Weymouth 25th Jan

My business in Weymouth was finished by Lunchtime, so I had a few hours of birding.

I kicked off at Castle Cove Yacht club with a Slavonian Grebe, two Black-Necked Grebes, a Great-Northern Diver, 26 Red-Breasted Mergansers, a couple of Razorbills,and some Med Gulls (more of those later). Then Ferrybridge (at low tide). 30+ Dark-bellied Brent Goose, 5 Little Egrets, Shag, more Med Gulls, then finally the National Sailing Academy, Great-Northern Diver (same one?), more Med Gulls. I didn't stay long as it was getting seriously cold.

Earlier I had been pleased with spotting a 1st winter Mediterranean Gull at the sailing club. Then I noticed 7 more in a flock of BH gulls on some exposed rocks, then another 4, then at Ferrybridge another 7 on the shore line, and then I noticed that the mixed flock of gulls on the distant exposed mud contained many more Med Gulls – 10 in one scope view – and stopped counting. There has been over 100 seen here recently, and I think I saw most of those today.

I went on to Portland. There was a gale blowing, and hundreds of auks ( I saw nothing but Razorbills) were zipping past at a rate, with many more sat on the sea. There were a couple of Kittiwakes and a Gannet, and onshore a Rock Pipit.

Recently some Short-Eared Owls have been seen opposite the obs. I spent a couple of hours trudging the area, but with nothing to show by 4pm apart from a Sparrowhawk, c20 Linnets and c10 Chaffinches, headed for home via Newton’s Cove. No Black redstart, just 12 Great-Crested Grebes.

The day finished as it had started, with several hundred Starlings over Weymouth town as the sky turned a deep pink.

Inspired by the example of Boulmer Birder I’ve opened a second blog which is more static. Some details of the sites I went to today are on here.