Port and Wey: 22 Feb 18

Lodmoor and Weymouth Pavilion

A shopping trip into Weymouth this afternoon turned into a really good trip when having checked my twitter feeds, it turned out that yesterday's Ross's Gull seen at Ferrybridge and then Lodmoor later, had returned to Lodmoor RSPB Reserve at 14:42. An hour later and I was parked up at Lodmoor Car Park and off to the west scrape to see it. As I walked down to the scrape I could see an Avocet but only a handful of gulls.

The next thing I saw were birders walking back to the car park. Paul one of the local birders I know, told me it had flown off 20 minutes earlier but had been sighted just off the pier behind Weymouth Pavilion.

Ten minutes later and having parked up, I managed to arrive at the pier just as the Ross's Gull was heading back towards Lodmoor. I managed a couple of record shots of it and then followed it with my binoculars as it headed back across Weymouth Bay.

Now that was close, but well worth the chase to see this very pretty gull. More on this gull Here and some lovely photos from yesterday on the Portland Bird Observatory Website Here and Edmund Mackrill's twitter feed Here.

I did say they were record shots........

......but nevertheless a Ross's Gull in flight over Weymouth Bay and my first ever.

Ar Lodmoor the Avocet which I would have watched a lot longer had it not been for the Ross's Gull.

And a pair of Great Black-backed Gulls with a Lapwing behind.

Wakeham

Well I'm not sure where she went, but the female Blackcap was back on the feeders this afternoon. With only brief views of her on Monday (19 Feb) and non-appearances on Tuesday and Wednesday, I really wasn't expecting to see her return.

Also back was the Song Thrush plus the usual species, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Robin and a male House Sparrow.

Great to see the female Blackcap back in the garden after a 2 day absence. Maybe she found another feeder elsewhere but it wasn't topped up so she returned. Which reminds me, the fat ball feeder needs topping up.