I had considered going sea fishing this morning, especially after I met a local chap yesterday called Robin, who informed me the best time to fish Church Ope Cove is when there is a bit of colour and a big swell in the bay here. Well it was certainly that this lunchtime, in fact too much so with huge rollers out to sea and some good 2 metre high waves thundering up the beach.
The rough conditions might not have been ideal for fishing but there were a lot of gulls just beyond the breakers, mainly Herring Gulls, a few Great Black-backed Gulls and 2 each of Mediterranean Gull, Common Gull and Kittiwake.
On the beach itself were 5 Rock Pipits and 2 Pied Wagtails.
Elsewhere it was very quiet with the main highlight being 7 Carrion Crows flying up from Penn's Weare and off up towards Wakeham. Also about 3 Long-tailed Tits in Pennsylvania Castle Wood and 1 Goldcrest. And over Broadcroft Quarry Lane a Sparrowhawk.
Here are few images and a video from today
A Kestrel over Church Ope Cove, struggling to keep still in the gale force wind..........
......eventually a rest break from all that hovering.
An adult Common Gull with 2 Herring Gulls in the background.
Not sure what its found, but there are a lot of pickings along here.
A Syrphus hoverfly sp.
A Common Drone Fly
A Marmalade hoverfly
The view across Weymouth Bay from The Cuttings, Penn's Weare
Durdle Door in the distance
The waves crashing onto the beach at Church Ope Cove
The view looking south along the beach at Church Ope Cove.
The view of Church Ope Cove from St Andrews Church
A bit of artistic licence. The waves on the rocks in Black & White.
Stormy seas at Church Ope Cove
Birds Recorded were: Shag, Cormorant, 1 Sparrowhawk, 1 Kestrel, 2 Mediterranean Gull, Herring Gull, Great Black-backed Gull, 2 Common Gull, 2 Kittiwake, Wood Pigeon, 5 Rock Pipit, 2 Pied Wagtail, Dunnock, Robin, Blackbird, 3 Long-tailed Tit, Wren, 1 Goldcrest, 7 Carrion Crow, House Sparrow, Chaffinch and Goldfinch.
Also 1 Marmalade Hoverfly, 1 Syrphus hoverfly sp., 2 Common Drone Fly and 5 Bluebottles.