A tweet came through that the Ross's Gull had been seen at Ferrybridge, so I popped down there to see if I could get a close look at this rare gull. Unfortunately when I arrived it had left some 10 minutes earlier. A bit like the past few days, it's been in The Fleet in the morning and then in the afternoon it crosses Weymouth Bay to Lodmoor. No doubt it will be there this afternoon.
Other birds here on a bitterly cold morning were 6 Brent Geese, 35 Red-breasted Mergansers, 5 Turnstone, 5 Ringed Plover, 2 Dunlin and 3 Oystercatchers. By the Chesil Beach Centre a Skylark was singing and overhead a Meadow Pipit headed north.
Here are a few images from this morning:
There are a few Brent Geese still about on The Fleet.....
.....here 6 come into land close to the Ferrybridge.
As the tide came in, these Turnstones were running ahead of it.
An Oystercatcher probes the sand as the water covers the beach.
Wakeham
The female Blackcap finally turned up this afternoon, but only for quick visits to the suet pellets. It isn't just the Blackcap taking an interest in the pellets but also a Dunnock. Also about 3 Great Tits, 2 Blue Tits, a male Chaffinch, Robin, Song Thrush and 2 Goldfinches.
A Dunnock on the suet pellets and a Great Tit on the sunflower seeds.
A busy feeder with Great Tits and Blue Tits coming and going.
Two great Tits.
The over-wintering Song Thrush flies up to ring of Fat Balls.
And a female Great Tit on the left and a male Chaffinch just taking off.
The Dunnock was still visiting the suet pellets this afternoon and a female House Sparrow was also another visitor.
Its not just the Great Tits that like the sunflower seeds but also these 2 Goldfinches.
The female Blackcap was back for her 2nd day on her return from a 2 day break...............
.......when previously she had been visiting the feeders in the back garden for 3 weeks.
Two Goldfinches trying to balance on the feeder in the wind.
The suet pellets are definitely a hit with the Blackcap, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Robin, House Sparrow and now this Dunnock.
And finally this afternoon, the female Blackcap stayed on the feeder long enough for me to video her tucking into those suet pellets.