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 A sign proclaiming Radipole as being one of the premier sites in the UK to see Marsh Harrier is rather outdated (despite the nice weather we didn't see any) and seemed to match the general state of a site well past its prime.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.

Weymouth October 1st

This was the start of a long weekend's birding break to Weymouth with my friends John and Janet. After a uneventful but long three hour train journey down to Weymouth we walked the short distance to our regular B&B to check in. A few minutes later we headed off down the road to Lodmoor. The weather was still fine although the breeze had picked up.

We decided on taking the anti-clockwise route around the whole reserve and started off in the SW corner. We had Sandwich Tern calling and one was picked up circling high with a Med Gull yet within a few minutes there were three on the deck and three more still flying around and the number of Med Gulls was in double figures. Out in the middle was a Great Egret and it didn't take long before we'd found another amongst the Little Egrets.

Sandwich Tern

Waders were fairly thin on the ground to start with: a few distant Black-wits and a single Snipe but as we went to the next lookout we added Common Sand and Greenshank. John picked up an interesting pigeon flying along the back and got me on it and it turned out to be a Turtle Dove, an unexpected year tick for both of us which I thought we'd missed this year. There were lots of dragonflies out in the afternoon sunshine.

Migrant Hawker

We stopped to look into Weymouth Bay but seeing nothing more than some very distant gulls and terns among the moored up cruise ships we carried on up the Eastern side. Another Great Egret flew in and Water Rail was heard calling. A Marsh Harrier showed well and kept flushing the waterbirds.

Marsh Harrier

A few Bearded Tits pinged in the reedbed and the odd Chiffchaff and Blackcap called from the adjacent trees. Heading down the Western side the light was more favourable and we stopped several times to scan across the marsh and chat to the locals. Waders on this side included a small flock of Dunlin and some dazzling Lapwings in superb light.

Lapwing

The egret tally kept rising with several Littles feeding and at one point we could see five Great Egrets showing how common they'd recently become. Med Gull numbers were also up and the final tally was at least 90.

Little Egret

Various Great Egrets

Mediterranean Gulls

A mostly white bird with dark wings and a red bill looked like a gull to the naked eye but soon revealed itself to be an odd Ruff, apparently this individual has been present for about five years and has become whiter each year.

Leucistic Ruff

Back at the end we had another scan of the bay but apart from a Shag and some very hardy swimmers there was nothing new of note so we headed back to our digs and a short rest before heading out to Wetherspoons for a well earned pint and a fish 'n' chips dinner.