It was perhaps a tad too breezy anywhere that wasn't really sheltered to take full advantage of today's beautifully sunny weather but some random early spring oddities included the year's first
Siskin overhead at the Obs and 2
Mute Swans that dallied about on the sea off West Cliffs before later flying over Portland Harbour; a likely
Goshawk overhead at Easton would have been of a lot more interest but sadly it couldn't be completely clinched on the views it permitted. Other than that everything was entirely routine, with the likes of the
Cetti's Warbler still singing at the Bill, one of the
Black Redstarts still there and further singles at Easton and Chesil Cove, 3
Eider and 2
Black-necked Grebes still in Portland Harbour and 270
Dunlin still at Ferrybridge.
The first
Peacock butterfly of the year was on the wing at Penn's Weare.
Today's weekend exploration took us back to Penn's Weare where the cliffs - a veritable poor man's Les Baux when viewed from right down on the shoreline - yet again didn't host a Wallcreeper, the impenetrable scrub didn't echo with the calls of a Dusky Warbler and the boulder beaches didn't have a grip-back wintering Pied Wheatear hopping about on them. This undercliff really does look so good but we always seem to be utterly unrewarded there! © Martin Cade:
