PB's got a week off.... beware! (Day 1)

So as usually happens, I have more holidays than Mrs PB, so this week I'm off, and appear to be chore free! We decided to treat ourselves after a rubbish Christmas due to work and illness, and had a night away on Portland, followed by a meander around the Bill and up to the Portland Bird Obs quarry

A reminder at the hotel that the Olympic sailing and stuff was done in Weymouth/Portland, with Chesil Cove artfully featured through one of the Olympic Rings. I experimented with the Lightroom "remove" function in this pic, as there was a wooden fence surrounding the rings. Not bad for a first attempt, even if I do say so myself

Two steps to the right, showing the full vista! The bit of road forming the causeway is where Ferrybridge is in my multiple other posts, with the water to the left of the road being The Fleet, and the right Portland Harbour

The Bill lighthouse, at the other end of the Isle... again, a bit of "remove" used, as there was a car parked, bottom left, obscuring the door.

Several Ravens were scattered amongst the boulders

And Mrs PB spotted several Goldfinches in one of the gullies

At the end of the Bill is Pulpit Rock, and across the sea beside it was a constant flow of Guillemots in small groups to-ing and fro-ing

Several gulls were riding the breeze

And because the tide was going out, a couple of Oystercatchers were trying to take advantage of the newly revealed molluscs, without getting washed away

Simultaneously, catching my eye, a semi distant Gannet flew by

And more gulls were airborne

I'm guessing the Oystercatchers have to be in as soon as the water recedes, or the Barnacles will seal themselves tightly onto the rocks

I'd seen that a couple of Purple Sandpipers had been spotted, and my luck held out 

The Bill has several levels of rock, that are covered by the sea at higher tides, and a downward view on a gull I thought was quite unusual

And then a couple of those really annoying never still pipits popped up... I'm plumping for Rock, as the hind claw doesn't look massively long.... but it's 50/50 

Mrs PB decided at this point enough fresh air was enough (to be fair it was pretty chilly and blowy!) and so headed back to the car, and I took a stroll up to the Obs quarry. Crossing the first field, several Pied Wagtails scampered about, along with some more Pipits

A glimmer of sunshine broke through, briefly, illuminating a charm of Goldfinches

And a properly spotty Starling!

A large flock of House Sparrows (not 810, but at least 20 ) were rowdily gossiping

And then a Blue Tit landed on top of a stem, catching my eye.

On top of the quarry, where the Little Owl lives, sat a Kestrel. I'm glad I snapped this shot, coz it then vanished, and I didn't see the going of it!

A flock of pigeons suddenly swirled by, not in their usual fairly sedate manner..... I'm not surprised! Most of the Peregrine shots are hugely cropped, and lightened as the brief sunshine moment had passed

With no luck on the hunting front, it just sort of cruised about for a couple of minutes

before flying practically overhead, and disappearing

I loitered about for a few minutes, in case it came back, but no luck, just a couple of Maggies on the wires

The 2nd one seemed to have "funny" plumage, and a short tail, until it flew off, and I could see a regular tail.

I wandered up to the Crown Estate field, where the Obs folks hang their mist nets for ringing purposes, but nothing was visible, apart from a small flock of Linnets

I meandered back towards the car, passing the quarry again... and thinking about it, I should have bought a lottery ticket, coz as I watched....

As I neared the car park, I spied a hovering Kestrel, which then went into a sprint, and I managed to snap one shot, before it disappeared behind some trees

And so concluded a cold and breezy, but very lucky walk about, to start my week off 

Thanks for looking, and see you with tomorrows instalment

Stay Safe All