Portland Bird Observatory
After a morning in Weymouth, followed by a trip to the Portland Recycling Centre, I decided to give the Observatory a quick visit, before the forecasted rain arrived.
Having parked up in the Obs car park, I made my way straight to the Obs Quarry in the hope of seeing the long-staying Wryneck. Along with other birders we had a good look, but to no avail.
And then word came out, that it had been trapped in the Obs garden and they were keeping it there, until all of us at the quarry had managed to get back to see it.
We had great close-up views of it, but annoyingly the battery on my camera failed just as I was videoing it doing its "twist and turns", defense mechanism Wrynecks have evolved to ward of predators. Hence the name wry neck.
The rain did eventually start to fall and as I was heading back to the shelter of the car, I was told that the long-staying Sabine's Gull was back at Chesil Cove. So off I went.
Birds Recorded:
Kestrel
Herring Gull
Great Black-backed Gull
Wood Pigeon
1 Wryneck
Meadow Pipit
Dunnock
Robin
Blackbird
4 Redwing
Great Tit
Blue Tit
Wren
Magpie
Carrion Crow
Jackdaw
Starling
House Sparrow
Chaffinch
Linnet
Goldfinch
Meadow Pipit
Dunnock
Robin
Blackbird
4 Redwing
Great Tit
Blue Tit
Wren
Magpie
Carrion Crow
Jackdaw
Starling
House Sparrow
Chaffinch
Linnet
Goldfinch
Here are a few images and a video of the Wryneck trapped and then ringed at the Observatory today.
Ships Today:
This is the Panamanian Container Ship "NYK Orion" on its way from Singapore to Rotterdam. More on this vessel Here.
This is the British Fishing Boat PH171 "Boy Sidney" fishing off Portland Bill.
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Chesil Cove
As I arrived at the cove, another birder was heading back to his car as it was still raining. Apparently the Sabine's was showing well, which was really good to hear.
As I headed to the esplanade, luck was on my side and the the rain began to ease off. A quick look up and down the beach, revealed nothing!!
Surely I couldn't be that unlucky, and then coming towards me alongside West Weares the Sabine's Gull appeared. A first for my Portland Bird List.
The views of this gull were incredible as it came right in close to the shoreline. The closest I have ever got to seeing one, was many years ago out in the English Channel from the deck of a Cross-Channel Ferry.
Birds Recorded:
6 Black-headed Gull
Herring Gull
Great Black-backed Gull
1 Sabine’s Gull
Lots of photos and videos of the Sabine's Gull at Chesil Cove today:
The Sabine's Gull "hovering" above this Great Black-backed Gull which has found a fish to eat.
Chesil Cove where the Sabine's Gull was today