March 2010
46 species so far this monthGreat Northern Diver
Little Grebe
Slavonian Grebe
Great Crested Grebe
Cormorant
Little Egret
Mute Swan
Dark-bellied Brent Goose
Red-breasted Merganser
Eider
Sparrowhawk
Buzzard
Oystercatcher
Mediterranean Gull >
Black-headed Gull
Herring Gull >
Great Black-backed Gull
Sandwich Tern >
Wood Pigeon
Collared Dove
Green Woodpecker
Meadow Pipit
Grey Wagtail
Pied Wagtail
Wren
Dunnock >
Robin
Black Redstart
Blackbird
Song Thrush
Blackcap
Chiffchaff
Long-tailed Tit
Coal Tit
Blue Tit >
Great Tit
Magpie
Jackdaw >
Carrion Crow
Raven
Starling
House Sparrow >
Chaffinch >
Greenfinch
Goldfinch >
Bullfinch
March 1st
2 new birds in 2 days! After yesterday's Water Rail the Eider off Sandsfoot this morning was a far more predictable addition to the list. In fact, I'm amazed it's taken 2 and a half years to see what is normally the 2nd commonest sea duck in the harbour.
March 14th
Calm, anticyclonic weather is not good for birds and it was diificult to find anything to look at this morning. The Black-necked Grebes seem to have all departed leaving nothing in the harbour apart from a few distant Great-crested off Underbarn and the usual scattering of Mergansers. 25 Oystercatchers at Whiteheads Pier was a good number though and 3 Ravens (a pair and a singleton) were the first seen for a while. Not surprisingly considering the weather there was a Buzzard circling high over Newstead Road.
March 28th
The first Chiffchaffs and Blackcaps of the year were singing at various points along the trail this morning, and in the harbour the first Sandwich Terns could be heard and (just about) seen towards Portland Castle. Still plenty of mergansers plus a late Great Northern Diver and 3 Eider off Sandsfoot.
March 31st
In westerly gales at least 10 Sandwich Terns had collected around Sandsfoot with a near-summer Slavonian Grebe with the Great Cresteds sheltering in Albert's Bay.