For the May half term break I booked a couple of nights in a cottage down in Dorset, conveniently located midway between Weymouth and Swanage, which were two areas I particularly wished to visit. After a good journey, I arrived at Portland Bill at 8.30 a.m. The weather was overcast with light rain and quite a strong breeze but after half an hour or so it began to clear so I got my things together ready to have a walk around.
I started by heading for Pulpit Rock, so named due to the fact that there is a 'Bible' shaped rock leaning up against it. A solitary gull was perched on top and amongst the rocks and thrift were several pipits. I walked along the coast path for a bit, towards the cliffs where some sea birds were nesting though I couldn't really see them clearly. However, flocks of gulls were heading in that direction, including some fulmars, and I could see guillemots and razorbills on the sea and on the cliff edges.
Next I headed East of the Lighthouse, then and follow a path inland. I didn't spot anything of interest but met someone who told me he knew of an area where often little owls could be seen and said he'd take me there. It wasn't far to walk and looked like a stack of boulders. Although at first we could not find any, he told me that he'd seen one this time yesterday sitting out in the sunshine. We waited and after a while one flew out from the rocks where apparently they nest, and sat out on a rocky ledge. It flew short distances from rock to rock, before settling down for a sleep!
I decided to move on to Tout quarry and Sculpture park which is known for a good range of butterflies. Although it was sunny at the Bill, it looked decidedly more cloudy back inland but I thought I may as well go and see what I could find, the wind was blowing the clouds quite quickly, and I thought I might be able to find a sheltered spot among the sculptures which are found there.
On arrival, the rain started again but stopped fairly quickly and I walked down the narrow path to the abandoned quarry. About sixty of the stones had been sculptured into works of art, including animals but the area was also designated as a nature reserve, and I could see why - it had many wild flowers growing amongst the stones. The quarry also had stunning views across to Chesil Beach. It remained cloudy for a while, then the same came out for a while and I found a few butterflies - small blue, common blue and dingy skipper.
My next stop was at Dorset Wildlife trust's Wild Chesil Centre, a visitor centre at Chesil beach. A colony of little terns nest on the beach, and I had hoped to book a boat trip to see them from the Fleet Lagoon,, but sadly it was too windy and the boat trips were not running today. I did however walk along the pebbles to the cordoned off area where the birds nest, and saw flocks of little terns distantly flying over the water. On the way back I spotted a wheatear - new for the year.
Finally I headed to rspb Lodmoor where I walked part way around the lake there. I had some good views of a marsh harrier over the reedbeds, and some close sightings of oyster catchers and a heron as well as various duck species.
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