A Winning Day at Lodmoor and Beyond
I had planned a trip to Weymouth this weekend, hoping to see Sword-leaved Helleborines. Nature doesn’t often grant second chances, but today it did. After arriving too late last year to catch Dorset’s only Sword-leaved Helleborines, I returned on May 3rd, 2026, with fingers crossed, and they were in full bloom. Eight beautiful spikes stood proudly under the beech tree, and they did not disappoint.
After seeing the Helleborines, I had to decide whether to head to Portland for the reported Turtle Dove or make my way to Lodmoor in hope of spotting the recent Bonaparte’s Gull. I chose Lodmoor, thinking it would add more sightings to my Dorset County List, which it probably did, even if it was only three extra birds. Not knowing Portland well, apart from the Bill area, I would have been unsure where to go or if I’d find the Turtle Dove.
The first birds I saw at Lodmoor were a screaming party of Swifts, wonderful to watch as they darted through the sky. Their lifestyle is incredible, spending almost their entire lives in the air and only landing to breed. Walking along the track and stopping at various viewpoints, I soon ticked off the first of my three new birds when a Common Tern came screaming past. Further along, I reached Tern Island, where the cacophony of Common Terns and Black-headed Gulls was a delight to hear and watch. Before long, I spotted my second new bird: three stunning Bar-tailed Godwits, one in its breeding colours. It was slightly too far for a decent photo, but the colours were wonderful through the scope. I made my way to the old bandstand to scan the Black-headed Gulls for the Bonaparte’s Gull, but despite staying for a while, I couldn’t pick it out. Another birder told me it might have gone off into Weymouth Bay. The final new bird was a Whitethroat singing from the top of a bush, though it flew off just as I pressed the shutter. It was a wonderful afternoon; simply being out in the midst of nature is great for the mind.
