2004

JAN

FEB

MAR

APR

MAY

JUN

JUL

AUG

SEP

OCT

NOV

DEC

Pairing Marbled Whites, Small Skipper (third record) and Common Blue, 29 June 2004

29 June: The official start to autumn today - well, a returning Common Sandpiper was the first southbound migrant anyway - the earliest return date, and the first June record. Lots of butterflies about despite the bad weather recently, with a record max 37 Marbled Whites, most of them on the newer rough grass habitat by the south-east rocks, and the first Small Skipper of the year - the earliest and only the third record. Mackerel are plentiful off the pier at the moment.

25 June: A rather quiet morning but two juv. Grey Wagtails by the harbour were probably locally bred on the River Wey, a very early post-breeding record here, and the first in June.

Sea Hard-grass (Parapholis strigosa), 22 June 2004 - I think!		Marbled White, 22 June 2004

22 June: Still fine this morning with more Marbled Whites on the wing, Ringlets, Common Blues and the first Meadow Brown. Oystercatchers were mating on the shoreline - a bit late for breeding now? A resolution to have a go at the grasses on The Nothe led to the discovery of what I think is Sea Hard-grass (Parapholis strigosa). It needs checking, but if my i/d is correct it would be the first Dorset record away from the Poole-Christchurch areas.

Six-spot Burnet moth (third record) and its paper-like cocoon, 17 June 2004

17 June: A cooler morning with a good range of insects in the sunshine, including the year's first Six-spot Burnet moth (earliest and third record), and more cocoons showing that it is likely to be a good year for them. The first Ringlet butterfly was also on the wing, the earliest record by a day, and the first recorded damselfly - a Common Blue - was on the landslip. Most remarkable sight of the morning, though, was provided by a family of eight Mallard ducklings one-by-one taking a death-plunge off the fort walls on to the rocks forty feet below. They all survived and waddled off into the sea with mum.

15 June: Sunny and hot even early on, with the first Marbled White and Large Skipper butterflies on the wing (earliest records for both), and the Meadow Grasshoppers 'zizzing' for the first time. The presence of Long-tailed Tit juvs showed that they must have bred nearby.

12 June: Juv. Coal Tits, present this morning, have become a regular summer feature in recent years, but still no evidence of breeding actually on site. The first Common Blue and Green-veined White butterflies were on the wing this morning and Spiny Spider Crabs were visible both from the pier and on the southern lawns (well, in part - a shell presumably dropped by a gull).

Transit of Venus, 0710, 8 June 2004. Image projected on paper

8 June: Recent sightings include Speckled Wood butterflies and Pied Wagtail juvs, but all interest in the heavens this morning, where a transit of Venus was visible, using the scope to project the image on to a sheet of paper.

28 May: A blowy south-easterly brought a few birds into the bay, including eight Gannets and two Fulmars, but the year-tick was on the land: a Reed Warbler, singing in a rather subdued fashion from the Sallow clump. Only the fourth record, but on a predictable date. The year list moves to 93 spp - two months ahead of last year !

26 May: No migrants noted on a much clearer morning, but the Chiffchaff present all spring is still singing - a possible first breeding record

Drake Gadwall, Newton's Cove, 25 May 2004 - one of a pair and the first record		Spot the ball? A high-kicking Common Tern, 25 May 2004

25 May: With low expectations of any migrants on a fine late spring morning, it was nice to start with Common Sandpiper and Redshank on the south shore, the latter new for the year. But I only had to raise my eyes a fraction to Newton's Cove to get the real shock of the day: a pair of Gadwall loafing by the breakwater rocks. With numbers increasing on Lodmoor, it was probably only a matter of time before one flew over, but to get a settled pair of this real freshwater duck on the sea was an unexpected treat, and a fine first record for The Nothe. The Nothe list moves to 194 species, of which I've seen 159. The year list goes to 92 spp.

18 May: A late Sedge Warbler was an unexpected claw-back on to the year list, with a tail-less Whitethroat also singing. Otherwise a quiet morning with a few additions to the plant list from the disturbed ground near the new seawall, and the first Small Tortoiseshell caterpillars on the fort slopes. Year list to 90 spp.

7 May: Just a few Swallows and Whimbrel going through on a fine clear morning, but two Swift were a year-tick to bring the total to 89 spp., level with last year at this time. Common Terns in the bay reached a year max of 33.

5 May : Only a Gannet this morning on the seawatch, and nothing on the land, but an excellent record received of 12 Eider, including six adult drakes, in Weymouth Bay on 25 Apr - probably the max on record here.

