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

[Roger Boswell]

That's a Meadow Pipit.

Thanks Brian - I thought it looked a lot brighter than the usual Rock Pipits

 

[Roger Boswell]

High tide this morning and the Purple Sandpipers are back in the Cobb area with 13/14 in the wall below the aquarium and on the small beach in front of the wall.


HAPPY CHRISTMAS to all at BIRDFORUM

 

[Roger Boswell]

Although I have seen 9 Purple Sandpipers on the rock armour after Christmas I could not locate any today! Plenty of Rock Pipits and Pied Wagtails about the Cobb.

6+ Curlews, 4 Oystercatchers on the ledges - and the Kingfisher fishing from the end of the wall to the W of Church Cliffs.

 

[Stevie babe]

Happy new Year Roger,

Thanks for the reports

Hopefully & weather permitting I should be back there for a brief visit around 23rd Jan so please don't lose the P. sandpipers

 

[Roger Boswell]

Very brief visit today - low tide. None visible on the Cobb but at least 1 on the ledges (rather damp for a close look). Also Oystercatchers and Curlews still there.

 

[Roger Boswell]

Freezing cold on the end of the Cobb this afternoon - and not much to see. A single Ringed Plover landed on the beach in front of the aquarium.

Much better at the Church Cliffs end of Lyme. A lot of birds on the grassy slopes - mixed Rock and Meadow Pipits and a mixed flock of Thrushes - Song Thrush, Redwings and Fieldfares. Also quite a large flock of Starlings.

On the ledges a couple of GBB Gulls that were later joined by 10 Purple Sandpipers. 8 Oystercatchers and 5 Ringed Plovers were on the ledges neared the shore.

The Thrush flock was very mobile - hence only distant images.

 

[Roger Boswell]

Returned to Church Cliffs this morning in the brilliant sun. Rock and Meadow Pipits by the dozen on the grass slopes. Song Thrushes, Redwings and a Fieldfare also on the grass and in the trees. Then a Great Spotted Woodpecker landed on the railings. On the rocks below the Museum a female Black Redstart.

 

[Roger Boswell]

As I arrived home from my AM visit to Church Cliffs a Fieldfare was eating berries from our hedge.

Returned PM to Church Cliffs to see the birds at low tide.

The grassy bank was still alive with the Pipits.

Several GBB Gulls were on the ledges out to sea. Those nearby had 8 Oystercatchers about 5 Ringed Plovers and 10+ Purple Sandpipers.
Two of the Ringed Plovers were busy in a courtship? display. One chasing the other with both having fanned tails - quite an extraordinary sight.

 

[Roger Boswell]

I thought yesterday was cold .....

However, it was good to see another keen birder (from Bridport) watching the birds on the ledges.

A record number of 18 Oystercatchers and 12 Purple Sandpipers were closely grouped on the near shore ledges with 3-4 Ringed Plovers between the rocks on the shore. The Black Redstart was on Church Cliffs with more Song Thrushes, Redwings and a Stonechat. A larger flock of Redwings were in Lister gardens near the crazy golf.


Walking back up the Lim I first saw a Dipper flying upstream then the Kingfisher took off from very nearby - initially upstream but then turned and disappeared into the distance towards Jericho.

 

[Roger Boswell]

Fieldfares and Redwings feasting off a tree opposite the Mariners this morning.

More down on Church Cliffs with Pied Wagtails and Meadow Pipits. The Black Redstart was still in the area of the museum.


High tide so 10 of the Purple Sandpipers were on the outer wall of the Cobb - keeping out of the freezing wind and basking in the sun!

 

[Roger Boswell]

Yesterday I saw what I thought was a very pale breasted Wren with pointed dark bill searching for food on a house wall by the leat. Cannot remember any of the usual barrs on the back - could this have been a Siberian Chiffchaff? It was too dark to take an image at 4pm yesterday.

 

[Roger Boswell]

Much quieter after the recent cold spell.
Dipper and Grey Wagtails on the Lim.

