Portland Harbour and Ferrybridge
What a beautiful sunny day and my chosen venues today were Portland Harbour and Ferrybridge. I parked up by Hamm Beach Here and walked alongside the beach up as far as the bridge where you cross over for the Chesil Beach Visitors Centre. From this point onwards I walked along the edge of Ferrybridge Sandflats, before going under the road bridge and then doubling back along the harbour side from Billy Winters back to the car at Hamm Beach.
The water in the harbour was like a mill pool and spotting birds on the water couldn't have been easier, plus using the scope I was even able to see the Black-necked Grebes in Bincleaves Cove.
There were some really good birds with 4 Great Northern Divers dotted about, 9 Black-necked Grebes which eventually turned to 11, a Black-throated Diver, a Dark-bellied Brent Goose and at least 25 Red-breasted Mergansers.
Along the harbour side I came across a Grey Heron and 7 Turnstone at Hamm Beach and dotted along the beach towards Billy Winters there were at least 4 Oystercatchers. At Billy Winters there was an Eider duck just off the beach whilst under the road bridge a Little Egret was feeding alongside the sea wall. On the return leg the Dark-bellied Brent Goose which was way out in the harbour came into the cove at Hamm Beach and proceeded to munch on the seaweed there.
Ferrybridge was a bit disappointing and apart from 30+ Black-headed Gulls and a handful of Herring Gulls that was it on the sandflats. Out on the Fleet were several Red-breasted Mergansers and a few Cormorants.
Here are a few images from today:
What a beautiful sunny day and my chosen venues today were Portland Harbour and Ferrybridge. I parked up by Hamm Beach Here and walked alongside the beach up as far as the bridge where you cross over for the Chesil Beach Visitors Centre. From this point onwards I walked along the edge of Ferrybridge Sandflats, before going under the road bridge and then doubling back along the harbour side from Billy Winters back to the car at Hamm Beach.
The water in the harbour was like a mill pool and spotting birds on the water couldn't have been easier, plus using the scope I was even able to see the Black-necked Grebes in Bincleaves Cove.
There were some really good birds with 4 Great Northern Divers dotted about, 9 Black-necked Grebes which eventually turned to 11, a Black-throated Diver, a Dark-bellied Brent Goose and at least 25 Red-breasted Mergansers.
Along the harbour side I came across a Grey Heron and 7 Turnstone at Hamm Beach and dotted along the beach towards Billy Winters there were at least 4 Oystercatchers. At Billy Winters there was an Eider duck just off the beach whilst under the road bridge a Little Egret was feeding alongside the sea wall. On the return leg the Dark-bellied Brent Goose which was way out in the harbour came into the cove at Hamm Beach and proceeded to munch on the seaweed there.
Ferrybridge was a bit disappointing and apart from 30+ Black-headed Gulls and a handful of Herring Gulls that was it on the sandflats. Out on the Fleet were several Red-breasted Mergansers and a few Cormorants.
Here are a few images from today:
A Grey Heron at Hamm Beach
As the tide came in he was soon off with a Herring Gull for company.
Also at Hamm Beach was this Oystercatcher and a few Turnstones........
............continually searching for food.
It wasn't long before the Oystercatcher was off.
Chesil Beach Visitors Centre with the bridge and Portland Beach Road in the foreground.
A very very distant shot of 10 of the 11 Black-necked Grebes off Bincleaves Cove.
In the Fleet (under the road bridge) a Little Grebe was...........
............searching for small fish.
And in front of Billy Winters this Eider duck.
Here she is having a stretch before........
............eventually heading off towards The Fleet.
I couldn't make my mind up which one I liked........
.......so I've added 2 photos of this Red-breasted Merganser which was fishing very close to the beach.
One of the shortest videos I think I have ever made. Such a busy bird.
And finally Ted, enjoying another long walk today.
Birds Recorded: 1 Black-throated Diver, 4 Great Northern Diver, 11 Black-necked Grebe, Cormorant, Shag, 1 Little Egret, 1 Grey Heron, 1 Dark-bellied Brent Goose, 1 Common Eider, 30+ Red-breasted Merganser, 2 Kestrel, 4 Oystercatcher, 7 Turnstone, Black-headed Gull, Herring Gull, Great Black-backed Gull, 2 Rock Pipit, 1 Pied Wagtail, Magpie, Carrion Crow, Starling and 8 Linnet
Ships Today
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On this day..........
2019Today's Sightings Here.
2018
Today's Sightings Here.