COACH TRIP

Trinity House Obelisk at Portland Bill - good place for sea watching

Portland Bill and Weymouth        12 May 2015

31 keen birders Braywick at 07.10 in a coach and arrived at Portland Bill some 3 hours later after a brief stop at a motor way services on the M27. It was a pleasant sunny day when we left and fortunately remained sunny all day.

We stayed at Portland Bill until 1.30 PM. There were good numbers of Kittiwakes, Razorbills and Guillemots on the cliffs. The Guillemots were fascinating to watch as they really use every inch of available space on
the cliff.

Also at Portland there were a good show of Wheatears, Swallows, 1 Raven and a Peregrine.

At 1.30 we departed for Radipole Lake, an RSPB reserve in the middle of Weymouth. Radipole Lake is a wetland reserve so there were plenty of ducks, Canada Geese and a Common Tern. Some of the group enjoyed a Hobby and a Marsh Harrier at the north hide. In the reeds there was a good choice of
warblers mainly heard but some of the group managed to see a Cetti’s Warbler.

Everyone seemed to enjoy the day including the member who left his boots in his van and had to walk round Portland Bill in his slippers. Fortunately there is a branch of Matalan close to Radipole Lake so he was able to buy a pair of shoes. I enjoyed road testing new hearing aids which improved my
enjoyment of the bird song hugely.

Thanks to Brian Reeve for getting us all safely there and back again.

Click here for information about Portland.

Click here for information about Radipole Lake RSPB Reserve.

Click here for map of Radipole Lake Reserve

Click here for the list of birds seen.