Shoreham seawatches and Weymouth gulls (01-11 November)

Wednesday 01 November. Widewater 07:15-11:00, moderate/strong SW: Brent Goose 19W, Common Scoter 1E, Great Crested Grebe 1 (on sea), Little Grebe 3 (on lagoon), Turnstone 5, Dunlin 5W, Kittiwake 5W, Little Gull 6W (superb flock of 5 adults & first-winter along the tideline), Sandwich Tern 1E, Red-throated Diver 1W, Balearic Shearwater 1W (quite distant 08:25), Gannet 16W, Meadow Pipit 2.

Thursday 02 November. Widewater 07:45-12:15 but little before 09:45, strong S: Red-breasted Merganser 1W, Dunlin 15W, Turnstone 23, Kittiwake 1W, Little Gull 1W (distant juvenile), Mediterranean Gull 5W (first-winter, second-winter & 3 adults), Leach's Petrel 22E, Meadow Pipit 2. Widewater 12:45-16:45 still strong W: Turnstone 17, Dunlin 2W, Grey Phalarope 1 (on sea, at one stage flew almost directly overhead), Little Gull 7W (6 adults and a juvenile), Mediterranean Gull 5W (first-winter, 3 second-winters & an adult), Pomarine Skua 1E (juvenile along the shoreline causing panic amongst the Herring Gulls before heading out SE), Red-throated Diver 1 on sea, Storm Petrel 1W, Leach's Petrel 41E (some lingering/feeding offshore, a few W), Meadow Pipit 2. Thanks to PJ and GJ for the Grey Phalarope and Storm Petrel at last knockings. Despite the lack of variety (e.g. no shearwaters) it was one of my most exciting seawatches ever.

Leach's Petrels off Widewater

Little Gull off Widewater

Mediterranean Gulls off Widewater

Pomarine Skua off Widewater

Friday 03 November. Widewater 06:55-08:55, moderate W: Brent Goose 3W, Red-breasted Merganser 2W, Common Scoter 1E, Turnstone 12, Little Gull 10W (3, 4 and single adults), skua sp 1E (distant, probably Pomarine), Arctic Skua 1E, petrel sp 1W (briefly, possibly Storm), 1W, Gannet 3E (quite distant 08:25), Meadow Pipit 2. Adur 09:30-11:30: Lapwing 40, Grey Plover 2, Ringed Plover 12, Dunlin 13, Redshank 11, Common Tern 1 juvenile, Sparrowhawk 1, Kestrel 1.

Common Tern on the Adur

Grey Plover on the Adur, the returning white-headed bird on the right

Saturday 04 November. Widewater 07:00-08:30 strong southerly, wet: Flying west 1 juvenile Kittiwake, 2 adult Mediterranean Gulls, 1 Gannet. Drive to Weymouth: 1 Buzzard. Radipole: Cetti's Warbler heard. Weymouth Bay: 100+ Mediterranean Gulls roosting on the sea.

Sunday 05 November. Old Harry's Rocks: Stock Dove 1, Mediterranean Gull 26 in fields, Shag 2, Goshawk 1 over Foxground Plantation, Long-tailed Tit 5, Stonechat 2, Goldfinch 8. Radipole: Tufted Duck 24, Mediterranean Gull 42.

Flooding near Radipole

Old Harry's Rocks with the Isle of Wight and Needles just about visible, right of centre on horizon

Bournemouth in the distance

look SW towards Swanage

view to Studland and Poole

Poole Harbour

Swanage

Monday 06 November. Portland Bill (Southwell-Bill-Weston): Stock Dove 1, Wood Pigeon 350, Gannet 1, Kestrel 2, Swallow 1, Black Redstart 1, Rock Pipit 8. Weymouth Harbour/Nothe: Shag 2.

Portland Old higher Lighthouse

Chesil Beach from Portland

Tuesday 07 November. Ringstead Bay: Buzzard 1, Stonechat 2, Rock Pipit 2. Radipole: Water Rail 2 heard, Mediterranean Gull 45+, Cetti's Warbler 3 heard, Long-tailed Tit 8, Chiffchaff 2.

Proteus K60, recently commissioned to the Royal Fleet Auxiliary

Ringstead Bay

Portland from Ringstead Bay

Mediterranean Gull R2UK at Radipole Lake Car Park

a bird I had seen at Radipole on 3 November 2022

it had been ringed as a chick at Polder de Sebastopol, Barbatre, Vendee, FRANCE in June 2022. After I saw it at Radipole last year it was recorded at plage de Pentrez, Saint-Nic, Finistère, FRANCE in June 2023 and Ferrybridge, Dorset and Broadsands Beach, Paignton, Devon in July (on 7th and 12th respectively)

Wednesday 08 November. Lodmoor: Gadwall 40, Shoveler 30, Teal 20, Lapwing 80, Golden Plover 80, Common Snipe 23, Mediterranean Gull 12, Cetti's Warbler 3 heard, Stonechat 1, Greenfinch 3. Radipole: Tufted Duck 20, Mediterranean Gull 3, Cetti's Warbler 2.

