Portland

09/12/06 - A day trip to Portland where we hoped to catch up with any lingering Leach's Petrel in the harbour or at Chesil Cove. The winds had dropped even more over night and were much milder. Half a dozen Great Northern Divers were in the Harbour with Razorbill, Shags, and Red-breasted Mergansers from Osprey Quay, as were 2 fem/imm Black Redstarts with Rock Pipits. From Chesil Cove a few Mediterranean Gulls fed on the shore and 2 Red-throated Diver, Razorbill, Guillemot and Gannet were on the sea there.

This Shag allowed Lee and I to get extremely close. We both sat on the same rock as it, and Lee gently stroked its back before it went back into the water fishing. (c) Ashley Howe

The sunset from Chesil Cove, just as the only clouds of the day were beginning to come in. (c) Ashley Howe

Goose Barnacles washed up on to the shore of Chesil Beach, after the storms during the week. (c) Ashley Howe

Huge amounts of rubbish and litter was distributed over the entire beach, the bodies of Gannets scattered about with dead Eels and a drifting dead Dolphin or Porpoise. (c) Ashley Howe