gryllosblog   Gryllo's (aka Ian Lewis') blog. All things to do with travel, wildlife especially birds, history, architecture and anything else that interests me.

With gale force winds seawatching was the only option. I returned to Portland but this time watched from Chesil Cove, where the Chesil Bank meets the Isle of Portland.

Seawatching in Chesil Cove

There were three Grey Phalaropes present, but compared to yesterday views were poor, the birds being invisible on the water surface and only showing when they flew.

Finding a 20cm long grey bird sitting on the sea can be quite a challenge in these conditions.

With news of a confiding Lapland Bunting still being seen west of Abbotsbury I decided to give it a go, but in spite of an hour of searching along the margins of the windswept shingle, I drew a blank.

The Fleet ends at Abbotsbury, but the shingle bank continues westwards as far as Cogden Beach.

 

I was tempted by news of another storm driven seabird, a Sabine’s Gull at Christchurch, but the traffic by now was dreadful, so I settled for a quick visit to Lytchett Bay, where a few Curlew and Black-tailed Godwits were the only waders on show.

A full low tide at Lytchett Bay results in many waders feeding out of view in the creeks.

The only bird I photographed was this Great Spotted Woodpecker above my parked car.