The Perfect Home

Well having watched a pair of Blue Tits investigate the nest box I put up in the back garden yesterday afternoon, today the female was taking in nesting material. Well I certainly wasn't expecting that!!

Well that didn't take long

It was another afternoon spent in the garden, mainly constructing a set of steps for the gazebo, using old railway sleepers and a few slabs. And for company I had a pair of courting Blue Tits which were totally oblivious to my presence.

A bit late I know, but as they were so active, I decided to put up a nest box on the newly erected fence. And within 2 minutes of it been screwed to fence post, both birds decided to investigate it. And it wasn't just the once, but several times throughout the afternoon.

It's not guaranteed that they will take up residence, but you never know.

Later in the day a Peregrine Falcon decided to wind up the local Herring Gulls, but circling overhead.

One of the Blue Tits having a look at the nest box, which is surrounded by a Guelder Rose Viburnum opulus in full leaf.

And here, both birds have a look inside. And it wasn't just the once but several times throughout the afternoon.

Spring Is Here

For me, Spring is finally here when I hear the song of the Willow Warbler.

And today was that day, with an impressive 300 Willow Warblers trapped and ringed at Portland Bird Observatory.

So seeing and hearing several passing through the garden, this afternoon, along with a few Chiffchaffs was lovely to note.

One of the few Chiffchaffs which passed through the garden this afternoon.

And my first Willow Warbler of the year.

And another. All the Willow Warblers gave............

........the briefest of songs as they passed through the garden. Unfortunately I got the direction of this individual totally wrong, as it was feeding and singing in the Cherry Tree.

And here is one of the reasons why my blogs have been very few and far between, as I erect a new fence, build a set steps and create a hard standing for the Picnic Table and BBQ.

RSPB Radipole Lake

Contrary to news that the RSPB are giving up on Radipole Lake, they are in fact reducing the maintenance and removing some of the viewing platforms.

My visit today confirmed that at least 3 viewing platforms have been removed, including the "raised" platform 300 metres down the track from the visitors centre. That particular platform gave wonderful views looking west across the reedbeds, where you often saw small flocks of Bearded Tits passing through. Sadly that delight has now been taken away from us and the best you will get now, will be the occasional glimpse as they move through the reedbeds or them calling.

A bare patch where once the raised platform overlooking the reedbeds once stood.

Below are a few photos and videos from today, but first here are the bird species I recorded from my walk down every path on the reserve.

Birds Recorded:
1 Great Crested Grebe
8 Cormorant
2 Grey Heron
8 Mute Swan
4 Canada Goose
4 Mallard
12 Gadwall
2 Teal

1 Shoveler
20+ Tufted Duck
2 Pochard

1 Sparrowhawk
4 Marsh Harrier
5 Water Rail (heard)
8 Moorhen
12+ Coot
1 Snipe
Black-headed Gull
Mediterranean Gull
Herring Gull
2 Great Black-backed Gull

Wood Pigeon
2 Swallows (En route Portland Beach Road)
2 Pied Wagtail
Dunnock
Robin
Blackbird
1 Song Thrush
6 Cetti's Warbler (calling)
1 Siberian Chiffchaff
12+ Chiffchaff

3 Goldcrest
Long-tailed Tit
Great Tit
Blue Tit
Wren
Magpie
Carrion Crow
Jackdaw
Raven
Starling

House Sparrow
Chaffinch
2 Siskin
Goldfinch
6 Reed Bunting

46 bird species (17 new additions for the year)

My first Great Crested Grebe of the year, with this individual in full breeding plumage.

All seemed well, when these two Grey Herons took off from the reedbeds...........

...........and then it got a bit nasty with both birds tussling with each other!!

After a brief interaction the two parted their ways.

A pair of Gadwall with the drake on the left.

A very poor shot of a pair of Teal with the drake on the right.

And an equally poor photo of a drake Tufted Duck (top left) and a drake Pochard. The latter my first for the year.

Other birds interacting were 4 Marsh Harriers, which included 3 females...........

................and this male bird which decided which.................

............it needed a break from all the displaying it was performing.

Possibly a Siberian Chiffchaff................

...........And again in slow motion

.........And the olive green of a Common Chiffchaff.

I have visited Radipole many times over the past 9 years, but this is the first time I can recall seeing a Raven here. This bird was in the trees next to the Visitors Centre.

And a female Reed Bunting.

...........waiting to feed on some seeds that have been thrown onto the ground.

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Also noted was my first Peacock Butterfly for the year.

