Dorset - Portland / Lodmoor RSPB - Standing Stilts!

 The day started at a sedentary pace as I made my way to Portland to spend the day trawling the island for migrants. A Pied Flycatcher had been found at Reap Lane by Pete Coe et al near the barns but my photography session with the female bird was cut short with news of a pair of Black Winged Stilt at Lodmoor RSPB.

A sharp about turn and I was heading back to Lodmoor hoping to connect with the birds. They were on one of the far pools viewable from the west side. The pair then decided to do a bit of their own exploration before settling on the post box pool side of the reserve.

I caught up with Nick and Glen at the twitch before returning to Portland to continue a rather later than expected sweep of the island. I covered Culverhouse and the top fields which only produced wheatear and the almost resident Merlin. A second walk round later on in the day was more productive with several Whinchat added to the tally.

I returned to Reap Lane via the west cliffs observing a low flying Peregrine close to the cliff edge. The Pied Flycatcher was still present but further along the lane.

A female Redstart was seen on the fence with a male Redstart hawking insects along the fence-line. Another Whinchat was also added to the days count.

I moved on to the Hump where the previous days Wood Warbler had been observed. There was no sign of this bird but Spotted Flycatcher was present with Chiffchaff and Willow Warbler. I then met up with Roly and Garry and did a circuit of the area with them. A singing Lesser Whitethroat proved to be elusive.

Dorset - Portland - Wood You Believe It!

I missed a good day on Portland yesterday but hauled myself out at stupid o clock this morning to have a wander around just in case a few stragglers were still lurking on the island. I linked up with Peter Coe and John at Reap Lane and was taken on an educational tour of the birding hotspots on the island.

The bird of the day was a Wood Warbler that was frequenting the Hump. The bird was very active completing circuits of the small area of woodland.

Passerines were numerous along the West cliffs consisting of Willow Warblers and a Garden Warbler which I missed as I was looking in a slightly different area of scrub. This species turned out to be bug bird of the day as I missed another at the Hump.

A Black Redstart was spied in the quarry area near to the Bill. I initially only saw the flash of its tail as a Wheatear attempted to shoo it out of the area.

I spied a tired bird a Spotted Flycatcher which was resting on a bramble bush along Culverwell. The bird had obviously been battling the elements to make it onto the island.

John picked up a couple of Hobby that had just come in off the sea. Both birds were powering through the headwinds. A low flying Yellow Wagtail was one of a couple of birds that were calling as they made landfall. Sea watching at the bill was very quiet with only a couple of Manx Shearwater among the regular fair! 

There was a handful of Whinchat spread around the fields along with numerous Wheatear.

Dorset - Poole Park / Stour Valley LNR - Duo of Ducks!

 The weather forecast was more suited to ducks which turned out to be quite appropriate as I add two species of waterfowl to my Dorset tally. The first a Garganey a migrant through the UK and a Mandarin originally introduced from the Far East.

A drake Garganey had found its way to Poole Park having originally been filmed on the main boating lake. I received this news via my birding pal Roly and set out to see the bird in reasonable haste.

On arrival a scan of the boating lake drew a blank but the smaller pond adjacent seemed more appropriate for this species. I could see a couple of birders on the far bank but noted the smart looking bird almost cowering under the bank of a small island on the lake.

This turned out to be very quick success so I turned my attentions to Stour Valley LNR where another drake this time in the form of a Mandarin had been associating with Mallards. I set about the task of tracking it down. It has been a regular on the River Stour but they can be a tricky species to find.

This bird was proving to be very elusive with a long walk checking every overhanging tree and crevice for its whereabouts. The walk back finally united me with the bird that was skulking in some rushes with three Mallard. I deployed skulk mode sitting on the lower bank waiting for it to emerge.  It did not take long and the bird re appeared leaving me satisfied having spent over two hours tracking it down!

Dorset - Lodmoor RSPB - Osprey causes Commotion!

 

I have recently taken a couple of visits to Lodmoor RSPB where there has been a varied selection of shorebirds frequenting the muddy edges on the reserve. The gulls and shorebirds took flight this afternoon and by the gulls reaction they had spied a raptor overhead. A search of the skies revealed an Osprey that was circling high over the reserve. The gull did not hang around departing the area.

