Rambling...

It's been a rain-dodging kind of day, and not always successful in that regard. In fact I've just got home from a good soaking. A brisk walk down the river Asker and back through town, following up a belated report of three Goosanders and a Dipper. The best I could muster were a Med Gull on the Bridport FC pitch, 2 Chiffs, and a Little Egret by Morrisons...

An almost-urban Little Egret.

This morning's walk was much better timed, with torrential downpours either side of the outdoorsy stuff. Best of all though, I had a long-desired tick...

A big clump of Lepas anatifera, the Common Goose Barnacle

The 'shell', or capitulum, from which the feeding tentacles protrude periodically. Astonishing creatures.

And this is what they were attached to - a knackered old flip-flop. I wonder where it went into the sea?

I don't know if Goose Barnacles are quite unusual locally, or if I've just been unobservant, but in 20 years living by the sea I have never seen any before. This clump was the larger of two on West Bay's East beach, and presumably the product of last night's stormy weather. There was still a big swell, and spectacular surf, and I had to be a bit careful retrieving my prize from the sea's grasp. I had a good poke about among the stalks to see if there were any little Columbus Crabs, but did wonder what onlookers must have thought I was up to...

15,000+ steps today, all very local. And 'very local' is fast becoming more and more the norm. Last night there was a Bridport Bird Club meeting at the Tiger Inn. Main topic of discussion? The club's winter survey initiative: House Sparrow roosts in the Bridport recording area. Finding, counting and documenting all our local House Sparrow roosts is not a thing I ever saw myself getting involved with, and yet here we are...

The sparrow counters (photo: Tom Brereton)

And on Thursday evening I'll be out again, this time as a sideshow to Tom Brereton's talk about the 2021 Bridport Breeding Bird Survey...

That's me in the blue star. Bird expert. You knew that, right?

Yep, I shall be talking noc-mig again. In public. For a small fee, even. Seriously, what is happening? The last time I made presentation slides, PowerPoint was not even a twinkle in Bill Gates' eye. Yet some bloke I barely recognise has just done exactly that. Some even have embedded sound files. I am in unfamiliar territory here, but quite enjoying the journey.

So, yes. Local. Since the beginning of October I have done very little birding away from the Bridport recording area, and not been to West Bexington or Cogden for more than six weeks. Focusing on West Bay for coastal birding has been surprisingly rewarding, as recent NQS posts testify. Still, there is one aspect in which it is very different to Cogden and Bex. People. West Bay is packed with them. Being a quiet loner has suited me for a long time, but self-absorption is a luxury not much afforded by West Bay birding. Especially when seawatching from the shelter. However, chatting with the various folk who strike up a conversation has been an unexpected pleasure...

On the day of three Leach's Petrels I met Bill Shelton, who used to live in Henfield, West Sussex. He told me about the Henfield Birdwatch initiative, a citizen science project which has been running for more than 20 years, and in 2011 won the BTO's Marsh Local Ornithology Award. A bit later he popped back to the shelter in appalling weather to give me his collection of Henfield Birdwatch five-yearly reports. Fascinating to see what a bit of community engagement can achieve. Quite inspirational actually. If you remember the 1988 Little Bittern that was taken into care on the Sussex coast and later released at a small pond which it proceeded to empty of Great Crested Newts, well, that was on the Henfield patch.

At least three times I have met Margaret. The other day we spent a couple of minutes chatting in the shelter, and I was pleased to learn that she'll be coming to the talk on Thursday night. It is good to know that a decent number of locals are enthusiastic about their local birds.

Talking of local birds...

An obliging 2nd-winter Med Gull on the river.

Same bird, with very West Bay backdrop.

I was chuffed to find two Purple Sandpipers on the harbour wall rocks early yesterday morning. Hope they stay for the winter.

Two Egyptian Geese heading west yesterday morning. The first I've seen locally. I was almost excited about them.

My first hasty go at a record shot had the camera desperately trying to focus on an overhead wire.

The recent storms have played havoc with the mothing. The trap has been out a few times though, and there have even been a couple of new species...

L: Chestnut, but not from our garden; caught in Lyme Regis while babysitting.
R: Dark Chestnut.
Subtle differences in wing shape are apparent in side-by-side comparison, but they still look a potentially tricky pair to me.

A really well-marked Blair's Mocha.

Still a few migrants, including this male Vestal...

...this Rusty-dot Pearl...

...and this female Vestal.

I suspect the mothing season is almost done now. Almost...

This somewhat rambling post is probably a sign of where things are heading for NQS. Rather more collaborative stuff than has been the case in recent years. Some of it may even be ornithology. And my regular birding haunts are getting closer to home. One day I might legitimately be able to use the word 'patch'...

Hope you got your tickets nice and early.