Dorset - Warmwell Gravel Pits (Silverlake) - Scaup ing Up!

 

Heavy rain was forecast overnight and it chucked it down clearing up by around 9am. I got myself together and headed out to the Water Meadows.

The water levels are rising and this morning groups of Canada and Greylag Goose arrived to feed in the fields alongside the growing numbers of waterfowl!

A Little Grebe was spending its second day with a flyover Peregrine and a Mistle Thrush to add to the October species total.

Brett was spending his second day sifting through the gulls at Silverlake (Warmwell Gravel Pits) having had a couple of YLG the previous day. It was not a gull that had me trotting the couple of miles to the site but an immature female Scaup which he had located on the far side of the East Lake.

Scope views of the Scaup were better showing a lighter cheek patch and the extent of the white around the base of the bill.

I thought birds were a distance away at the water meadows but here it was something else! Several attempts failed including video footage via the heavy artillery! A few shots were obtained after a slog after burning two camera batteries having not charged them up overnight! Fortunately one battery had enough life to take some pictures before it died on me!

Village idiot is up for grabs I might apply!

Dorset - Puddletown Water Meadows - Doing the Rounds!

 

I had a delayed start to my rounds today as it was hacking it down with rain. The morning improved slightly but the heavy duty gear had to be donned as I kept watch over Puddletown Water Meadows. I then moved around my circuit Athelhampton, Throop, Bere Regis and Waddock Cross Cress beds, checking the fields through Tincleton returning to the water meadows for the evening.

The water meadows is getting busier with wildfowl, Wigeon the most numerous duck with a single juvenile type Shoveler resting up on one of the new pools. The weather was pretty grim in patches but I stuck it out using the phone scoping to bad effect. The main issue with the water meadows is that most species are two fields away and photography can be tricky at the best of times.

The first of the seasons Redwing, Meadow Pipit and Skylark were seen moving through the meadows.

A Green Sandpiper appears to have taken up residence on the meadows but can be tricky to locate at times. The cress beds also hold this species.

The cress beds had regular fair. Numbers of Meadow Pipit have dropped slightly with a Little Egret on one site. Grey and Pied are seen at all sites.

Dorset - Lychett Fields - Hoopoe finally Nailed in the County!

 

I went on one of the quickest twitches in my birding career to Lychett Fields today. My quarry was a Hoopoe which was spending its third day in the allotments. Time was not an issue but the behavior of birders was so I ticked from distance (unlike some chasing the bird down the path) and ran. No wonder birders are frowned upon and rarities are suppressed!

I zoomed back to the Water meadows to note more arrivals in Greylag and Canada Goose. The water levels are on the rise which encouraged Mediterranean, Black-headed, Common, Lesser Black-backed and Herring Gulls to wash up before moving on.

I have corrected my raptor id from my last post. No wonder the pigeons went crazy as the juvenile Goshawk flew over the meadows pursued by a Raven! Could this be considered reverse stringing?!

I tend to throw the camera at anything different which is why this puzzle was easily resolved!

Dorset - Puddletown Water Meadows - Corvids Cause Chaos!

Puddletown Water Meadows was my primary objective for the day with a cress bed round robin with a check of the fields in between each stop. I am developing a local route with opportunities to incorporate other good sites into the circuit should time allow.

The water meadows held my attention for a few hours with migratory Wood Pigeon passing high overhead. A pair of Raven caused a huge reaction from corvids and also scattered all the Wood Pigeon that were resting in the trees. I have seen Raven over the woods before but they are not regular.

A juvenile Goshawk (Thanks Brett) got caught up in the chaos being chased across over the meadows twisting and turning to avoid its attacker. A new species for me at the Water Meadows!

The Goshawk escaped using its agility to out maneuver its pursuer! I talked myself out id of this species due to the streaking on the breast but of course did not consider a juvenile bird. The picture above highlights the size of the bird and long tail ruling out sparrowhawk, with the Raven mobbing it for comparison. The wings are also broad across the shoulders and rounded through to the tips ruling out Kestrel. 

I predicted Lapwing would utilize the meadows once the water levels had risen and a couple was noted with the Wigeon and Teal on the pools behind the River Piddle. A Green Sandpiper was noted in flight. This species winters but is not always seen as several areas of the meadows are obscured from the road.

The Egyptian Goose was also present with a Little Egret that arrived yesterday. There was no sign of any other geese.

I finally secured a few pictures of the now regular Jay in the area. I am still surprised it took me so long to record this species in this area.

Having finally torn myself away from the water meadows I checked Athelhampton and made my way down the lanes to cover the cress beds. There was a significant Meadow Pipit presence on all sites but no Water Pipit.

Pied and Grey Wagtails are resident on the Cress beds but only one site holds Green Sandpiper which had not increased in number from my previous visit.

Dorset - Puddletown Water Meadows - Soaked Meadows!

I had another day out with Pete Alfrey on Portland which produced some migrant moths but not much else beyond a movement of Kittiwake through the Bill. I missed the only Skua of our watch!

