Trip reports
Ferrybridge and Portland Area - 8 November 2007
Thursday, 15 November 2007
The group gathered at Ferrybridge to look over the shallow eastern end of the Fleet. First obvious birds were over 500 brent geese on the edge of the mud flat. Two black brants or Pacific brent geese had been reported, but were not seen, and other species included ringed plover, turnstone, dunlin, little egret, four red-breasted mergansers and eight Mediterranean gulls.
At Portland Bill, shelter was sought wherever possible to be able to make a steady scan of the boiling sea. There were many birds off the end of the Bill, some fairly close and others mere specks in the hazy distance.
First find was two purple sandpipers dodging the swell and picking about in the weed-covered boulders. Many gulls flew in all directions downwind and at a phenomenal speed and hard to follow, but once they turned to battle against the elements they were recognisable.
A group of 30 or more kittiwakes in varying stages of plumage, including juveniles with the distinctive "W" wing pattern, beat up and down, and even came to rest not far from the shore. Highlight of the day was when an Arctic skua came in and proceeded to chase kittiwakes all over the place in a bid to make them disgorge any food they were carrying. A powerful streamlined bird, the skua looked almost black against the foam of the waves.
Hundreds of gannets streamed past and other species out at sea included small flights of common scoters, shag and various gulls. A winter-plumaged razorbill sat on the water within easy viewing distance.
Others birds noted at Portland included rock pipit and meadow pipit, goldfinches and pied wagtail.
Moving on to Radipole, an amazing sight was seen from the large window in the visitor centre when a beautiful water rail picked about in the edge of the reeds just a few feet distant.
Much work is being done there to enable better reedbed viewing. Others birds included tufted duck, pochard, common gull, shoveler, teal, gadwall, and great-crested and little grebe. There were also a good number of Mediterranean gulls.