Stanpit Marsh & Highcliffe - Mon 11 Apr

I had the day booked off work so offered to take Ellie down to Highcliffe so that she could get her hair cut and whilst there we took the opportunity to visit her parents. We decided on a walk at Stanpit before meeting her folks for lunch but after a hundred metres the chill wind drove Ellie back to the car, so I continued on alone! It was hardly worth the effort though as all I saw for my efforts were a couple of Curlew and a couple of dozen Black-tailed Godwits on the mud. A fair number of Sand Martins were present, but the only other migrant I saw was a single Common Whitethroat. As I returned to the car, a Cetti's Warbler was calling.
We then drove along to Mudeford and had a very pleasant lunch with the in-laws before we set off to Highcliffe. I dropped Ellie off at the hairdresser and went and parked the car in the cliff top car park for an hour. I had a good wander about, but saw nothing out of the ordinary, though there were loads of Greenfinches about and a few Linnets.

Sea-watching produced nothing apart from a couple of Cormorants and the usual gulls, an extremely distant black blob looked interesting, but was probably just an auk! So not a lot on note today, but then again, it was not a birding day I suppose, especially as I ended up in a garden centre for what seemed like most of the afternoon!

Meare Heath NR and Ham Wall RSPB - Sun 10 Apr

Ellie and I decided that as it was another wonderful day we would head up to the Somerset Levels for a walk after lunch. Parking as usual at Ashcott Corner we walked out on to Meare Heath, and one of the first birds we saw was a Bittern in flight! We then took a look over the drained lagoon where a drake Green-winged Teal was showing really well (see the really top quality record shot of it feeding below!):

A single Bar-tailed Godwit was present with the Black-tailed Godwits, apparently a rare Meare Heath bird! We then continued on to the hide overlooking Noah's Lake. The hide the packed so I had to stick my head in through the door and a very obliging gentleman set his scope up so that I could first see a Little Tern and then a Cattle Egret, birding does not get much easier than that! Another Bittern also flew across the water.
We then retraced our steps and walked out on to Ham Wall. There were slightly fewer birds this side of the road, but at least three Bitterns were booming. Several warblers were singing away, including at least one Sedge Warbler. There were several butterflies on the wing and we saw loads of Small Tortoiseshells, Peacocks, Brimstone, and Orange Tips.

After being out and about for a good couple of hours our stomachs started rumbling and prompted us to head on home for dinner.
UK list for 2011 now at 197 species.

Sutton Bingham - Sun 10 Apr

An hour long visit whilst Ellie was at church was spent at the southern end of the reservoir due to Model Boats on West Pool, and a large number of sailors and canoeists on the main reservoir meaning there were no birds elsewhere on the water. I parked by the hide and walked south, a Blackcap was singing near the southern causeway and five Swallows were whizzing around overhead. As I entered the trees I was surprised as a Tawny Owl flew out in front of me and away through the vegetation! Whilst I had heard Tawny Owls at the reservoir, this was the first time I had actually seen one here. The first Willow Warbler of the spring was in reluctant song whilst several Chiffchaffs were in full voice. A probable Sedge Warbler was starting to spill out a few notes, but I could not locate it. Two male Reed Buntings were also present. I also saw a few Speckled Wood butterflies on the wing.

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!

Portland - Sat 9 Apr

An early start as myself and three mates set off at 6.20am and headed south, arriving on the Isle of Portland at 7.00am. Our first port of call was Barleycrates Lane in Weston where we took a walk out to West Cliffs and back along Reap Lane to the car. Other than several Wheatears we didn't see much until we were nearly back at the car when I spotted a female Ring Ouzel! A cracking bird and a good start to the day.
We then drove on down to the Bill, and as the Bird Obs car park was full we had to shell out and pay to park. We set off to pick up the target bird as the Short-toed Lark I had seen on Monday was still present and was a UK tick for Steve and John. The bird showed really well in the same field it was in earlier in the week.

A few more Wheatears were also about, including one Greenland Wheatear. A walk up to Top Fields and back down through Culverwell failed to produce any migants, and the Hut Fields were equally unproductive. So we spent twenty minutes sea-watching.
This was also pretty poor, though several Gannets passed through and I got on three "Commic" Terns, but they were too far out to pin them down to a species. Several auks and a few Kittiwakes also passed through.
With our ticket expired we headed back inland and took a walk down to Church Ope cove. However, this also failed to produce any birds, other than a soaring Sparrowhawk, so we called an end to our morning on Portland.

Sutton Bingham - Fri 8 Apr

Ellie had choir practice tonight so I dropped her off and popped up to the reservoir for an hour. I parked near the hide and took a quick stroll along the water's edge. A pair of Mute Swans swam past and a small flock of Canada Geese were present. Five or so Swallows and two Sand Martins were hawking for insects high above the reservoir. I then drove up to the northern causeway and took a look over West Pool where there were four pairs of Tufted Ducks. The main reservoir held nothing of interest and as my hour was up I set off back towards home. However, to round the day off I got a pager message saying that the Ferruginous Duck had been seen at Chew and three Yellow Wagtails were at Tealham late afternoon...so a bit frustrating knowing I had missed these!

Meare Heath NR and Ham Wall RSPB - Fri 8 Apr

I parked at Ashcott Corner and walked out to Noah's Lake, but there were some rather chatty people in the hide so I did not linger. It was now extremely warm and as a result there were fairly few birds about, although several Willow Warblers, Chiffchaffs, and Blackcaps were in full song. A Peregrine was soaring very high in the sky, and on the drained lagoon a single Little Ringed Plover was present alongside several Black-tailed Godwits.
I then walked over to Ham Wall and managed to track down a Common Whitethroat as it sang from the undergrowth. At least five Bitterns were booming, and I managed to see one very briefly as it withdrew deeper in to the reedbeds. Several butterflies were on the wing, with Peacock, Brimstone and Orange Tips being especially numerous, I also saw my first Red Admiral of the year.
I had to be pick Ellie up from work at 3.45pm so it was soon time to head home after a nice day out in the sunshine, but a disappointing return in the way of birds.