TICKING THE VELVET

After seeing Steves post about scoters off Deal Pier,went over to see them this morning there must be 200 at least with at least 5 velvet scoters among them.I first saw them from the beach and then from the end of the pier,they were drifting on the incoming tide and then flying back to the start of the mussel bed I assume and repeating the process over and over,it is possible to pick out the velvets on the water with a bit of luck,they appear to be darker and slightly larger than their common cousins,and may show a bit of white on the wing,but in flight they are easily picked out as the white secondaries stand out.

VELVET SCOTER with 2 COMMON

VELVET SCOTER

Some of the 200 strong flock of scoters approximately 400 m off the end of Deal Pier

Apart from the scoters there were several Red Throated Divers,a few GCGrebes and Brent Geese,15 Lapwings,a couple of Guillemots and a pair of Shelduck flying by.

CATCHING UP

Last week did the Stodmarsh/Grove circuit austensibly to try for the Penduline Tits,but even without their prescence it was a pleasant  to wander taking in the mellow fruitfulness of a sunny november afternoon.

REED MACE,when you are looking for penduline tits it is amazing how much of this there is hiding amongst the phragmites.

PHRAGMITES SEED HEAD.The air was filled with windblown seeds shining in the low sunlight.

REED BUNTING

HIPS

HAWS
Getting back towards Stodmarsh on the Lampern Wall the harriers started coming in to roost,several Marsh Harriers and a single female Hen Harrier were seen.

FEMALE HEN HARRIER.
Also flying in to roost were hundreds of winter thrushes;

 FIELDFARE Coming home to roost.

STODMARSH SUNDOWNER

Closer to home the Prince of Wales Pier had a dozen Turnstones last week and a common seal,Samphire Hoe played host to a DESERT WARBLER last sunday for an all too brief visit,so brief that only one lucky person saw it,it was only the 11th record ever for Britain and despite an extensive
search it could not be refound.

TURNSTONE

TURNSTONE

COMMON SEAL

ROCK PIPIT
I stayed at the Hoe until sunset hoping that the Desert Warbler would resurface but to no avail.

SAMPHIRE HOE SUNSET

BAY WATCH

Had a walk along the beach at Sandwich on Wednesday afternoon to try for the Dartford Wobbler,had no luck with that but lots of skylarks, meadow pipits,a late wheatear and a pair of stonechats made for some interest.

SKYLARK

WHEATEAR maybe the last of the year?

STONECHAT female

STONECHAT male
Got back to Dicksons corner just in time to see the Short Eared Owl fly over, it then departed towards the Chequers.The whinchat and four more stonechats were present too.

S.E.OWL

EYES FRONT

DON`T LOOK DOWN

HERES LOOKING AT YOU MR.

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.