4 May: A distinctly odd seawatch in the rain and strong SW winds this morning produced a Great Northern Diver going into breeding plumage, a Great Crested Grebe (latest record since the early 80s), two Gannets and Kittiwakes...and an immature Hobby! The latter was powering its way in from the Portland direction and heading for Radipole Lake, exactly like one on 29 Apr 2001. An exciting third record and year-tick. Year list to 88 spp.

3 May: A quiet start with hazy sunshine soon turned into a busy morning as the clouds came over and the rain arrived. Three Phyllosc spp. singing at once included two fine Wood Warblers, the first multiple record. Four Spotted Flycatchers were also year-ticks, as were two Dunlin flying south and the expected Common Terns. other migrants included 26 Whimbrel over, three Willow Warbler, four Blackcap, a Garden Warbler and a Whitethroat. Year list to 87 spp.

20 April: Two more year-ticks this morning, but not expected ones. Showery, calm and very clear conditions prompted a good scan of the bay, with seven Little Terns new for the year, with a Gannet, two Kittiwake and eight Common Scoter in support. Best, though, was a Black Tern, the earliest on record, typically keeping a long way out, and 'dipping' on a long oily slick. While I was watching this, several parties of Whimbrel went over, heading for Lodmoor, and resulting in a record count of 52 in about an hour. Year list goes to 83 spp (including Gannet which I forgot to tick on 1 Jan).

Willow Warbler, 17 April 2004

17 April: Many of yesterday's migrants seemed to have moved on, but as the sun came out so did the birds. Migrants included yet another record Blackcap count of 14, 12 Willow Warblers, three Chiffchaffs (which seem to have taken up temporary residence), two Common Sandpipers, two Swallows, a Whitethroat, and, new for the year, singles of House Martin and Tree Pipit, the latter actually settling (a three pipit day!). Calm conditions were good for birds in the bay which still had a Guillemot, two Common Scoter, two imm. drake Eider and two Great Crested Grebes. An excellent morning with 42 spp. recorded, and the year list going to 80 spp., six days ahead of last year.

16 April: A post-lunch stumble outside the Nothe Tavern in hazy (weather) conditions produced a flurry of migrants including a male Redstart, three Whitethroats and a Garden Warbler - the latter the earliest recorded. All these were year-ticks, but this was not to mention 12 Willow Warblers, three Chiffchaffs and two Blackcaps all in the same area. The south-east rocks were also productive, with three Wheatear and a stunning male Black Redstart - the latest recorded in spring and probably the first true spring migrant here rather than a late overwintering bird. This is the first time both Redstarts have been recorded on the same day here! A Sand Martin reported on 14 Apr is also new for the year, taking the year list to 78 spp.

15 April: Overcast again, with a few more migrants including 13 Willow Warblers, five Blackcaps, four Chiffchaffs, the latest ever spring Fieldfare (the fifth this spring - a bumper crop), and a Common Sandpiper for today's year-tick. Two drake Common Scoter and a Guillemot were in the bay just off the pier, which also produced the most unusual sighting of the morning: the Nothe's first cephalopod record. Being attacked by two Great Black-backed Gulls, and squirting furiously in response, it was probably a Common Cuttlefish but could just as well have been a squid sp. discarded by a fishing boat. Year list to 74 spp.

14 April: Few migrants lingering on a fine sunny morning but a passing Whimbrel was the earliest on record. Year list to 73 spp.

12 April: Overcast conditions produced a light fall including 17 Willow Warblers, three Chiffchaffs, and a record 11 Blackcaps - nine of the latter in a single tree in the Steps garden. Four Linnet and a Swallow were both year-ticks today, bringing the year list to 72 spp.

One of a spring max three Fieldfares perching briefly in the poplars, 1 April 2004

1 April: What's the collective noun for Ring Ouzels - a disappearance? Anyway, three of these (two superb males and a female) behaved in typically mercurial fashion this morning, arriving with three Fieldfares (a spring record max) at about 7.45 and flying off with them to the NE about 10 minutes later, never staying in one place for more than a few seconds. A wonderful second record (first in spring) and Nothe tick for me - the second in two days! My 158th species for the site.

There were classic fall conditions this morning - light SE winds, and light rain at dawn clearing. Apart from the above, there were eight Song Thrushes, 17 Meadow Pipits, a Chiffchaff, and two Willow Warblers (new for the year), but the main birds of note were 'crests - a record 18 Goldcrest (including five in the same small pine - previous max 16 on 31 Mar 2001) and a super Firecrest. Year list to 70 spp - nearly two weeks ahead of last year.