I had a fantastic afternoon today birding around Portland.
I started at Ferrybridge. As soon as I arrived, one of the heaviest rain showers I have ever experienced in Britain passed over, meaning it was a whole 30 minutes before I could start searching. Sadly, waders were very sparse there, with just Dunlin, Ringed Plover and Oystercatcher seen, along with several Little Egrets, Mediterranean Gulls and my first Brent Geese of the winter. A really rather miserable-looking Wheatear was also present, while a Stonechat, numerous alba Wagtails, Meadow Pipits and Skylarks were there too. A really rather unexpected Hare was feeding on the coastal grass.
My next stop was the sea on the other of Chesil Beach from Ferrybridge, where a Grey Phalarope had been seen earlier in the day. Initially, there seemed to be no sign of the bird, so I walked up the beach towards Chesil Cove. A Sandwich and a Common Tern flew past, along with one Brent Goose. Several more Wheatears were on the beach, while there were hundreds of Black-headed, Herring, Lesser Black-backed and Great Black-backed Gulls on the sea, along with several Mediterranean Gulls. Finally, I found the tiny Grey Phalarope about 300 yards west of Chesil Cove, about 30 feet offshore. What a fantastic little bird!
Grey Phalarope, Chesil Beach,
This species' official name is Red Phalarope, on account of its resplendent bright breeding plumage. Its breeding range spans Alaska, Canada, Greenland, Iceland and Russia. Despite being just 20cm long, its migrates every year to its wintering grounds, either off the coasts of Argentina and Chile, South Africa or West Africa, passing through Britain in decent numbers on its way. This is my second sighting of the species, after I saw three flying past Pendeen Watch in Cornwall in September 2012. What a fantastic bird!
My next stop was Portland Castle, where what is presumably the same Black Guillemot that I saw last December was showing very well.
Black Guillemot, Portland Castle
A Kingfisher also showed very well (but very briefly).
After this, I went for a search for the Hooded Crow that has moved into a pig farm at the Grove on Portland. It has been there since June, but a two hour search today was completely in vain. A Chiffchaff, several Swallows, a Kestrel, a Buzzard and an enormous number of Carrion Crows and Jackdaws were seen. But no Hooded Crow sadly.
Finally, I had a chance to visit Reap Lane, where a Rose-coloured Starling had been seen earlier in the day. It eventually appeared when it was flushed by a horse and landed on the roof a nearby cottage. It may not yet have achieved its magnificent pink and black plumage, but it was still a pleasure to see and, as can be seen below, it is a completely different size, shape and of course colour from the Common Starlings with which it was associating. It is amazing to think that it has reached Portland from no closer than Turkey and possibly from a lot further away. This was my second sighting of this species, after one at Lodmoor on a miserable February day in 2011. It was a great way to end a great afternoon.
Rose-coloured Starling, Reap Lane, Portland
To add to that, on the 5th October, a ringtail Hen Harrier flew high over the garden at Hilfield- it was an awesome new garden bird and my ninth raptor species here (I've seen a tenth, Osprey, very nearby as well). It was fantastic to see what has become such a rare species in England and one of my favourite species from my garden.
