Weymouth May 2024

I haven't been to Weymouth for a couple of years so we decided to go down for a short break. It's not the best time as the spring migration is virtually finished but there's always some seabirds to look out for.

I met up with my friends at Waterloo on Tuesday 28th in time for the first train after 10am. We looked out for White-tailed Eagle and Osprey as we passed Poole Harbour but neither were visible. On arrival at Weymouth we dropped off our bags at the B&B and headed straight out to Lodmoor which is about a 15 minute walk.

First up was a Bee Orchid and then it was quite slow going. The weather was a bit drizzly so there were no insects flying. We did a big anti-clockwise loop walking around the whole site. At the northern end we did manage to see a Marsh Harrier and as we came along the west bank there were three Black-tailed Godwits and an Oystercatcher. Swallows and Swifts were plentiful, feeding low over the reed beds.

Bee Orchid

View over Lodmoor from the southern path

Houses overlooking Lodmoor on the NE side

Black-tailed Godwits

Little Egret

Oystercatcher

The Tern Islands have been taken over Black-headed Gulls

We called it a day once we'd done the full loop as the weather hadn't improved and went back to digs before later heading to Wetherspoons for dinner and a pint.

It was bright and sunny on Wednesday morning so we decided on a pre-breakfast visit to Radipole. This reserve used to be the premier site on a visit to Weymouth but the RSPB have let it decline to such a state that it's no better than a town park. The visitor centre has been closed for several years and there's no one to maintain the footpaths which need cutting weekly at this time of year. We didn't run into any other birders and even many of the birds which were previously here seem to have abandoned the place.

Common Spotted Orchid

A couple of Mallards waiting for handouts on the bridge

View by the Visitor Centre

At the top of the reserve we did manage to locate a singing Garden Warbler and a few Sand Martins look like they're breeding but otherwise there wasn't a lot to see. A sign proclaiming Radipole as being one of the premier sites in the UK to see Marsh Harrier is rather outdated (despite the nice weather we didn't see any) and seemed to match the general state of a site well past its prime. Reed and Cetti's Warblers are still abundant and were in good voice all along our route.

We headed back for a much needed breakfast and then got a cab to Portland Bill rather than take the bus.

The lighthouse at Portland Bill

Rock Pipits accompanied us as we walked down to the obelisk and stared out to sea for an hour. 

Rock Pipit

A late Common Scoter flew past and there were a few Gannets, mostly immature birds, Kittiwakes, the odd Fulmar, Cormorant and Shag. It was too late in the season for any skua passage but we did manage to see three Manx Shearwaters. 

Gannet

1st-summer Kittiwake

We went round to the west side of the Bill, near the auk colony and had good views of Guillemots and a few Razorbills. Puffins are occasionally seen but no longer breed here. One of the resident Ravens dropped by to see if there was any free food on offer but went away hungry.

Guillemots

A ravenous Raven

We then walked over towards the Obs, finding a prized Glow Worm along the way and then located the Little Owl in the quarry. That's now all five of the breeding owls we've seen in the UK this year.

Glow Worm

Little Owl

We headed up past the Pulpit Inn to explore the top fields. We didn't expect much as it's too late for migrants but there's always something to see there.

Not sure what this caterpillar is?

Singing Skylark

Stonechat

There were a few butterflies around, mostly Common Blue and another Raven flew past by the old prison. We took the track inland to Reep Lane and picked up the bus in Southwell. We alighted at Ferrybridge and walked down to the centre and cafe for a hot drink.

Ferrybridge

With the tide going out it looked suitable for waders but we didn't see any on the walk down. Over on Chesil Beach there were plenty of Little Terns and the noticeboard in the centre said there were 31 pairs nesting there this year.

We  eventually picked up a single Bar-tailed Godwit which then found a friend and soon attracted two Dunlin and a nice flock of 15 Sanderling, most of which were moulting into summer plumage. 

We walked back to the bus stop and took the bus into Weymouth. It had been a good day on Portland and it was nice to catch up with some seabirds that rarely make it into London.

The following morning we went back to Radipole for another pre-breakfast walk. This time we did see a single Marsh Harrier and also heard a solitary Bearded Tit. It was then time to head down to the station and take the train back to London.

Spring birding in London

After spending the second half of March in Costa Rica it was good to get back and watch the spring migrants arrive. April is one of the best months of the year and I was out and about on my local patches just about every day.

With this April being the first time I've been in East London for the whole month I realised there just aren't enough days in the month and I didn't get to some of the places I wanted to visit. I decided to concentrate on Rainham Marshes and went there on 15 days. On the other days I went to Dagenham Chase nine times and squeezed in a few visits to Beam Parklands/Valley. 

There was still time to visit a few other places so had days out at Cheshunt GPs and Chobham Common and also went to Tylers Common for the first time as I didn't hear any Nightingales at Cheshunt. As it turned out I didn't even need to go there as I later caught up with a one-day Nightingale at Dagenham Chase at the end of the month.

Best day of the month was a wet day at Rainham on Saturday 27th when the combination of early morning rain and an easterly wind brought a lot of terns into London. I saw four species with 90 Arctic, 100+ Common, 9 Black and a Sandwich. Also on the Thames I found a summer-plumaged Black-necked Grebe, while a Common Scoter flew around and waders on the move included 5 Whimbrel, 6 Bar-tailed Godwits and 8 Black-tailed Godwits. The total number of species seen during the day was 107, probably a record in London for a single site. The previous week I managed to see a Wood Warbler , a fairly rare bird in London nowadays and it was the first one I've seen at Rainham.

Photographs

It was a good month for photographing new species with so many spring migrants arriving. The combination of better light and birds singing also meant a few upgrades on previous photos.

Shelduck, Rainham Marshes (upgrade)

Pheasant, Dagenham Chase

Great Crested Grebe, Rainham Marshes (upgrade)

Stock Dove, Beam Valley CP (upgrade)

Avocet, Rainham Marshes

Bar-tailed Godwit, Rainham Marshes

Little Ringed Plover, Rainham Marshes

Whimbrel, Rainham Marshes

Mediterranean Gull, Rainham Marshes

Arctic Tern, Rainham Marshes

Great Spotted Woodpecker, Dagenham Chase (upgrade)

Bearded Tit, Rainham Marshes

Reed Warbler, Rainham Marshes

Sedge Warbler, Rainham Marshes

Sand Martin, Rainham Marshes

Swallow, Dagenham Chase

Willow Warbler, Tylers Common

Chiffchaff, Beam Parklands

Cetti's Warbler, Rainham Marshes

Blackcap, Beam Parklands

Common Whitethroat, Beam Parklands

Lesser Whitethroat, Dagenham Chase

Wren, Beam Parklands

Blackbird, Beam Parklands

Common Redstart, Dagenham Chase

Wheatear, Rainham Marshes

Dunnock, Rainham Marshes (upgrade)

Greenfinch, Dagenham Chase

Linnet, Rainham Marshes (upgrade)

I finished April having photographed 106 species. As the leaves come out fully in May it gets a lot harder to photograph small birds so I was quite pleased to capture so many during April. I did manage to see Nightingale during the month but it was too deep in the tree to get a photo. Another skulker I failed to get a photo of was Grasshopper Warbler; I heard several during the month but only saw one briefly at Rainham.