Portland & Lodmoor

A really nice day with enough sunshine to make things feel comfortable, but a complete dearth of migrants on land and sea.

Stopping off at Ferrybridge first, at least 16 Little Tern were occupying the concrete buoys out in the bay.  Two Whimbrel were barely the only waders on the exposed mud.

On the Bill we gorged ourselves on food from the cafe, made tracks around the southern half of the island, indulged in cream tea, and sat lamenting our self-indulgence.  A perfect Saturday.

Watching seabirds off the east cliffs had me enraptured for a while.

  

The cliffs were busy with Guillemot, Razorbill, Shag, and a couple of Fulmar soaring to and from the cliff-face.

Moving onto Lodmoor later on in the afternoon provided a little more interest.

A sole 1st summer Little Gull roosted on the edge of a scrape amongst the raucous Common Tern and Black-headed Gull.

Waders were hardly plentiful but at least 30 summer plumaged Dunlin were present, four Bar-tailed Godwit including one in brick-red finery, and 15 Black-tailed Godwit.

Elsewhere, a few vocal Bearded Tit were zipping around the top of the reeds.

A sub-adult male Marsh Harrier was marauding the eastern fringes of the reserve.

A lone drake Pintail was present within the pools.  A female Bullfinch flew into cover along the southern path.