Time for another 2-day birding trip with No 2 son Stuart and this time the selected destination was Weymouth and Portland. Having battled the road works on the M3 we arrived at 11.30am and headed straight for Lodmoor. The last time I came to Lodmoor I found a White-winged Black Tern, but that was at least 25 years ago.
The great thing about Lodmoor is that the western path is right next to the various scrapes allowing birds to come very close should they choose to do so. The first bird to appear was this Carrion Crow which sat on the fence just 8 yards away, possibly hoping to share some of our lunch. The crow was joined by a Grey Heron which was lurking in the reeds not far away.
Teal can sometimes be quite confiding, but the birds here came ridiculously close remembering that you are standing in full view on a path. The Shoveler were also quite happy to sift the water just a few yards away. The bird in the last photo is still coming out of eclipse or juvenile plumage.
On the way back the Teal had been joined somewhat surprisingly by this cracking female Pintail which was just 10 yards from the path. Surprisingly because Pintail are not a common bird around here.
Even the Snipe were tame and would strut around in the open rather than sitting tight in the reeds some distance away.
But the star of the show was the Spoonbill which, although a little too distant at times, was still the closest I have ever got to one, so was most enjoyable.
At one point it must have come across a small shoal of fish as it went into a fishing frenzy, jumping around in all directions.
Well what a fantastic start to our trip at this beautifully managed reserve, so now on to Chesil Beach.
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