We set off really early heading to Dorset looking for a Lifer in the form of a Tawny Pipit. It had been present for a few days, so we take a gamble and go for it. On the way, we pull up at Longham lakes and park at the top of Green lane and walk a short distance down to the lakes. The target bird is my second ever Whiskered Tern & we find it on the South lake after a few minutes. It's a cracking-looking Tern & we spend an hour watching it fly about the lake.
After we had our fill of the tern it's off to look for the lifer at Cogden beach. It's a steep slope down to the shingle beach after we had parked in the National Trust car park. A few birders had gathered about a mile up the beach so that's where we headed, on arrival we are told there is no sign of the Pipit. so not to be put off we spend the next 3 hours walking the shingle up and down without any sign of the target, it's a bad dip for us to take with the legs hurting now after all the walking on the shingle. The bird never showed all day so we think it probably had moved on overnight.
Portland is next up for us but on the way, a quick stop at Ferrybridge add's to the year list when we spot many Little Terns on the pool. As we arrive at Portland we hear a Chough has been reported in the field with the 3 horses in. We find that field but there's no sign, so we park up & walk along the front and soon find the Chough feeding on the side of the cliff. A nice find and not expected when we set out this morning for another year tick. As we walk along the path we find lots of Rock Pipits to entertain us as they parachute up onto the rocks, we spend some time just sitting watching this display. Walking on we get 3 more year ticks when a single Shag flies past and there are many Guillemots and Razorbills. A Roseate Tern is reported at Lodmoor so we had to have a look before heading for home. But once again the luck is not with us and as the rain started to fall and no sign of the Tern we don't hang about too long.
So a couple of dips, but 6-year ticks and in such a beautiful place. At last, a visit to the coast made it a cracking day out with the boys.
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| Whiskered Tern |
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| One of the Rock Pipits |
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