Ferrybridge, Portland and Lodmoor RSPB - Wed 21 Apr

My half day and as the weather was pretty gorgeous I decided to head south and visit Portland. I drove straight down to Weymouth and on towards Portland, stopping for about ten minutes or so at Ferrybridge. As I scanned across the water there were four Sandwich Terns flying about and a single Little Tern was sat on a buoy.
I then drove straight up to Portland and parked in Weston and walked along Barleycrates Lane towards the West Cliffs. Within the first twenty yards or so I had found a female Redstart showing well on a fence post. I then scanned across the field that runs alongside the path and saw seven or so Wheatears and three Whinchats. I continued up the path until I reached the West Cliffs where a few Fulmars were soaring about and then retraced my steps back down Barleycrates Lane towards the car. As I neared the end of the path I saw a fleeting glimpse of a warbler, just the tail and under-tail coverts. I was pretty sure of what I had just seen, but spent another fifteen minutes trying to get better views and my patience eventually paid off as a cracking Grasshopper Warbler popped in to view. There were also several Linnets about and Meadow Pipits and Skylarks were in song.
I got back to the car and drove out to the Bill, parking at the Bird Observatory. Walking up to Top Fields I saw a couple of male Redstarts and another Wheatear. I continued across to West Cliffs and then walked down to the Bill proper. Looking out to sea I saw a few auks, primarily Razerbills but a couple of Guillemots too. A few Kittiwakes flew through, as did a Manx Shearwater. A Peregrine was perched up on the cliff near Pulpit Rock. With little else happening on the sea I walked back towards the Bird Obs via the Hut Fields. Here I saw several Rock Pipits and yet more Wheatears and a female Black Redstart. I got back to the car at about 5.30pm and decided to head to Lodmoor RSPB in Weymouth.
Arriving at Lodmoor I took the plunge and walked the whole route starting at the top of Beachdown Way. After about fifty yards I could hear a Grasshopper Warbler reeling in the reeds and a Reed Warbler flitted by. There were also numerous Cetti's and Sedge Warblers singing. Two Black-tailed Godwits were present, along with three Common Sandpipers and a flock of about twenty-five Dunlin. By the time I completed the cicuit and got back to the car it was 7.30pm, so I left Weymouth and headed home after a great afternoon of birding.
UK year list for 2010 now at 178 species.