My first Peacock Butterfly of the year alongside the River Wey at RSPB Radipole Lake Reserve.

And of course no walk would be complete without Ted as company.

A Spring-like Day

Spring is not quite here yet, but it certainly felt like it today as the temperature reached 13.0°C. With bright sunshine and light winds, there were quite a few insects flying about, including my first Common Dronefly Eristalis tenax and Yellow Dung Flies Scathophaga stercoraria of the year.

I also added two more bird species to my year list with both Song Thrush and Greenfinch recorded in Broadcroft Quarry Butterfly Reserve, where there were also a pair of Stonechats overwintering.

Quite a few flowering plants were noted, with the following being either in bloom or about to burst into flower:

Alexanders Smyrnium olusatrum

Blackthorn Prunus spinosa

Common Daisy Bellis perennis

Common Dandelion Taraxacum officinale

Hawthorn Crataegus monogyna

Lesser Celandine Ficaria verna

Meadow Buttercup Ranunculus arvensis

Primrose Primula vulgaris

Wild Cherry Prunus avium

Wild Garlic Allium ursinum

Below are a few photos from this afternoon:

A male Stonechat and his..............

...............mate overwintering in the butterfly reserve.

A few of the Hawthorns Crataegus monogyna are in leaf and this one I came across in Broadcroft Quarry Lane is about to flower.

This is the privately owned Piper PA-28-181 Archer III, registration N787CE, registered to Southern Aircraft Consultancy Inc. Trustee. It is on its way from Henstridge airfield (Somerset) to Guernsey. More on this aircraft here and here.

This is the British yacht "Zig Zag" making its way into Weymouth Bay. That is as much information as I could find on this vessel.

This was one happy dog, as Ted stretches those legs.

A Purple Patch

It was another good work out for my legs today, as I walked from Portland Bird Observatory down to the Pulpit Rock and then returned via the Obelisk, Red Crane and Hut Fields.

The purple patch was recording 13 Purple Sandpipers on the large exposed "flat" rock, to the east of the Pulpit. This is one of their favoured spots, however as it was low water, they could quite easily have been feeding at other locations around The Bill.

Other highlights were a lone Fulmar making its way east, past the obelisk and a Common Buzzard in the Crown Estate Fields. Both birds being firsts for the year.

Below are a few photos from my walk:

Just off the west cliffs here was this Grey Seal tucking into what was a very large Conger Eel

An adult Cormorant in breeding plumage

And the stars of my walk were these thirteen..........

................Purple Sandpipers which............

............were feeding just east of the Pulpit here.

On the QinetiQ fence was this male Stonechat and presumably............

..............his mate.

On the left the Red Crane, centre the Obelisk and on the right Portland Lighthouse.

My First Long Walk

An unusual title I know, but today I walked the furthest I have done since my heart operation back in November last year. With just a few spots of rain as I headed off, I wasn't going to be undeterred, as this was a bit of a milestone, walking just that bit further than my last effort.

And off course it also meant that I could tick off a few more bird species for my 2026 year list, which at the moment stands at a measly 39. I did add two more, with a Blue Tit and Wren, both seen along Old Quarry Lane, but I did think I might have ticked off more. Still there's 322 more days to go, so plenty of time. 😂

Other birds of interest were a Chiffchaff along Wakeham Railway Cuttings and a 2 Goldcrests tagging along with a small flock of Long-tailed Tits at the back of Church Ope Cove.

There were plenty of Snowdrops in flower, including the patch of Snowflakes Leucojum Vernum in their usual place in the grounds of St Andrew Church.

Other plants just coming into flower were:

Primrose Primula vulgaris

Alexanders Smyrnium olusatrum

Laurustinus 'Gwenllian' Viburnum tinus

Russian Comfrey Symphytum x Uplandicum

Germander Speedwell Veronica chamaedrys

Albanian Spurge Euphorbia characias ssp

Hebe Veronica sp.

Here are a few photos from my walk

Today's walk

My first Wren of the year.

An Orange-bellied Bristleshin Phaonia subventa on an Alexanders Smyrnium olusatrum

These are Snowflakes Leucojum Vernum

Hebe Veronica sp.

The sea was pretty rough today.

And judging by the size of these waves, I wasn't surprised to.............

..........see some very large drift wood up on the beach.

In fact past storms have taken there toll on this beach hut, which has been well and truly undermined by the rough seas.

I'm over here Ted!!!

This is the Cement Carrier "Cemisle" flying the flag of Antigua and Barbuda. It is on its way from Dunkirk to Cork. More on this vessel here.