WEY OUT WEST

Last week a party of 31 from Sandwich Bay spent a very enjoyable christmas break in Weymouth,on the way calling at Pulborough Brooks in Sussex.

NUTHATCH on feeder at PB

THE HATCH OF A NUTHATCH.
From here it was off to the hotel MON AMI on Weymouth seafront via Sandbanks,and the chain ferry to Studland.
It was already christmas eve when we arrived and carols were being sung by a heavenly choir,well most of them were close to being heavenly.
If its christmas day on a tuesday in October it must be Portland looking in at Ferrybridge en route

BRENT GEESE a BLACK BRANT  in centre

PORTLAND BILL LIGHTHOUSE
In the days leading up to the trip, Portland was stuffed with migrants,guess who should have been here yesterday,as you can see it was a benign day and the birds had left leaving only common birds behind

PIED WAGTAIL

ROCK PIPIT

LITTLE OWL in quarry near the observatory.

CHESIL BEACH

OLYMPIC RINGS and PORTLAND HARBOUR
A quick visit to Radipole before our christmas dinner

HOODED MERGANSER still on the lake there.
Turkey dinners for all and christmas pudding for afters brilliant marketing.
Boxing day off to Brownsea Island it was blustery and showery and the ferry was in doubt but eventually arrived and took us across to the island, home to red squirrels and numerous wading birds and ducks.

JAY searhing in vain for acorns.

TWO MURKY AVOCETS

RED SQUIRREL with deformed ears

GATHERING SWEET CHESTNUTS

NIBBLING NUTS

 

MAID OF POOLE

ISLE OF WIGHT from DURLSTON HEAD

DURLSTON LIGHT

RAVEN--" ANYTHING FOR LUNCH SIR?"

SIKA STAG at ARNE

STARLINGS at LODMOOR

STARLING ROOST 30-40000 BIRDS?
New years eve on thursday found the late birds doing the oky coky and singing auld langs syne at 10.15-- the crazy world of Hotel Mon Ami.
We all went our separate ways on Saturday fulfilled with the christmas spirit and hope for the new year,the only problem was we didn`t know what year we were in.
HAPPY CHRISTMAS ONE AND ALL.

WEYMOUTH CLOCK TOWER.