PB out in the Sunshine!

Having been lolling about in the doldrums for the best part of a month, I saw a forecast for my day off last week that wasn't "Storm this" will blow you away, or "Storm that" will make trench foot a distinct possibility if you go out. Once the giddy spell passed, and I recovered enough to sit up straight, I delved further into the potentially fabulous day.... a slight breeze, gentle wafts of wind, and wall to wall sunshine.... by Jiminy... it wasn't a stir crazy hallucination, but a REAL forecast!! Where to go that wouldn't be a quagmire... only one place... Portland (the cliffs would drain rapidly) and Ferrybridge (it's the sea... it's always half wet!)

Wanting to make the most of the opportunity, I tootled off a short while before sunrise debating whether the Bill or Ferrybridge should be first stop.... Having to pass Ferrybridge to get to Portland, and me still being keen to get out and about, Ferrybridge won... 

In the car park, not sure what put the Ringed Plovers up (the background is Chesil Bank... some wider angle pics of that later)

LOOK AT THAT SKY!!!!!! Ohhh... and a gull of some sort obscuring the BLUE SKY!!!!

I got a bit excited and took far too many photos, but I think I've whittled them down to a manageable post. I crossed the Portland road to the harbour and was greeted by some Mergansers

One appeared to be having a bad hair day... or was swimming so fast his luscious locks were being streamed in the wind!

There were a group of 6 or 8, and as I was merrily snapping away a different shape caught my eye

Hmm, different colours too

It started diving, and surfacing, slowly coming closer and closer to the beach

Until eventually (I took 60 or 70 pics of him) I worked out what he was... Great Northern Diver ... not seen one since we were in Scotland a few years back

The Mergansers had all wandered off further along, so I meandered along, hoping for a better picture, along the way, a Shag perched precarously

And a Stonechat perched much closer, and less precariously!

A Cormorant flew by, and circled toward where the Shag was... not sure what happened as they were behind a boat house

The Mergansers were back in view

And one fella was definitely having a worse hair day!

Never mind the gorgeous Stonechat... look at that Mediterranean blue sea in the background!!

One of our giant gulls... looked bigger than the Mergansers

And bigger still... probably coz he was only about 10 feet away....

There's just something about a Stonechat!!

As I was walking around the cove, still trying to get a better merganser shot, a pair of bonkers ladies were swimming, and I discovered what happened to the Shag

Always nice to see a Sparrow Bush

Bobbing along, minding his own business, a winter Black Headed Gull

And one of maybe half a dozen Brent Geese

I crossed back over the road, unsuccessful in better Merganser pictures, to the lagoon.... not sure what put the Dunlin up

On the rising tide, there were a fairly good number of small waders about, Ringed Plover

Preening Dunlin

I'm always amazed by how startlingly white their fronts are, considering its so mucky and sandy under foot!

I think this is a Knot

And a few Turnstones, doing what Turnstones do!

Another shot of pristine blue sky ruined by a bleedin gull!

For a change I took a couple of shots of the area, to see if that makes more sense than my inane babbling... firstly looking down the "lagoon" (the Fleet), with the visitor centre on the right. The car park is behind me

Turning right and heading to the car park entrance, the only road to Portland, with Portland Harbour the other side, and Weymouth Bay off in the distance

Once I got to the top of Portland I took a shot looking back, so it's Chesil Bank on the left, disappearing into the distance (towards Devon). If you follow the road as it disects the water, on the left side is the Fleet, and the right Portland Harbour (obscured by the tree). Clear as mud, I know 

At Portland Bill, I think my first pic of the lighthouse!

Across the sea there was a constant coming and going of auks, Guillemot and Razorbill, as well as Cormorant and Shag, but all very distant. On the naval barbed wire fence, a pipit was adding to the barbs!

I carefully clambered amongst the rocks, hoping for Purple Sandpiper or Black Redstart... but instead came across a pipit buffet

And another Sparra bush, in full bloom this time!

I always hope to see this chap when I go to Portland ... apparently there were two shortly before I arrived

Overhead.....

There were 3 Pied Wagtails patrolling a short stretch of the cliff top

And a couple of Magpies nearer the beach huts .... I say beach.... it's more cliff top!!

a ringed Pipit... according to what I found a rock pipit not far from home! (I've quite possibly not found all the info, but it was ringed at Portland Bird Observatory, fully 200 yards from where I took the photo lol)

A different pipit, presumably meadow? (Ohh who am I kidding... it's a complete guess!!)

Not a pipit!! A Black Redstart  (I saw one a couple of years ago, but not well enough to snap, so I'm counting this as a new one )

And so concluded a belter of a morning in the blazing (but very chilly) sunshine!!

Hope you enjoyed

Stay Safe All