10 Jan 18

Pennsylvania Castle Wood and Church Ope Cove

I spent 2 hours spent looking for the Yellow-browed Warbler between 10:30 - 12:30, but sadly it didn't appear. I did however manage to locate 2 flocks of Long-tailed Tits and with flock 1 there were 2 Firecrests and 3 Goldcrests in the the other 4 Goldcrests.

Probably the best today was a male Bullfinch that flew pass me as I was standing in the grounds of St Andrew's Church. It landed in the grounds of Pennsylvania Castle and was heard calling before it headed south. Also here was a Wall Lizard basking in the warm sunshine.

Down on the beach was a high count of Rock Pipits with 25 recorded. Also here the male Pied Wagtail and Grey Wagtail. Behind the beach huts there was a pair of Firecrests chasing each other. Spring is in the air!!

Firecrest

Raven

Grey Wagtail

Kestrel

Wall Lizard

Common Drone Fly

Birds Recorded: 1 Kestrel, Herring Gull, Great Black-backed Gull, Wood Pigeon, 24 Rock Pipit, 1 Pied Wagtail, 1 Grey Wagtail, Dunnock, Robin, Blackbird, 8 Goldcrest, 4 Firecrest, 20+ Long-tailed Tit, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Wren, Magpie, Carrion Crow, 2 Raven, Chaffinch, Goldfinch and 1 Bullfinch.

Also seen 1 Wall Lizard, 5 Marmalade Hoverflies, 2 White-tailed Bumblebees, 1 Honey Bee and a Common Drone Fly

Chesil Cove

Just before I headed off to Radipole I stopped off at Chesil Cove to see the Black Redstart and found it almost immediately, feeding on insects up against one of the cottages opposite the car park.

Black Redstart

Radipole RSPB Nature Reserve

This afternoon I revisited Radipole reserve and concentrated at the northern end by the new north screen. The views from here are excellent looking both north, east and south across the new scrapes. Birds here included new for year, 2 Little Egret, 10 Canada Geese, 1 drake Shoveler, 1 Marsh Harrier, 1 Kingfisher, a small flocks of Bearded Tits and 1 Reed Bunting. Just to the south of the screen and in the long grasses were 3 Stonechats.

Elsewhere on the reserve I came 2 Pochard, 1 Snipe, 8 Mediterranean Gull and another small flock of Bearded Tits.

Here are a few images from this afternoon:

Kingfisher

Marsh Harrier

Grey Heron

A drake Shoveler

A pair of Gadwall

Two adult winter Mediterranean Gulls.

One of the two Shelduck on the scrape.

You're never to far away from Roland.

Birds Recorded
: 2 Little Grebe, Cormorant, 2 Little Egret, 2 Grey Heron, 4 Mute Swan, 10 Canada Geese, 2 Shelduck, Mallard, Gadwall, Teal, 1 drake Shoveler, Tufted Duck, 2 Pochard, 1 Marsh Harrier, Water Rail, Moorhen, Coot, 1 Snipe, Black-headed Gull, 8 Mediterranean Gull, Herring Gull, 2 Common Gull, Wood Pigeon, 1 Kingfisher, 1 Pied Wagtail, Dunnock, Robin, 3 Stonechat, Blackbird, Song Thrush, 2 Goldcrest, Long-tailed Tit, 2 small flocks of Bearded Tits, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Wren, Magpie, Carrion Crow, Chaffinch, Goldfinch and 3 Reed Bunting.