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.