Lyme Regis Birding - or an even quieter Backwater (1 Viewer)

[Roger Boswell]

At last something different in Lyme - not very exciting but a Little Gull off Monmouth beach this morning.

Good view of Gannets from coast path at Ladram Bay yesterday,

 

[davercox]

Nice one Roger.

 

[Roger Boswell]

The Little Gull was still off Monmouth beach this morning - and was still there among the Black-headed Gulls when I returned in the afternoon. It is a bird that I could watch all day - walking on the water and hovering over the sea to take food from the water surface.

A new bird paddling at the harbour mouth was a Guillemot.

 

[Roger Boswell]

Lovely to see the Purple Sandpipers back on the Cobb this morning - 6 visible on the rock armour.

Dipper and 2 Grey Wagtails on the Lim and plenty of Rock Pipits on the Cobb.

 

[Roger Boswell]

Despite the sand dredging in the harbour and dumping near the rock armour, 5 Purple Sandpipers were spread out along the seaward side of the rocks.

5 Oystercatchers and a Grey Heron on the rocks below Church Cliff.

Several Grey Wagtails on the Lim

 

[Roger Boswell]

Purple Sandpiper count is now up to 8 on the rock armour -Hope they liked the fireworks!

Followed a Dipper up the Lim later. Each time it flew off upstream it landed in the water before swimming to a stone.

 

[Roger Boswell]

First time to the end of the Cobb for a few days - and the 8 Purple Sandpipers were still on the rock armour, battling against the wind and sea spray.

Rock Pipits in the more sheltered places.

Dipper and Grey Wagtail on the Lim

 

[Roger Boswell]

Still very wet and windy along the Cobb, so I didn't get to the end today. Plenty of Rock Pipits on Monmouth beach and a noticeable number of Pied Wagtails along Marine Parade.

I was surprised to come across a Cormorant sitting on the wall at the Lim mouth. I walked past it several times and was close enough eventually to fill the viewfinder with a head and shoulders portrait! I think it must have been exhausted battling against the winds of the last few days.

 

[Brian Stone]

Pretty sure that's a Shag Roger.

 

[Roger Boswell]

Pretty sure that's a Shag Roger.

Thank you all for correcting me (images also posted in my gallery). I am sure that 99% of the mixture in Lyme are Cormorants so didn't expect a Shag; will be more careful in future.

 

[Roger Boswell]

A Sparrow Hawk flying fast and low between the houses and a Dipper doing the same along the Lim. Also several Grey Wagtails distributed along the Lim.

Plenty of Rock Pipits and Pied Wagtails around the Cobb area. Now 10 Purple Sandpipers on the Cobb - 4 on the seaward Cobb wall and the other 6 on the rock armour.

 

[Roger Boswell]

Too risky to visit the end of the Cobb yesterday!

Much better this afternoon - and found the 10 Purple Sandpipers spread over the rock armour and on the tide line of the small beach in front of the aquarium. Plenty of Rock Pipits and Pied Wagtails in the Cobb area.

7 Oystercatchers on Lucy's ledge to the east of Lyme.

River Lim very fast and deep with very few rocks for the Dipper to swim off.

 

[Roger Boswell]

Dipper back on the Lim this mornimg.

5 Oystercatchers to the east of Lyme and plenty of Pied Wagtails on the sea wall below Church Cliffs.

8 Purple Sandpipers on the Cobb and rock armour.

Buzzard soaring up the Lim valley being mobbed by a gull and crows

 

[Roger Boswell]

A Grey Heron, Great Black-backed Gull, 5 Oystercatchers and 2 Purple Sandpipers on Lucy's Ledge this morning.

Another 6 Purple Sandpipers on the Rock armour. Several Rock Pipits on the Cobb and Monmouth beach.

Freezing cold at the end of the Cobb today!

 

[Roger Boswell]

Rather dismal afternoon brightened by a Kingfisher fishing in the sea around the Cobb. It stayed for over an hour fishing from the North Wall and the end of Victoria Pier,

8 Purple Sandpipers on the rock armour and plenty of Pied Wagtails and Rock Pipits in the Cobb area.

 

[Roger Boswell]

Another dismal and damp morning - but no repeat of yesterday's sighting. Just 3 Purple Sandpipers feeding on the rocks to the S of the Cobb. Still plenty of Rock Pipits and Pied Wagtails on and around the Cobb and several GBB Gulls in the harbour.

There were 2 male and a female Stonechat on the railings at Church Cliffs and 3 Oystercatchers feeding on the rock ledges.

Returning up the Lim there were 2 Dippers facing one another on rocks 3ft apart - too far apart to get both in the same image. Unusually they allowed me to get reasonably close before flying further upstream. The one looking right appeared more rotund than the other one!

 

[Roger Boswell]

Bright,sunny and COLD this morning.

Dipper flying down the Lim below Horn Bridge and a Grey Wagtail further down.

7 Oystercatchers on the rocks to the east of Church Cliffs and a single Purple Sandpiper right underneath the sea wall.

A very friendly Rock Pipit on the path in front of the Museum - walking round my feet then past me on the sea wall - just 6" away!

 

[Roger Boswell]

Has the bright sun made all the difference?

18 Oystercatchers on the beach near the landslip E of Lyme early this morning.

On the Cobb 9 Purple Sandpipers - 1 on the outer wall, 2 on the beach below the Aquarium and 6 on the Rock Armour.

Later at Church Cliffs a Goldfinch, the 3 Stonechats (2M 1F) and a Pipit (Rock or otherwise - can anyone help?).

On the rocks just east of Church Cliffs 7 Oystercatchers and 1 Ringed Plover - five others had taken off heading west. Also 2 Purple Sandpipers with the Oystercatchers.

Up the Lim a Dipper was inspecting his new home? - he was joined by his prospective mate who also had a look up the pipe

 

[Roger Boswell]

Good day on the ledges E of Lyme.

7+ Purple Sandpipers feeding in the pools together with about the same number of Oystercatchers.

The lone Ringed Plover was still there.

A Kingfisher was fishing in the rock pools.

 

[Brian Stone]

Later at Church Cliffs a Goldfinch, the 3 Stonechats (2M 1F) and a Pipit (Rock or otherwise - can anyone help?).

That's a Meadow Pipit.