A Quick Catch up

Just a quick update to bring everything up to date.  Haven't had much time out since my last blog post but have still managed to see a few bits...

On Friday a quick look around mid afternoon revealed my first Whitethroats of the year - one of each-type in fact!  An elusive male Lesser Whitethroat was half-heartedly singing next to the Bridge Marsh gateway, and a male Common Whitethroat looked like a proper migrant feeding in flowering blackthorn alongside the Estuary with a few Willow Warblers.  Great to see a brick red male Bar-tailed Godwit on the Estuary too, finally.

Male Common Whitethroat 

Male Bar-tailed Godwit

 

Later on Friday a lovely evening wander, surrounded by feeding hirundines, was made even better with my third Osprey on the spring.  It completely surprised me flying low south past me, before spending about ten minutes fishing on the Estuary, and then flying back north past me.  It was seen again the following morning. Unusual for a spring bird to linger.

Osprey with a Herring Gull escort

Saturday evening a short seawatch was called for following a light late afternoon skua passage past Portland and Chesil.  No skuas for me, with just five Whimbrel west and 23 Manx Shearwaters.  A quick look at Black Hole Marsh afterwards showed two Bar-tailed Godwits.

Then today, an early morning trip to Black Hole Marsh was worthwhile with two Ruff feeding on the far edge of the reserve.  The light was always poor but could see one was a nice male.  A Lesser Whitethroat was singing away too, and showed really well albeit briefly.

Nothing rough about these Ruff! Well except for the photo of them...

Now on 141 species for the Patchwork Challenge year list, equating to 183 points.