Today's Quickie!

Another of those short posts today to help keep the old blog up and running along with a couple - well three actually - of those excellent 'customary' pictures which hopefully will interest you. 

You may have noticed I've put a link to the Portland Bill Observatory in my sidebar, an excellent site for keeping in touch with whats arrived and what hasn't as in the case of the Stonechat. A 'run' through the month of March on the website will uncover the virtual absence of any Stonechat arrivals, virtual save a solitary bird noted as an assumed continental bird on 12 March....this is serious. An e-mail from Martin at the obs confirms my/the general view that the Stonechat was amongst the worst to suffer at the hands of the two winters prior to 2011/12 and there appears to be no sign of any migrants to talk about arriving in the country....time will tell. The good news is that the obs does have a pair of resident Stonechats around.

And the three customary's....

Montagu's Harrier. Mike Watson.

The stunning Montagu's Harrier taken by MW on his recent travels to places far away....See Here

Hawfinch Colin Bushell   

If you need some guarantee of finding the Hawfinch, apparently you need to get yourself off to Sizergh Castle near Kendal in Cumbria where they appear on an almost daily basis, and they are actually inclined to 'come to you' in the car park, even better than armchair birding....car seat birding!

Collared Dove Warren Baker

And finally the Collared Dove....An excellent image of a largely neglected bird, and a good looking bird too!

Thanks to Mike/Colin/ Warren for the pictures, much appreciated.