Birding The Nothe

Diary 2003

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1 January 2004: A good start to the year as the wind went round to the north-west earlier than expected, leaving the south side sheltered enough for a fem/imm Black Redstart in Newton's Cove. Weymouth Bay had a Slavonian Grebe, and, remarkably, three rather distant Gannets - by definition the earliest ever, but these are by far the earliest: there has only been one other January record.

GOOD LUCK TO ALL NEW YEAR LISTERS! Black Redstarts can be looked for around the base of the fort, and on the rocks along the south shore and Newton's Cove, but more likely at the base of the fort in the north-east corner of there are southerly gales as forecast. For Firecrest try the holm oaks on the sheltered side. Probably more birders visit The Nothe on New Year's Day than on any other day of the year - please email any records in! (especially counts of anything you see either on The Nothe or in Newton's Cove/Weymouth Bay) Thanks!!!

29 December: A Firecrest was still present along the southern path near the gardeners' depot, along with the Long-tailed Tit flock which seems to be thriving. Very little on the sea in the rough conditions produced by the steady east wind, but two Little Grebes and a Razorbill were sheltering in the harbour.

Reports received over the last few weeks include a very late Hummingbird Hawkmoth on 12 Dec, and a remarkable record of Moorhen on 16 Dec in the harbour, about 50m downstream from the town bridge - the border of the recording area. A first record, bringing the grand total to 190 spp, and the year list to a new record 117 spp.

5 December: A bleak, unpromising morning nonetheless produced two adult Mediterranean Gulls going past the pier with the stream of Black-headed Gulls coming out of the shelter of Newton's Cove. Two Firecrests were still in the north side holm oaks together with a female Blackcap.

3 December: Three Redwings settling on the top lawn trees, a Sparrowhawk perched briefly by the Tavern lawn clump, and a Guillemot close into the pier were the best of a quiet morning.

Rooks on the top lawns, 2 December 2003

2 December: Another joint record Carrion Crow gathering of 42 individuals enjoying the uplift from the south-east breeze was supplemented by three Rooks and a Jackdaw on the top lawns. Both the latter species are very rare on the ground here - in fact these are the first that I can recall landing.

Big showers on the way, 27 November 2003

27 November: A clear morning with showers rolling in produced a fair number of species including Siskin and the two Firecrest still present. A year max of nine Shag also of note.

25 November: A gloomy morning nonetheless produced a year-tick in the form of a female Tufted Duck heading into the south-westerly wind past the pier - the first since 1985. The year list now stands at a record 116 spp!

Long-tailed Tit, 21 November 2003

21 November: A classic late autumn morning: calm, mild and overcast, with plenty of birds about, including a superb adult male Black Redstart, two stunning Firecrest, a Chiffchaff and a male Blackcap - classic Nothe November species, the latter two with the Long-tailed Tit flock. The Great Northern Diver was still off the pier, and no less than three Peregrines were reported going over - two having a scrap with the third - a record max for this increasing species.

20 November: A Great Northern Diver close in off the pier and also reported in Newton's Cove yesterday was the first of the autumn, while 25 Cormorant were a joint record max on a typical date, equalling the max on 25 Oct 2001.

18 November: Rather quiet after yesterday's rain but 36 Great Black-backed Gulls were the most since New Year's Eve 2000. A pair of Peregrines came in hunting in tandem, the male jinking on to a Meadow Pipit, which was driven straight into the path of the female - who also missed it. A Little Egret over and Kingfisher in Newton's Cove were the first for a few weeks.

13 November: Busy again with over 200 Woodpigeons, 26 Stock Doves, 61 Chaffinch and six Brambling over, the latter having a superb year. A male Black Redstart was in the unusual location of the Coastguard Cottage chimneys - incidentally a great-looking breeding site for it, just next to the first Herring Gull's nest , and a Kestrel came in off the sea, landing on the lawns at one point. This was followed by a pair of Peregrines, no doubt having some trouble choosing their next pigeon. Eleven Wigeon going rapidly west were surprisingly not a year-tick.

The best count came from the Carrion Crows, however, with a gathering of 42 well over the previous maxima of 32 in May 2002, and just a few days ago. Whether they know the answer to life, the universe and everything is still not clear, though....