Thursday 09 November. Radipole: Tufted Duck 22. Dorchester: Goldfinch 120. Lodmoor: Gadwall 20, Shoveler 10, Teal 20, Tufted Duck 4, Ferruginous Duck 1 sleeping male. Lapwing 100, Golden Plover 27, Common Snipe 11, Mediterranean Gull 42, Marsh Harrier 1 male, Long-tailed Tit 2, Cetti's Warbler 2 heard, Stonechat 1, Greenfinch 3. Weymouth Bay: 800+ Mediterranean Gulls roosting on the sea.

sleeping Ferruginous Duck at Lodmoor, it did awaken briefly but not when I was photographing it 

I took my eyes of it for a minute and it was gone

Friday 10 November. Nothe/Rodwell Trail: Shag 1, Long-tailed Tit 22, Black Redstart 1, Stonechat 1, Chaffinch 1, Greenfinch 2. Ferrybridge: Brent Goose 30, Red-breasted Merganser 1 male, Dunlin 50+, Mediterranean Gull 155. Radipole: Tufted Duck 22, Water Rail heard, Mediterranean Gull 25, Cetti's Warbler 4 heard.

Mediterranean Gull RJ8L at Radipole Lake Car Park, another Polder de Sebastopol bird I had seen at Radipole last year. It was ringed when a chick in July 2016 and had been seen in Bretagne, FRANCE, Málaga SPAIN, Isle of Wight and repeatedly in Weymouth and at Hayling Island. The most recent sighting before this was at Puckpool on the Isle of Wight in February

Mediterranean Gull 39NP at Radipole Lake Car Park. It was ringed as adult at Hardenhoek, Biesbosch, Werkendam, Altena,Noord-Brabant, NETHERLANDS in May 2021 and has been seen at Zwin, Knokke-Heist, West-Vlaanderen, Flanders, BELGIUM in July 20/21, Hameau de Strouanne, Wissant, Pas-de-Calais, FRANCE in September 2021, at Lodmoor & Ferrybridge during October 2021-March 2022 and August 2022-February 2023 and at broedeiland, Margarethapolder, Zaamslag, Terneuzen, Zeeland, NETHERLANDS in April 2023

Mediterranean Gull 3PL4 at Radipole Lake Car Park. It was ringed as a chick on De Kreupel Island, Enkhuizen, Ijsselmeer, Noord-Holland, NETHERLANDS in June 2019, and seen at Hameau de Strouanne, Wissant, Pas-de-Calais, FRANCE August 2019, Ferrybridge & Lodmoor June-July 2020, plage de Lestrevet; Plomodiern; Finistère, FRANCE December 2020, Lodmoor March 2021, Elm's Farm, Ickjlesham 3March-May 2021, Lodmoor & Ferrybridge October 2021-March 2022, Le Portal, Pas-de-Calais, FRANCE July 2022, Ferrybridge & Lodmoor July 2022-Febriary 2023 and Elm's Farm in March 2023

Mediterranean Gull E592 at Radipole Lake Car Park. It was ringed as chick at Total Antwerpen, BELGIUM in July 2011, seen at Boulogne-sur-Mer beach in August 2011, Elm's Farm, Icklesham in April 13, Prosperpolder, Beveren, Oost-Vlaanderen, Flanders, BELGIUM in May 2013, Radipole in November/December 2013, Havre de Crabec, Gattwville-le-Phare, Normandie, FRANCE on 26 December 2013, Radipole January-February 2014, Total Antwerpen March 2014, Radipole September-December 2014, Total Antwerpen March-June 2015, Radipole November 2015-January 2016, Hayling Oysterbeds March 2016, Elm's Farm March 2017, Total Antwerpen April 2017, Hayling April 2018, Ella Nore, Chichester Harbour August 2018, Radipole December 2018-January 2019, Hayling February 2019, Total Antwerpen March 2019, Weymouth area July-November 2019, Elm's Farm February 2020, Nieuwkoop Plassen, Nieuwkoop, Zuid-Holland, NETHERLANDS June 2020, Weymouth 1December 2020-January 2021, Total Antwerpen March 2021, West Bexington, Dorset September 2021, Ferrybridge November 2021-January 2022 and November 2022-January 2023. Perhaps not unsurprising that its ring is showing signs of damage after 12 years

Mediterranean Gull RTL7 at Radipole Lake Car Park. It was ringed as a chick at Maison de l'Oiseau, Lancheres, Somme, FRANCE in June 2016 and has been seen in the Weymouth area seen in Weymouth area multiple times every year, mostly in winter, since. Also at Domain du Marquenterre, Somme, FRANCE in March 2019 and March 2023 and at Biesbosch, Werkendan, Noord-Brabant, NETHERLANDS in May 2022

Saturday 11 November. Radipole: Tufted Duck 23. Journey home: Buzzard 4.