovely to see her so closely.
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