On my way to Radipole Nature Reserve it was great to see 2 Black-necked Grebes fly over Portland Road from Portland Harbour to The Fleet. Unfortunately there was nowhere to stop and by the time I'd got back they were long gone.
Radipole Nature Reserve
After the excitement at The Fleet I spent a couple of hours at Radipole Nature Reserve and managed to add 15 new birds to my ever growing year list.
Here are a few photos of my trip here this afternoon:
An adult winter Black-headed Gull
And another which looks as if its Summer black head is just coming through.
A 1st winter Black-headed Gull
And another.
An adult winter Herring Gull
The 1st winter Mediterranean Gull........
........having a stretch.
Three Black-headed Gulls in a row. 2 1st winters and the adult winter on the right.
Here we have a Herring Gull (left) and a Lesser Black-backed Gull.
12 Grey Herons line up alongside the reed bed.
On the other side were at least 12 Snipe.
Quite a few Teal here with at least 30 birds.
Also plenty of Tufted Duck with the drakes heavily outnumbering the ducks.
Here a drake Tufted Duck stretches his wings.
Here we have a Shelduck.
A Little Grebe or Dabchick as its also known as.
And finally these two ducks are interesting.....
Birds Recorded: 1 Little Grebe, Cormorant, 12 Grey Heron, 4 Mute Swan, 1 Shelduck, Mallard, Gadwall, Teal, Tufted Duck, 1 Water Rail, Moorhen, Coot, 10 Snipe, Black-headed Gull, 2 Mediterranean Gull, Herring Gull, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Great Black-backed Gull, 12 Common Gull, Wood Pigeon, Dunnock, Robin, Blackbird, 3 Cetti's Warbler, Long-tailed Tit, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Wren, Carrion Crow, Starling, Chaffinch and Goldfinch.
Portland Beach Road
At around 8:53pm Dawn captured a Short-eared Owl on her Dash-cam making its way along Chesil Beach towards Wyke Regis.
A Short-eared Owl in slo-mo.