Radipole RSPB & Lodmoor RSPB - Sat 9 Apr

Driving back in to Weymouth from Portland we stopped off for a visit to Radipole. We only paid for an hour and after checking to see if anything was about walked out to North Hide. A few Reed Warblers were singing and a handfull of Sand Martins were hawking over the water. As we reached the hide a female Marsh Harrier was seen in flight. We had been told in the Visitor Centre that a pair of Kingfishers were nesting near the artifical Sand Martin nest bank. After a short while we got on to a fishing Kingfisher, my first of the year. We then retraced our steps back to car. John and Andy took a walk round the Buddleja Loop, Steve decided to meander back, and I pegged it so that I could try and locate the long-staying Hooded Merganser. I eventually found the bird roosting, though it was a little too distant to get a decent photo.
Our hour up, we set off again and before long found ourselves at Lodmoor RSPB. We walked around the reserve, seeing what was almost certainly the same female Marsh Harrier that we had seen earlier at Radipole. We managed to get very good views of the wintering Long-billed Dowitcher that John and I had seen way back in January.

A single Ringed Plover and two summer-plumaged Dunlin were also present. A Cetti's Warbler showed well next to where we had parked the car, and a couple more Reed Warblers were heard. With little else about we decied to call it a day, though it was only 2.30pm!