A 3 hour walk this afternoon in the gloom. Sadly any sunshine promised for the afternoon came and went within a few minutes.
Not too many highlights, but one that was interesting was a male Pheasant on the rocks along East Weares. At first I thought it was dead, as it stayed absolutely still as I was watching it. After what seemed an eternity it stretched up and walked back into undergrowth. A bit of an oddity that one.
Other highlights were 2 Stonechats (the overwintering bird at Church Ope Cove and another by Durdle Pier), the overwintering Black Redstart at Church Ope Cove and a Chiffchaff in Penns Weare.
On the cliffs at The Grove were 5 Fulmars at their nesting sites, and flying above them my first Raven of the year.
Elsewhere a male and a very large female Peregrine were being very vocal, with the female ending up flying over the cottage at Wakeham and then dive bombing an unsuspecting pigeon. That was supper sorted!!
In the lower paddocks at Wakeham were 2 Song Thrushes and a lone Redwing.
Here are a few images from this afternoon.
The overwintering Black Redstart still present at Church Ope Cove, along with the.................
...........Stonechat and..............
........this Rock Pipit with 4 others nearby.
On the rocks at the north end of the cove were these two Oystercatchers.
The Grove Cliffs in the distance where the Fulmars have arrived at their nest sites.
Here is one of the Fulmars.
An unexpected bird to find at the foot of the Grove Cliffs was this male Pheasant, which played "dead" for ages...........
........before realising I wasn't a threat and headed of into the boulders.
And finally 3 of the 8 Greenfinches in Wakeham Wood. A rare sight nowadays.
Birds Recorded: 5 Fulmar, Cormorant, 2 Peregrine Falcon, 1 Kestrel, 1 Pheasant, 3 Oystercatcher, Herring Gull, Great Black-backed Gull, Wood Pigeon, Collared Dove, 1 Meadow Pipit, 5 Rock Pipit, 1 Pied Wagtail, Magpie, 1 Raven, Carrion Crow, Jackdaw, Wren, Dunnock, 1 Chiffchaff, 3 Goldcrest, 2 Stonechat, 1 Black Redstart, Robin, Blackbird, 1 Redwing, 2 Song Thrush, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Long-tailed Tit, House Sparrow, Chaffinch, Goldfinch and 8 Greenfinch.
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On this day..........
2018
Today's Sightings Here