SOUTH COAST: Day 3

15th April 2012

The last day of our whistle-stop tour of the south coast, and we headed out early to Portland Bill again in search of migrants.  Two flyover Lesser Redpoll were our only reward, so we began our journey back to Norfolk via Glamorgan to see the longstaying Lesser Scaup.

The Lesser Scaup was excellent for two reasons.  Firstly, the location.  Cosmeston Lakes CP was very Whitlingham-esque.  When we got there we found a large lake, with people canoeing along the back, and model yachters along the near side.  It was jammed full of people.  After walking along some boardwalk we came to the second lake, which was quieter and had some birds on it.  This is where the similarities end, as here they had made the second lake a conservation lake - at Whitlingham there is a very heavily used lake and a slightly less heavily used lake.  Anyway, the Lesser Scaup was visible from a viewing platform with a small group of Tufted Ducks.  This enabled us to get good views (I could even see some slight vermaculations on the white sides), and I am now confident that were one of these to turn up locally, I could not only ID it but justify my ID to a records committee!

Whilst at Cosmeston we also saw a Common Sandpiper, my first of the year, and then some Red Kites on the way home.

SOUTH COAST: Day 2

14th April 2012

An early start had us at Portland Bill, where we were hoping for some migrants fresh in from the continent.  A number of Wheatears was a start, along with several Swallows flying through.  The local Rock Pipits were calling and feeding on the rocks below.  Most birders seemed to be sea-watching, so we had a quick look, and located typical species (Manx Shearwater, Razorbill, Guillemot etc).  Further round we were put onto a lone Puffin on the sea.  A calling Yellow Wagtail flew over unseen, and a Stonechat sat up on some gorse in the distance, but it was very quiet.  My first Sand Martins and House Martins of the year came in off the sea, and we got close up views of a Kestrel and more distant views of a Raven.

After breakfast we decided to try a high point overlooking the bay, and when this didn't work we had a look around one of the large abandoned quarries that is now a nature reserve, and a birdless one at that.  Of botanical interest was some dead looking Ivy Broomrape.  Getting no-where fast we decided to go somewhere where there were actually some birds, to remind us what they looked like.  I suggested Radipole in the hope of seeing that plastic Hooded Merganser that's been there ages.  As it turned out we couldn't even find that, but whilst there we did get great views of a Glossy Ibis, brief views of a Kingfisher and my first Reed Warbler of the year.  Cetti's Warblers were very showy here, we saw at least five.  Afterwards we headed back to Portland, and found nothing, again.

SOUTH COAST: Day 1 Photo "special"

13th April 2012

In view of his impending marriage, Adam wanted to have a few days of birding outside of Norfolk, and it was decided to head down to Portland Bill, calling in at some good birds on the way.  First stop was Hordle in Hampshire, where an adult Rose-coloured Starling was frequenting the village.  We went for a walk around scanning TV aerials etc, only to come back and find it perched on a telegraph post above the car.  It was flighty, so the photograph is nothing more than a distant record shot.

Carrying on into Wiltshire we stopped at Langford Lakes, seeing my first Sedge Warbler of the year and a Ferruginous Duck.

Next stop Chew, and having struggled to find the specific area, we eventually stopped on the road bridge overlooking Herriott's bay.  The Spotted Sandpiper was doing manic circuits around a rocky island, and was partly overshadowed by a showy Grey Wagtail.

More fun and games trying to find the site that had two Long-billed Dowitchers (the car park is called one thing, and appears to serve three nature reserves with different names).  Once there the dowitchers showed beautifully, and a Great White Egret flew overhead and landed on the same scrape.  One of the locals told us it had been ringed in France in 2009.

With no sign of the previous days Blue-winged Teal at Ham Wall, we headed to Abbotsbury where a Black-winged Stilt was showing distantly.  We also picked up some Terns and a Green Sandpiper here, before heading to our hotel on Portland.