Well it was an early rise this morning and a visit to the Bill for a seawatch. I arrived just before sunrise at 7:30am and as I stepped out of the car I was welcomed with a very light shower. Fortunately it passed quickly and the rest of the morning remained dry and sunny with a very chilly north-westerly.
Yesterday morning at The Bill, there had been hundreds of shearwaters passing through (See Here), so I thought I'd have a look this morning. Sadly all I could muster was 3 Balearic Shearwaters heading west, but at least they were firsts for the year.
There were many other highlights including a late juvenile Wheatear at The Bill, and hundreds of finches heading out to sea. In the opposite direction were dozens of Meadow Pipits flying inland.
Whilst I was at the Bill I missed out on a Radde's Warbler and Little Bunting both caught in the mist nets at the Obs.
Mammals Recorded:
1 Grey Seal
5 Bunny
1 Brown Rat
Birds Recorded:
3 Balearic Shearwater
50+ Gannet
Cormorant
Shag
3 Common Scoter
2 Kestrel
2 Turnstone
Black-headed Gull
100+ Mediterranean Gull
Herring Gull
30+ Great Black-backed Gull
Kittiwake
100's Razorbill/Guillemots
Wood Pigeon
Collared Dove
1 Little Owl
Skylark
Meadow Pipit
Rock Pipit
Pied Wagtail
Dunnock
Robin
Blackbird
1 Blackcap
8 Chiffchaff
2 Goldcrest
Great Tit
Blue Tit
Wren
Magpie
Rook
Carrion Crow
Jackdaw
Raven
Starling
House Sparrow
Chaffinch
50+ Redpoll
Linnet
100+ Siskin
Goldfinch
3 Reed Bunting
One of a good 50+ Gannets off the Bill.
A Shag makes its way around the Pulpit
An adult Winter Black-headed Gull
An adult Winter Mediterranean Gull
And two 1st Winter Mediterranean Gulls.
An adult Great Black-backed Gull
Razorbills
A Little Owl in the Obs Quarry
There were dozens of Meadow Pipits coming in off the sea and landing in the fields close by.
A Chiffchaff feeding in the Ivy
Below are a few photos and videos of the juvenile Wheatear at The Bill
(Slow-motion)
There were hundreds of Siskins passing overhead. These........
..........two stopped off in the Obs garden
1 Meadow Brown
4 Red Admiral
1 Painted Lady
Bees Recorded:
Common Carder Bumblebee (Bombus pascuorum)
Honey Bee (Apis mellifera)
Ivy Bee (Colletes hederae)
A Common Carder on Common Knapweed (Centaurea nigra)
Ivy Bee (Colletes hederae)
Wasps, Ichneumon Wasps, Parasitic Wasps and Gall Wasps Recorded:
Common Wasp (Vespula vulgaris)
General Shots and Videos:
Sunrise
Portland Lighthouse and Obelisk Shots
The Pulpit
Ted:
I don't think Ted is too happy about having his lead on. Safety first Ted!!
Ships Today:
This is the British PO9 Fishing Boat "Freya May" dropping nets just off The Bill.
This is the British Fishing Boat PH 37 "Loyal Friend" fishing just off Portland Bill. More on this vessel Here.
This is the British Fishing boat WH1236 "Utsker" fishing just of Portland Bill.
On the left is "Utsker" and..............
...................on the right "Loyal Friend" fishing over The Races.