Not Quite Portland

Dark-bellied Brent Goose, Axe Estuary, 15/04/2018 (Copyright T D Wright)

Greenshank, BHM, April 2018 (Copyright T D Wright)

Barn Owl, BHM, April 2018 (Copyright T D Wright)

I sometimes think the title of this post ought to be my blog title. Seems too close to another local blog title though! However, it's true to say that when Charmouth Birding goes to Portland and keeps tweeting all day - Hoopoe, Ring Ouzel, Redstart male, Pied Fly male... - one does tend to feel a bit deprived round here. We are getting dribs and drabs of Spring Migration just now; Portland we are not. Anyway, on a more cheerful note I got some pics of the Greenshank coming into summer plumage before it left along with most of the Blackwits (and the Barwits). We seem to have more than one Common Sandpiper today which means they are moving in now. On Sunday I was delighted to spot a Dark-bellied Brent Goose from Tower Hide even though it remained distant the whole time. There were also 5 Whimbrel on BHM. A lone Wheatear at Coly Common was all I could see there. The seawatching seems to be improving by all accounts and this Southerly airstream may nurture passerine and bird of prey arrivals. On Portland, anyway...