A Whimbrel had been feeding in an area with Black Tailed and Bar Tailed Godwits and Dunlin.

A Common Sandpiper was seen along the west side of the reserve flitting between the mud islands in search of food.

Terns have been well represented with a couple of Sandwich Tern today and a group of Common Tern last week that did not remain on the reserve despite a colony breeding each year on the tern islands.

Prior to this Lodmoor visit I was up at stupid o clock heading to Alners Gorse Butterfly Reserve in search of Nightingale. I had timed my visit perfectly as there were three birds that were singing their hearts out. The tricky bit was getting views of this splendid bird. Patience did pay off as a located a bird which sang from the same perch for long enough for me to find it. I took sound recordings and some very poor pictures.

Dorset - Morden Bog NNR - Going Cuckoo on the Bog!

I took the short journey to Morden Bog NNR this morning in search of heathland species. At the top of the list was Cuckoo and Tree Pipit.

The former took most of the day to locate mainly because I spent the morning on the opposite side of the heath to the bird. I heard the bird call from the area of the low wires and went in pursuit of it in the hope of obtaining some pictures of it. This took a bit of stealth birding waiting to hear it call before moving closer to it. The male was seen on the wires before it disappeared for a good hour. I found it in a row of pines at the end of a field adjacent to the wires.

I saw a couple of Tree Pipit during my travels on the pylon side of the reserve. 

Both birds were picked up on song and then viewed displaying its parachuting dive to the top of a pine.

Dartford Warbler was also noted in both areas one bird posing long enough to get reasonable shots of it. Crossbill and Woodlark were also seen with other regular heath species. A flock of Tufted Duck were seen in flight over the heath mid morning. 

Dorset - Portland - A Day to Catch Up with Migration!

Having missed a week in Dorset I felt very much in catch up mode. Unable to make an early start I left the house and ventured out into a bright sunny day. This was very pleasant to be out in but was to prove a bit of a disaster on the photography front!

I stopped off at Ferrybridge on the way to Portland and watch a good number of Little Tern that were frequenting the buoys sometimes fishing close to where I had set up shop! The shingle was alive with Wheatear and it turned out Portland was also littered with the same species 100+ birds were reported to the Observatory.

I covered Barleycrates, Reap Lane, Culverwell and the Bill. There was a single male Ring Ouzel, and Whinchat both of which were photographed with poor results.

I joined forces with Roly late afternoon seeking out Little Owl at one of the quarries.

A Whimbrel was feeding along the rocks on the way to the bill. We were also told of Common Sandpipers around the bill but could not locate either bird.

Epsom and Walton Downs - Another Old Stomping Ground!

I did not venture out at stupid o clock this morning therefore may have missed any early passage of migrants. Once the day got going and the sun had put its hat on it was a very pleasant day despite being a tad nippy in parts. I ventured off to another old haunt Epsom and Walton Downs. My goal was to find Wheatear and did not start well with a blank in front of the grandstand!

Little did I know at this point that some of the fields had been ploughed and they were to hold this migrant and in reasonable numbers too!

By the time I had reached the fields the sun was beaming down creating significant heat haze across the fields. This made photography almost impossible but I persevered and managed a few shots of several of my quarry.

I gave the fields a thorough scanning hoping to connect with other migrants but the search was in vein. I was however happy having seen my record of Surrey Wheatear namely six! It was good to see Lapwing in the fields.

Other migrants were pretty thin on the ground a Whitethroat was seen at Langley Bottom Farm. A couple of Swallow was hawking insects above the fields.

There were a few Chiffchaff spread across the site with a couple of singing Blackcap. There was a good spread of common passerines but I could not add any other migrants to the day list.

Another regular species in the form of Red Legged Partridge were seen having a dirt bath before they both toddled off across the field.

Raptors were represented by Buzzard and a Kestrel that was hunting over the fields.

I do enjoy walking this area and I logged 39 species in around 7hrs! The weekend will be taken up with football with a return home to Dorset and hopefully a long staying Wryneck! (I wish!)   

SVC17 - Beddington Farmlands - Return To Beddington!

