Dorset - Bardolf Farm Puddletown Water Meadows - Pair of Pintail!

My Bardolf Farm yearlist stands at 99 species and time is rapidly running out to find that additional species. Listing is a small part of my ornithological journey but it provides the extra incentive to get out in the field on days where the conditions are not ideal. For the past two years White Fronted Goose has found its way onto the list and I have been hopeful to add this species without success. I guess the mild weather has prevented the usual influx to the West of the country.

The water meadows are flooded with water spilling onto some of the tracks. This is good news for the wildfowl with Wigeon numbers on the increase. I had my highest count of Lapwing today 578, Wigeon 391 and Teal 80. The Canada geese were scattered over the flooded fields but were down considerably on recent counts.

A pair of Pintail was also present with the Wigeon both generally staying apart from each other. This species is not common on the Farm therefore Hugo joined me to view the pair and an interesting Wigeon I had spied in the scope.

The bird had a distinct green band behind the eye extending to the back of the head, the crown stripe was off cream with dark rufous brown cheeks. The bird was obvious within the Wigeon flock and is likely to be a hybrid (Chiloe or American x Eurasian??)! I attempted some dot shots but will need to review the pictures! On the subject of hybrids the Swan x Greylag Goose was still present at Athelhampton.

There is more rain to arrive overnight which could wash tomorrow out. A switch to training mode looks to be in order and could result in some dry afternoon time to bag the 100^th species! But nothing is guaranteed!

Dorset - Puddletown Water Meadows and Athelhampton - The Godwit Files!

I spent the morning sitting around waiting for a pitch inspection which not surprisingly resulted in the Dorset Premier League game in Weymouth being called off due to a frozen pitch! There was no time to waste as I jumped into action and made my way down to the gate at Cattlecrush to see what had arrived overnight!

The Black tailed Godwit had increased in ranks with a final total of 24 birds feeding along the meadows. This was another record count for the farm! Mid afternoon a group of godwits flew east, and were re-located on the flooded meadows at Athelhampton. This was extremely handy for me as I had a chance of improving on my stack of dot shots. Probably the only down side to the water meadows that everything is so far away!

At Athelhampton I sifted through the Snipe in the hope of finding a Jack but they tend to sit tight unless you tread on one so it was not meant to be. I am certain they are out there somewhere! 

There were more Shoveler (9) today and Teal (161+56 at Athelhampton) and Canada Goose (440) numbers were up on yesterday. 

It is warming up tomorrow but with that comes rain. Hugo has stated the Lapwing will return in the milder conditions and who knows what might be with them!

Dorset - Puddletown Water Meadows Bardolf Farm - Many More of The Same!

With every cold icy day that passes more wildfowl are finding their way onto the water meadows. I started my rounds noting new arrivals in Shoveler (2 pairs) and a pair of Gadwall. I checked Athelhampton for the previous days Godwit but it could not be found. I returned to the other side of the water meadows to view the pools from the gate at Cattlecrush. The sun was beaming away directly in front of me which was nice being able to keep warm but viewing was very tricky!

I did however notice a group of four Black tailed Godwit feeding in a small channel. This number grew as more birds came into view and the sun eventually passed over the meadows disappearing behind the trees! I had been in contact with Hugo earlier but phoned again when I had established that there were 19 birds thanks to a lively Lapwing that had flushed a further group feeding out of sight.

The flock settled together before the Lapwing rallied some support and headed straight for them. The flock scattered but they were determined to stay in the area splitting into several groups. This seemed to quell the interest from the Lapwing and tranquility was restored to the meadows. Hugo joined me to witness the 5^th record (including yesterday’s bird!) and largest count of this species on Bardolf Farm!

I contacted Roger who covers Briantspuddle who informed me that his flock of 16 Godwits were not present today but 100 Snipe were! Briantspuddle is a few miles ESE of Puddletown and therefore likely that the flock had re settled here. The Godwits seemed content with the menu at the water meadows!

