Today's walk was from Hamm Beach to Billy Winters, and then after crossing Portland Beach Road it was the return leg from the Chesil Beach Visitors Centre back to Hamm Beach.
Not too many birds about, but there were plenty of interest with my first Common Eider of the year, a good 70+ Red-breasted Merganser in the harbour, a fly-by Whimbrel, 11 Turnstone, 5 singing Skylarks and a male Wheatear.
Birds Recorded:
Cormorant
4 Common Eider
70+ Red-breasted Merganser
1 Whimbrel
11 Turnstone
Black-headed Gull
Herring Gull
Great Black-backed Gull
5 Skylark
6 Meadow Pipit
2 Pied Wagtail
1 Wheatear
Magpie
Carrion Crow
My first Common Eider of the year.
Front left to right a duck, drake, duck and a juvenile drake. I think I've got that right.
Here they are again heading towards Sandsfoot Castle, below are a few of the 70+ Red-breasted Mergansers
Along the Portland Harbour Beach I came across eleven Turnstone.......
...........feeding close to the shoreline.
There aren't many waders you can get this close to.
Here is one flying off towards Hamm Beach, followed by.....
......four more.
Here is a compilation of 4 video clips of the Turnstones feeding on the beach
A 4th Calendar Year Herring Gull and.......
.........another one.
These two Great Black-backed Gulls were really going for it.
It was pretty intense and then the male in the foreground, mated with the female.
I can honestly say I've not witnessed so much aggression, but they both flew off as if nothing had happened.
My attempt at photographing Skylarks.......
..........singing above my head. I'll try to video them next time.
And just the one Wheatear seen along Chesil Beach. A male that kept its distance from me.
Danish Scurvygrass (Cochlearia danica)
On the bank behind Hamm Beach were lots of Lesser Celandine in flower.
Looking north from Hamm Beach (Ted's there somewhere)
And again looking north but on the otherside of the main road. The bridge is from the Visitors Centre to the beach.
Ted:
The groom room beckons Ted.
Ted checking why he is on a lead.