 

Football is now back in full flow and I extended my stay in the smoke and met up with Pete Alfrey to visit my old patch Beddington Farmlands. The landscape here is continually changing and areas of the south east corner and 100 Acre are under construction.

The path watching group of birders has expanded with plenty of new blood to take the farmlands into the next era. It was good to see old faces and the new scouring the area in search of migrants. The bird of the afternoon was the Oystercatcher that was regularly heard taking small flights in the area.

Other migrants were found on the North Lake by Pete firstly a Yellow Wagtail flitting abound on the small island at the south end of the North Lake.

A couple of White Wagtail was in its company with a couple of Pied Wagtail joining the new arrivals.

Wheatear was the final species to be added to the list of migrants. A couple of male birds one of which was very obliging were observed at close quarters.

Dorset - April - Migrants are on The Way!

April started at Portland Bill and a stake out for the Glaucous Gull that was loafing offshore. Patience paid off with the gull appearing out of the sun in the afternoon. No crippling photos this time but I got Roly onto the bird before it flew out of sight along the Islands West coast.

With the resumption football weekends are once again not my own but I took a short jaunt to search for a Hoopoe that had been seen near Frome Whitfield the previous evening. This time my efforts were not rewarded but not every escapade is fruitful.

News broke at the weekend of Ring Ouzels (2m,1f) at Barleycrates Lane and I expected them to have moved on by the beginning of the week. However I rocked up on the Tuesday morning seeing both the males but did not connect with the female.

I spent Wednesday at Middlebere sweeping up another new species for my Dorset list in an Osprey that had claimed rights on a vacant platform. I was not expecting to see a second bird but managed some reasonable shots as it flew by. A visit to the Watercress beds later in the day did not produce anything out of the ordinary.

Thursday I was out on another mission with three potential new birds for Dorset. Visits to Lychett Fields, and then Canford Park SANG where a pair of Mandarin had been photographed the previous day. The river along Canford School was also checked but to no avail. Last chance saloon was Lesser Redpoll at St Stephens Castle where a lone bird was viewed with a Siskin feeding in the silver birches.

Friday I spent the day on Portland walking the harbour which held Willow Warbler but sadly no Pied Flycatcher which was at the castle the previous day. I saw a single male Ring Ouzel and whitethroat at Barlycrates Lane before moving on to Reap Lane.

There were several wheatear in the horse fields and there was a gap in the human traffic along the coastal path so I checked the cliffs where a male Redstart honed into view in all its glory. 

The bird moved onto the scrub feeding before it returned to the cliffs.

The rest of the evening was spent around the Observatory and Culverhouse where wheatear was the main feature of my walk. I recorded 15 birds on the Island during the day. I am learning more about Portland with every visit and hope to devise a plan during optimum conditions.

Saturday I was on my way back to the smoke for a weekend officiating on the turf! I called in at Stanpit Marsh to add Glossy Ibis and Ruff to my yearlist. My Dorset year total stands at 174 which includes species outside the traditional Vice County recording area of Dorset but a healthy total all the same! 

Dorset - March - A month of Two Halves!

March brings fluctuating levels of optimism and a realization that the winter visitors will soon be departing our shores. A trip to West Morden secured a handful of Brambling and a Red Kite. Water Pipit, Jack Snipe and Bittern were to elude me during the month. 

Species of the month was the Desert Wheatear which was found on an area of waste land adjacent to Lodmoor RSPB and Weymouth and Portland Rugby Club. 

A Laughing Gull was visiting sites across the county from mid month. I obtained some photos after several attempts after the bird stopped off at Lodmoor RSPB. The bird was also seen in the Weymouth Gull roost on a couple of afternoons.

Puffin was reported returning to Dancing Ledge which had good numbers of arriving Meadow Pipits and a Merlin that was lying in wait for any stragglers!

Portland had a steady trickle of migrants as the month moved on. Wheatear was regular with sixteen birds seen in fields at New Ground.

The wintering Merlin remained in residence on the island and was disturbed from a hay bale by some walkers.

I finally caught up with the Little Owl that frequents the quarry close to the Observatory.

A male Ring Necked Duck showed well at Radipole RSPB completing my plumage ticks for this species for the county.

Next month will see a return to more frequent blog entries. Woo Hoo!