Biking Birder I 2010 February 24th Radipole and Lodmoor RSPB Reserves AND Portland Bill

 

24th February 2010

Rain 

Status Quo

                         

                             In the morning I met Nick Quintrell, one of Radipole's superb wardens and together we walked around a strangely, mostly birdless reserve. 

Exceedingly few birds but interesting chat with a smashing birdy bloke. Noisy Cetti's Warblers and a single Water Rail squeal were heard. The Hooded Merganser was seen again and also seen flying fully winged.

Radipole RSPB Reserve

Back at the Radipole RSPB visitor’s centre, I was photographed very speedily by a local paper, the Dorset Echo and was later interviewed on the phone by the same paper.

              Lodmoor RSPB Reserve

              In the afternoon, I cycled like the wind., well it was behind me, to Lodmoor RSPB Reserve and once again walked around the whole reserve with Nick, who had driven there. A Spoonbill and a Kingfisher were highlights here but once again a lack of duck was apparent.

              I remembered my first time at Lodmoor back in 1981. Back then Cetti's Warbler was a lifer for me and there was a flock of nine Garganey in one corner of the reserve, near to where there is now a sort of, hopefully vandal-proof shelter for visiting birders and public alike. There was also a large double decker hide back then overlooking the reserve; since burnt down many years ago.

              Back to Radipole, cycling a bit slower now as the wind was hitting my face. seven first year Mediterranean Gulls were on the car park. I then decided to cycle in the heavy rain then pouring to Ferrybridge. So I did just that, cycling along the superb cycle path, the Rodwell Way and found almost no birds on view once I got there. Now it would be churlish and lazy of me not to cycle to one of my favourite Bird Observatories in Britain when so relatively close.

 

          So I cycled on to Portland, pushed the bike up the very steep hill and cruised down to a surging sea at the Bill. 

           Photographs of Kittiwakes; I loved the violence of the sea and the beauty of the gulls riding the wind. Three Shags [142] were going past.

PORTLAND BIRD OBSERVATORY

              I called in at Portland Bird Observatory but Martin Cade, the fabulously knowledgeable warden, was not there. I paid my respects at the Peter Mowbray memorial on the wall of the lighthouse then cycled back to Weymouth.

 

             Peter had been a teacher, close friend and had also run the superb natural history book shop at the Portland Bill Bird Observatory. Indeed he had founded the shop and its revenue is directed to the work of the Observatory. Sadly, Peter died a few years ago. A wonderful man and sorely missed by all who had had the privilege to know him.

Back when I lived in Swanage and had a self-employed business, I used to take Natural History books, that I had bought at various auctions, to the Observatory bookshop on a regular basis. Not only did I profit from any sales but so did the Observatory with their cut and of course, I had a wonderful excuse to go birding for the day. Gordon Barnes quite often used to accompany me and the photographs I took of him standing by hoist equipment for the fishing boats and others of him standing by large cut stones in the abandoned quarry, as well as by the iconic Portland Bill Lighthouse, will always remain so exceedingly special.

On one occasion though, on taking yet more books to the bookshop, Peter and I were laughing about some teaching anecdotes, what else do teachers talk about when together, when Martin Cade came crashing through the door.

“Do you want to see an Eastern Olivaceous?”

The extremely rare warbler had been caught in one of the Observatory’s mist nets and Peter and I were soon amongst other birders lucky to be there at the time, enjoying hand-held views.

Eastern Olivaceous account Portland Bill Observatory Blog August 2003

              Back to Weymouth, I cycled slowly due to the gale now facing me. Another wonderful day, thoroughly enjoyable and the afternoon ending with it having had another opportunity to meet amazing sunshine RSPB volunteers. No matter what the weather, they got into the reedbeds, where it was cold and wet, to do the conservation work necessary. 

              An evening spent talking with some later on was a privilege; a word I need to use a lot on this cycling adventure. Good luck to all of them.

 

27.52 miles 

1213 feet elevation up  1207 feet down