Friday December 21st
After two days of appalling weather we were delighted to be out on the cliffs again in beautiful warm sunshine. We were at the cliffs above the East Weares to check on the goats that were introduced here by Natural England a few years ago. In visible at first we eventually found half of the flock of ten goats and no doubt the rest of them were busy in the bushes somewhere.
Pleased with our success we set off towards Grove Point to look for our next target, the resident pair of Peregrines. On the way we found a wintering Chiffchaff and shortly after that a Buzzard flew past escorted by a pair of Carrion Crows.
Reaching the view point opposite the YOI bowling green we saw not only both Peregrines but also a number of Fulmars wheeling around just off the cliffs. Next stop was Yeolands Quarry to look for the Little Owl. He wasn’t there but a Stock Dove was, as were a pair of Ravens.
The walk finished with a superb close-quarter flypast from the pair of Peregrines as they set off hunting over the quarry.
The day’s list:
Peregrine, Kestrel, Buzzard, Fulmar, Raven, Stock Dove, Chiffchaff, British Primitive Goats (5)
Bob Ford, https://www.dorsetwalks.com