A couple of prolonged downpours have seen the water levels rise on the Water meadows. It didn’t take long for the wildfowl to start returning with Teal, Wigeon and an increase in Mallard. Mute Swan has returned to Athelhampton and a Little Egret was noted this evening.

The first of the geese made an appearance tonight a pair of Egyptian Geese flew in before dusk. It can only be a matter of time before the Canada and Greylag and perhaps a bonus goose arrive.

The hedgerows lining the road have been left to grow which restricts viewing in places but there are a healthy number of passerines in the area including Yellowhammer who survey the area from the wires.

The water meadows are filling up after torrential rain.

The cress beds have been quiet with Meadow Pit and four Green Sandpipers at one site. I have also stumbled across a site I was not aware of and will add that to my circuit.

Dorset - Portland - Buzzing with Birds!

 

I was up and out at stupid o clock this morning driving down to Portland to meet Pete Alfrey who was camping at the Pulpit Inn. I arrived before dawn and the silence was broken by the Little Owl which was singing in the Observatory Quarry. I think the bird had the right idea as it was sleeping when we caught up with it later on in the day!

Once dawn had arrived we set off to the Ope quarry to process the contents of Pete’s moth trap. There were around 60 moths inside which was considered a reasonable haul! We visit the Observatory and spoke with Martin who kindly set aside his haul (500+/- moths) from the garden for Pete to look through! See Pete's blog for more details!

The skies were busier than the land today with obvious Viz-Mig of hirundines, Goldfinch, Meadow Pipits, Linnets, Chaffinch and a Siskin.

Visits to The Hump, Barleycrates Lane, and Reap Lane where Chiffchaff was numerous across all areas. A field at Reap Lane held a good number of Wheatear! A walk down the West Coast gave good views of low flying Swallow and House Martin. Stonechat were scattered along the scrubby areas.

The addition of Brett to the rarity hunters after lunch did not result in any additions on the migrant front but we had a pleasant walk around Culverwell and the top fields.

The day finished off with Pete and I popping down to Ferrybridge to watch the incoming tide. Bar-tailed Godwit, Curlew, Ringed Plover, Dunlin, Sanderling, Sandwich Tern and stacks of Med Gulls were seen on both sides of the Harbour. Fish and chips and a drink in The Pulpit saw the pals reflect of the days efforts!

Dorset - Puddletown and Environs - Cruising the Cress Beds!

A Green Sandpiper at Puddletown Water Meadows prompted another round of the cress beds this evening. The water levels are still low along this stretch of the River Piddle but wishing for rain is a bit of a double edged sword for me as too much rain will certainly put the football at risk.

The cress beds held a couple of new additions across the sites. A Common Sandpiper was spied with the regular Green Sandpiper. A singing Cettis Warbler was heard just before dusk.

Tomorrow I plan on linking up with pal and naturalist Pete Alfrey who has pitched up in the county for a couple of days. I wonder if his moth trap will bring down any planes?!

Dorset - Puddletown Water Meadows - Border Dash!

I took an extended walk around my local area this afternoon before moving onto the Cress Beds before dusk. It proved to be a fruitful excursion with two new species added to my Puddletown Water Meadows tally. Neither species was anything rare but gave me some satisfaction as I explored the paths and lanes that traverse the Water Meadows.

A Jay in flight was the first addition. I have spoken about my surprise that this species has not made it onto the total despite numerous hours last winter on the meadows.

I was walking up the lane towards the bridge over the A35 (The border to the recording area!) and a Red Legged Partridge scuttled out of the field near the last house and legged it “raider” style up the lane that crossed the bridge. The birds actions as this species never runs in a straight line reminded me of a scene from the great escape where the partridge knew if it crossed the bridge it would be safe or un-recordable! 

The only shots that were fired were from the camera and the bird made it over the border and disappeared into a field! There were a couple more Partridge in this field so perhaps this one was on a reconnaissance mission searching for better feeding!

The visit to the cress beds was littered with Pied Wagtail. Numbers definitely increase after the workers finish for the day! 

Dorset - Chesil Cove - Grey Phalarope Riding the Ocean Waves!

When I moved to Dorset just under a year ago I noticed a wave of Grey Phalarope hitting the shores and lakes around the county. I made a mental note to catch up with this species should numbers arrive this year.

It is fair to say that this year’s batch has arrived earlier than my move date but I pounced on the chance to link up with this dainty but very hardy species. A traffic free journey down to Chesil Cove had me scanning the sea in front of Quiddies. It initially proved to be a tricky task with four wave influenced brief views before the bird was swept closer to the white wash.

A few birders including Roly had arrived and I moved onto the beach in an attempt to get some dot shots of the bird. After extended views and a few surprise shots Roly and I made our way to Lodmoor RSPB to spend the afternoon.

We were unable to find the Garganey but there was plenty of regular fair to entertain us including the regular “White” Ruff.

A couple of Great White Egret, Common and Green Sandpiper, Black-tailed Godwit, Dunlin and a good mix of wildfowl completed the afternoon’s haul.

I popped into the cress beds at Waddock Cross on the way home with record numbers of Pied Wagtail, Grey Wagtail and a busy flock of House Martin hawking insects as the rain clouds moved in!