9 November: Birds taking a well-earned rest today after yesterday's excesses, with just over 100 Woodpigeons and 7 Stock Doves over. A Redshank over the pier and four Common Scoter were perhaps the best of the morning

The new seawall does its job ( in a force 3/4 anyway!), 8 November 2003

8 November: An easterly wind and cloud after a bright moon last night had to be good, but this morning was absolutely awesome. Pigeons were coming over as if there were no tomorrow, with a total of c1700 Woodpigeons and c200 Stock Doves counted in 2 hours, going north or east. Just one of the larger flocks of each of these - and they were mostly separate - beat the previous records of 300 and 15 respectively, set on 14 Nov 1983, again in an easterly wind. The Stock Doves were, amazingly, a year-tick.

Although finches tend to be past their peak now, there were year highs of Chaffinch (134), and Goldfinch (109), with a record number of Brambling - 11 was probably an underestimate as there must have been more undetected in the Chaffinch flocks. It is difficult to convey how busy it was, with birds pouring through, and you never knew what was going to appear next. 12 Redwing were the most ever seen on an autumn day, a joint record 32 Carrion Crow included a remarkable flock of 25 on the top lawns, and five Redpoll were a year-tick and the most since Oct 1985. The best moment of a stunning morning was probably as I was counting the Long-tailed Tit flock in the Liddell Hut trees, and three Brambling and a Redpoll dropped out of the sky to land in the tree right in front of me. The year list now equals last year's record of 115 spp.

6 November: Three Black Redstart on the south-east rocks were the first of the autumn. A cracking ad male and two fem/imms.

October records received include Firecrest on 16th and 23rd, Redwing on 21st, Stonechat, Grey Seal (in Newton's Cove) and Dartford Warbler (in the same bush as the Stonechat below the SW corner of the fort) on 24th, all new for the year. The Grey Seal and Dartford Warbler were both excellent second records for The Nothe. Year list now at 113 spp, only two away from last year's total. Also of note were a joint record max of six Brambling around the Liddell Hut site on 24 Oct.

5 November: The second year-tick in two days was a Brent Goose flying around the bay in a blowy south-easterly, but the only auks visible were three Razorbill - no sign of any wrecked Little Auks just here yet. Another Brambling, a female, actually landed in the Tavern sycamores. Year list to 109 spp.

4 November: Mild, fine, and with a moderate south-westerly, birds were on the move. Good numbers of finches were moving south and included a year max of 58 Chaffinch and a single Brambling, the latter a year-tick. Woodpigeons were everywhere and included a flock of over 50 heading NW - the total count of 163 in 105 mins was the best since 1983. 28 Carrion Crow were also a year max. Year list moves to 108 spp.

3 November: A return on a blustery, sunny morning with just a cluster of 5 Blackcaps in the same bush by the demolished Liddell Hut - soon to be the Liddell House - of note.

Goldfinch feeding on Autumnal Hawkbit seeds - one of a year max of 61, 9 October 2003

9 October: A very busy, sunny and mild morning with birds both flying over and on the ground. Goldfinches had a year max of 61, but eight Rooks were the best count since the 80s, and a couple of Siskin went over with two Swallows. A mixed Long-tailed Tit flock had all sorts, including four Coal Tit, but nothing untoward, and close by was the second Great Spotted Woodpecker of the year, again a female. The predictable year-tick today was a couple of Sky Larks over, bringing the year list to 107 spp, but a less predictable butterfly year-tick was a helice Clouded Yellow amongst a year max of seven of these.

7 October: Blustery north-westerlies meant sensible birds were keeping their heads down today, or, like 10 Sandwich Terns, finding the shelter of Newton's Cove to their liking.

Dawn, 4 October 2003 - excellent conditions for visible migration

4 October: A light northerly is one of the best winds for visible migration here, and this morning didn't disappoint. Pied Wagtails moved well into record territory with 67 counted in an hour and three quarters - the previous best was 51. Chaffinches had a year max of 49, as did Linnets with 33, both overhead, while Chiffchaffs scored a max. of the millennium (so far) of 29 - at least a dozen with c10 Long-tailed Tits and others. Also at a two-year max were Cormorants, with 19 counted. New for the year were six Siskin, bringing the year list to 106 spp.

2 October: A very dark morning with thick clouds and heavy rain later produced the best Meadow Pipit movement of the year so far, with 82 noted in 80 mins, and a year max of 24 Pied Wagtails. Two Sparrowhawks - a juv male and juv female - were the first multiple record since 8 Nov 2000.

Link to Diary 2002