Pied Wagtails and Rock Pipits round the Cobb area. Oystercatchers on the N wall.

Purple Sandpipers 3 on the rock armour and 3 more in the wall behind the aquarium. Yesterday one was bathing in the fresh water at the Lim mouth.

This morning - around 10:30am 2 large flocks of Black-bellied Brent Geese were flying low over the water towards Portland. The image is of the second and much smaller group - 35+ birds.

 

[Roger Boswell]

Very quiet in Lyme this morning. No Dipper on the Lim despite rocks now above water level.

Oystercatchers on the beach E of Lyme. Rock Pipits and Pied Wagtails around the Cobb area.

15 Purple Sandpipers now on the Cobb.

 

[Andrew]

Nice artistic shot! Hopefully I can make it your way to see them this winter before they depart.

 

[Stevie babe]

Yesterday I did an early morning wander around essential parts of Lyme,

On the river itself coming from the sea and going inland there was a single dipper just above the mill in what I term the gardens. Apart from blackbirds there was not a lot else by the time I got to jericho so I went back towards the sea. Again at the mill, just below it this time I must have disturbed 2 dippers who flew out of sight.

At the bridge over the river, just before it enters the sea i looked over for kingfishers. I;d seen them here before but none this time. I turned left (East) below the museum and saw 2 Purple Sandpipers on a breakwater. At the end of the pedestrian way I looked over towards to Charmouth and scanned the waters edge. There were a few gulls around and a cormorant. As my view got closer I found 6 Oystercatchers that hadn't observed the warning of landslides.

Back towards lower Lyme and the Cobb I passed a number of Pied Wags and Rock Pipits

A fwe gulls here were herring And GBB's. On the sea was a juvenile Great Crested Grebe.

Along the Gardens above Marine Parade was very little apart from blackbirds, Robins, Dunnocks and a wren.

Could have done with the kingfisher and a grey wagtail

 

[Roger Boswell]

Yesterday I did an early morning wander around essential parts of Lyme,

Even quieter today!

No sighting of either Dippers or Kingfisher on the Lim or at the Lim mouth. A single Grey Wagtail flying fast down the Lim - and Wrens in the foliage just below Horn Bridge.

The Purple Sandpipers seem to have taken to foraging at high tide on the rock armour just below the museum - there were 6 there this morning. Two brief glimpses of the Black Redstart in the same location - I haven't seen it for a few days recently.

Pied Wagtails and Rock Pipits all along to the Cobb where another 4 Purple Sandpipers were on the rock armour at the end.

 

[Roger Boswell]

Cold and dismal morning. Very quiet on Church Cliffs - only 6 Oystercatchers on the ledges near the shore.

Plenty of Rock Pipits and Pied Wagtails all along Marine Parade and 6 Purple Sandpipers visible on the Cobb.

2 Dippers in 'the garden section' below Jericho - that flew off upstream, disappearing behind Limbrook Cottages.

 

[Roger Boswell]

2 Dippers and 3 Grey Wagtails on the Lim this morning.

5 Brent Geese on the Ledges - just a single Oystercatcher present. Also two Lesser BB Gulls

Plenty of Rock Pipits and Pied Wagtails, but only a single Purple Sandpiper on the Cobb.

 

[Roger Boswell]

Bright and cold this morning.

8 Oystercatchers and 4 Purple Sandpipers on the ledges to the E of Lyme. A very mobile Black Redstart is still in the museum area - on the rock armour and then around the buildings.

Rock Pipits and Pied Wagtails in the Cobb area and 2 Purple Sandpipers on the rock armour.

Extraordinary encounter with a Buzzard on my way up the Lim allowed a long photo call.

 

[bren-escape]

Roger, I always like reading your posts and seeing whats happening down the lyme. Not been there for a while and definetily want to go on our week off in two weeks, its not too far a drive its just time now a days.

Out of interest what camera/lens do you use, the buzzard pics are great!:t: