Spending 6 hours waiting in and around Portland Marina wasn't something I planned to do today, especially when I was told work on Star, our Tamar Fishing Boat was only going to take 2 hours and would be completed by 10:30am.
It transpired the mechanic who was detailed to work on our boat was drafted off elsewhere and the stand-in mechanic wasn't fully briefed and consequently didn't have the materials to do the work in the estimated time. It will be interesting to see what the final bill will be, especially as he finished at 2:30pm!!
Anyway less of the rant and at least it gave me the opportunity to walk around the gardens in Portland Castle. When I arrived the gates were just opening at 10:00am. Perfect timing and instantly I could hear 2 Chiffchaffs calling and then got really excited when I thought I heard a Yellow-browed Warbler.
As I walked around to the lawns, it became apparent that my Yellow-browed Warbler was in fact a juvenile Pied Wagtail calling. There will be those who will say that they are totally different, but the juvenile Pied Wagtails call was really high pitched and sounded very similar to this Yellow-browed Warbler Call Here.
Adrenalin rush over and I continued my walk around the 3 gardens and managed 2 more Chiffchaffs (with one singing), 2 Dunnocks, 2 Robins, 1 Song Thrush, a Great Tit, Blue Tit and a very small bird possibly a Goldcrest which flew out of a bush into another and vanished.
After breaking up my morning at the Castle I headed back to the marina and a Little Egret flew over my head towards Ferrybridge. Just inside the marina I stopped for awhile and watched the Cormorants and Shags on the breakwater. At one point there must have been a good 20 birds all stretching their wings and chilling out.
Also here were dozens of Herring Gulls, a few Black-headed Gulls and a single Oystercatcher. It wasn't until I got back home and started to go through the images that I realised that in amongst the birds on the breakwater there was also a Grey Heron.
Overhead there were singles of Meadow Pipit and Skylarks heading north.
Here are a few images from today:
And a juvenile Pied Wagtail with a slight yellowish tinge to the face. This was the bird which was giving a great impression of a Yellow-browed Warbler.
Overhead there were singles of Meadow Pipit and Skylarks heading north.
Here are a few images from today:
One of the 3 walled gardens in the grounds of Portland Castle.
An adult Pied Wagtail.
One of the 4 Chaffinch taking refuge in the Castle grounds.
Portland Marina
On the breakwater Cormorants and Shags.
A mix of birds here with Herring Gulls, Cormorants, Shags, a Carrion Crow and the Grey Heron (centre).
Out in Portland Harbour a Great Black-backed Gull.