14 Mar 22

Portland Beach Road

Sometimes roadworks can be a blessing, well they were in this case by the Chesil Beach Visitors Centre. As I pulled up to the red traffic light, I could see my first Wheatear of the year, feeding in the scrubland to my left, just under Chesil Beach. Also in the area were both Skylarks and Meadow Pipits singing.

Birds Recorded:
2 Skylark
3 Meadow Pipit
1 Wheatear

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RSPB Radipole Lake

After a bit of shopping in Weymouth, next stop was Radipole in the hope of seeing a Sand Martin or two. Unfortunately not today.

However my 50p bird watching visit, that's how much it is to park for an hour in the Swannery Car Park, was still pretty good, especially with some very vocal Cetti's Warblers and Chiffchaffs.

Also about were 4 Peacock butterflies.

Birds Recorded:
1 Great Crested Grebe
Cormorant
Mute Swan
Mallard
Gadwall
Teal
Shoveler
Tufted Duck
1 Sparrowhawk
1 Marsh Harrier
Water Rail
Moorhen
Coot
Black-headed Gull
Herring Gull
Wood Pigeon
Pied Wagtail
Dunnock
Robin
Blackbird
Cetti's Warbler
8 Chiffchaff (5 singing)
Bearded Tit
Great Tit
Blue Tit
Wren
Magpie
Carrion Crow
Jackdaw
Starling
Chaffinch
Goldfinch
Greenfinch
Reed Bunting

A lone Great Crested Grebe.

Perhaps its partner is on a nest somewhere close. Not that I could see it.

A drake Shoveler has a stretch.

And a distant shot of a Sparrowhawk circling over the reserve.

Just left of centre you can just make out the courtship display of a male Cetti's Warbler. I didn't want to move the camera just in case it went out of focus. Eventually I did, as it flew left. Talk about vocal though!!

One of 7 Chiffchaffs around the Buddleia Loop.

And another peering through the Pussy Willows

There were at least 5 Chiffchaffs singing as I walked around the Buddleia Loop. This one was singing very intermittently, along with a Water Rail squealing behind me.

The same Chiffchaff as above but with a loud outburst by a Cetti's Warbler at the start of the video.

Butterflies Recorded:
4 Peacock


Ted:

Yes Ted, Mute Swans and a lot bigger than you!!