Posted a little late!
Thirteen Club members met up at the first location, Maiden Castle just outside Dorchester at around 10:15. The fields below this huge iron age fort are a reliable site for Corn Bunting and other farmland birds. There were huge numbers of Goldfinch and Linnet feeding in an old sunflower crop and we eventually managed to ‘scope up a number of stocky Corn Buntings resting on a tree top.
From here we drove to Lodmoor RSPB reserve, E. of Weymouth. At the start of a circular walk, sharp-eyed Tim Adcock spotted a couple of Bearded Tits. After some patient viewing we all got glimpses of these reedbed residents. Other species here were Cetti’s Warblers heard, Black-tailed Godwits, Great White Egret, a good number of Snipe, a few Swallow and all the common dabbling ducks and a few Med Gulls. The resident Marsh Harriers didn’t show, which is very unusual.
Next stop was the Ferrybridge car park, overlooking Chesil Fleet. The tide was low but we had decent scope views of Dunlin, Turnstone, Ringed Plover, 5 Bar-tailed Godwit and a few Sanderling, 2 Sandwich Terns and, for this site, the inevitable Mediterranean Gulls. A couple of Wheatear were also present. Time was marching on so we headed on to Portland Bill itself and down to the Observatory, which comprises the old Portland lighthouse. Once we had our rooms sorted and had ‘moved in’ it was time for a cuppa. A short walk to the ‘Obs quarry’, a vegetated hollow with a back wall of huge Portland stone boulders, failed to reveal the resident Little Owl. We did see this resident at some point during the weekend but I can’t now recall exactly when! Late afternoon and evening were spent chilling and Alan & Tim organised fish & chips.

Saturday is usually early breakfast then out on the terrace with ‘scopes, seawatching for a couple of hours. Most numerous were Gannets of all ages, then large-ish groups of auks comprising Guillemots and Razorbills although ID at distance is never easy. The best birds were small numbers of Balearic Shearwaters – regular passage birds here, best described as Manx Shearwaters with dirty underwings! The occasional Kittiwake passed by and a couple of Great Skuas and a few Common Scoter were seen. After tea/coffee to rest our eyes, we walked down to the tip of the bill. A Wheatear was on the large field. Sea passage had quietened so we headed up to the ‘top fields’. On the way Tim Adcock had brief views of a large pipit but it vanished from view – could have been a Richard’s! Also just as we set off a Hobby suddenly appeared and chased around for a short while, no doubt after the few migrating Swallows. The top fields provided a couple of Whinchat and a few Stonechats, and there were 5 Stock Doves in one field. News then came through of a Red-breasted Flycatcher at the Culverwell ringing area, which was on our way so we hurried off downhill. It looked like a needle in a haystack job in the dense scrub, so 2 or 3 of us [including me], who were wilting a bit, set off back to the Obs. The stalwarts who stayed ‘got’ the bird, so after our picnic lunches on the terrace, the others of us went back and eventually got views of this little gem. Another highlight was a Firecrest which had been trapped in the obs garden, so we had close views of this gorgeous bird when the warden Martin Cade, brought it up to the terrace to show us.
The afternoon was spent in a couple of wooded areas looking for Yellow-browed Warblers, which had been reported. It was quite windy which made finding small birds in tall Sycamores, quite difficult! We managed to find a few Chiffchaffs but not much else. Gareth Jenkins who joined us from his B&B accommodation, managed to see the local Barn Owl in the headlights of his car as he arrived. Dinner this evening was taken at the Eight Kings pub in Southwell, which Alan had booked during the fish & chip run. A couple of hiccups in the food orders, but we did descend on them with 16 orders! All in all it had been a good day.

Sunday and seawatching again early doors – passage seemed to be a bit quieter this morning, but similar species were seen. Alan was lucky enough to see a passing Merlin, spotted by the resident seawtcher. We had to clear our rooms by 10 a.m. so as the weather forecast wasn’t too good we decided to head off to Ferrybridge again as the tide was about right. Our departure was delayed when news came that Martin had trapped a Yellow-browed Warbler, so we all trooped out to the terrace to get fab close up views of this nicely marked relative of Chiffchaff. Then, just as we were about to depart, a Red-breasted Flycatcher had suddenly arrived in a large Holm Oak near the Obs entrance. Sharp-eyed Tim A. spotted it in the dark under the tree and it was a different bird to the Culverwell one. It went into cover and we decided we had to leave. Tim Collier managed to get a great shot later, as he was due to stay another day, having travelled down in his campervan.
At Ferrybridge, the tide was so high there was no exposed mud and no waders! We spent some time studying the Med Gulls, of which there were about 80, so we managed to give some of the assembled spotters, a lesson in Med Gull ageing! Coffees were consumed, and some nice snacks from the cafe, and then the tide began to fall and the same species of wader returned, giving closer views this time. Also as a finale, 16 Brent Geese flew in, these being the dark-bellied race Branta bernicla bernicla, which breed in Siberia. Portland Bill had more or less disappeared in the increasing drizzle, so we all set off for home, except for those who had further plans. For some the journey back was pretty dire with torrential rain and standing water on the motorways, but we all got back safely after a great weekend.
The full list is here.

John Wilson