Return to Portland (brief write up and pics).

Taking advantage of the good weather, considerate flexibility from my employer and 'room at the Inn', I spent the last two days at the Portland Bird Observatory.  My second stay in four weeks!
Migration is well underway, I've picked up plenty of summer migrants locally, but the call from Portland and a few days staring out to sea was too great.

Arriving at 6:30 p.m. on the Tuesday, the first yeartick came in the form of Manx Shearwater. Too far out to sea to photograph, but a tick I missed on the last visit.

Day 1 proper

started at 5:50 a.m. and an earlier than normal alarm call. Up in time for the first of two cracking sunrises. The mist nets were put up and we supped tea, waiting for the birds to arrive..

First up, was a Grasshopper Warbler!  A Gropper before 7 am! I've heard a couple before, but the chance to snap a gropper in the hand more or less made the short stay complete already!

A Tree Pipit in the Obs garden was also pointed out to me. Another year tick.

The rest of the day was spent either walking the cliffs and top fields, or sat at the Obs, seeing what was caught in the nets. My Garmin told me Tuesday was a 20,000 steps day. 10 miles in old money.

 All three lighthouses in one shot. 

Five wheatear in a tree.

Lighthouses from the Top Field

Whinchat 

Lesser Whitethroat, a nice addition to the yearlist.

Purple Sandpiper down by Pulpit Rock (1 of 3). 

Willow Warbler trapped at the Obs.

Stonking... Male Redstart.

'Wall' Butterfly

Wheatear

One Eyed Willy trying to escape the Navy

Day Two.

Another stonking sunrise, time spent on the patio, supping tea, then a walk around the Top Field and cliffs again.

Meadow Pipit.

Dunnock

Raven, behaving on a post.

Raven, not behaving, stealing eggs from the cliffs.

Fulmar

Guillemots

Wheatear, still arriving

And then sadly, it was time to leave the 'rock'.

Seven year ticks - Manx Shearwater, Tree Pipit, Grasshopper Warbler, Yellow Wagtail, Garden Warbler, Whinchat and Lesser Whitethroat.

I called in at Blashford Lakes on the way home and picked up Common Tern, Black Tern and Mediterranean Gull.  The yearlist is now on 167.

Lapwing chick, seems very early?

Med Gulls (full black heads)

Common Sandpiper

Still a few wigeon at Blashford.

A very distant Black Tern, 

It did fly around, but always way off.

And now, back to reality. 😞