Trip reports

VISIT TO PORTLAND & LODMOOR

Wednesday, 12 March 2008

Gales were blowing at Ferrybridge as 13 members arrived for the visit and we quickly decided that we make for shelter at the car park at Pennsylvania Castle.
Ted kindly offered to lead the group for our walk to Church Ope Cove and Penns Weare an area new to most of us and very interesting as we walked beneath the cliffs.Lovely sea views in the sun looking towards the Bill and the other way wild goats on the cliff top opposite Durdle Pier and passing cormorants and a gannet out at sea.
Back at the car park some of the party left for the Bill and coffee and to look for purple sandpipers and the rest left for Lodmoor.
Ted again kindly agreed to lead us for a tour of the reserve and we recorded a distant kestrel,shoveler,teal,tufted duck and cettis warbler before arriving at the duck feeding area.
Looking across at the gulls on a mud bank we noted common,med and lesser black back
And also some shelducks before moving on to the viewing platform with a peregrine flying low over us with Mary joining us from the Bill.
There we searched for the Spoonbills without success and then just as we were leaving a shout went up and the two birds suddenly appeared giving good views.
Returning to the cars we recorded little grebe,grey heron,oystercatcher,gadwall and ruddy duck but no sign of any scaup.
Checking our lists we recorded 46 species for the day