There is another frost due tonight and then the weather changes to rain Sunday! It’s not often that I hope football is cancelled but it is likely as more coastal areas freeze more birds will seek refuge on the water meadows!  

Dorset - Bardolf Farm - Keeping My Wits About Me!

The cold snap has continued which brings the water meadows into its own as the River Piddle flows through the pools keeping most unfrozen. As a result the Geese graze on the surrounding fields in good numbers, Egyptian, Canada, Greylag and a Swan x Greylag hybrid make up the species list. I am hopeful that something else might get drawn in with the masses! I have had White-fronted Geese both Decembers since I moved to the area will this year be a third?!

Bird of the day was on the flooded fields where the River Piddle runs through Athelhampton. A Black Tailed Godwit which is the second record for the year. Getting pictures was tricky as the bird had the sun behind it. It seemed quite content to feed and wash up despite a couple of Lapwing taking exception to it which gave an opportunity for some flight pictures!

I moved up to Waterbarn cottages early afternoon to check on a couple of the feeding stations and mixed seed fields where the finches and Yellowhammer have been hanging out. There was nothing unusual amongst the mixed flock. Taking advantage of the regular windfall of seed was Yellowhammer, Chaffinch, Linnet, House Sparrow, Dunnock, Robin and Blackbird!

I am currently on 99 species for the year on the farm and with temperatures plummeting again tonight will tomorrow be the day where the years 100 target is met. Time will tell!

Dorset - Puddletown Water Meadows and Athelhampton - Two Ticks in Two Days!

Today is normally do what I like day as the weekend is dedicated to roaming the turf however yesterday’s weather was not to be missed therefore the morning had to be spent training. I ventured out early afternoon to do a quick round of the water meadows and Athelhampton two of the main areas for wildfowl on Bardolf Farm!

The water meadows had seventeen Egyptian Geese with two at Athelhampton made nineteen! A group of Snipe were huddled together on Ten Acre at Athelhampton but sadly no Jack with them!

There was an additional quest at Athelhampton in relation to squealing I had heard the previous evening and had discounted! I don’t know why I do this but I had only heard the bird therefore tonight’s mission was to confirm the species by seeing it!!

The light was beginning to fade so I took up position overlooking a sodden field where the River Piddle had burst its banks. The photo with the moorhen shows the gap (background) where the Water Rail first appeared squealing as it moved through the cover to the right. The Moorhen were more obliging moving out into the open but it was getting so dark I was just threw the camera at anything that moved having nailed Bardolf Farm species 106 through the telescope!

Water Rail is seen during the day so perhaps another foray to the same spot early morning might pay dividends. I may have to find some better cover though!

The answer to the exam question is still “D”! 

Dorset - Puddletown Water Meadows Bardolf Farm - An Egret Great!

I was out on the Water Meadows at just getting light o’clock. It was a bit chilly but the forecast was sunshine all day and calm! The water levels are great and the wildfowl numbers are increasing by the day. I was determined to take advantage of the conditions and perhaps land a species on my wish-list (see previous post).

As it turned out I did see a new species for my Bardolf Farm tally today and I imagined how the exam question would be laid out:-

Q. Kojak added a new species to his Farm list today was it?

A. Jack Snipe

B. Water Pipit

C. Firecrest

D. None of the above

I had positioned myself near the top of the ridge just past the small chalk quarry. The view of the flooded meadows north of Waterbarn Cottages is amazing particularly on a clear day. There were a good number of Wigeon, Teal and a few Lapwing on the northern section of the flooded meadows hence my choice of location.

At 1325 a Great White Egret appeared low over the fields and landed in the middle section of the meadows took a drink from the river shook its wings a couple of times and then it was off low SW over the fields. I was facing into the sun took some pictures whilst phoning Hugo. The bird was there for around six minutes but getting through seemed to take a lifetime!

Hugo had seen this species before but I believe only once late one evening and this bird did not stay for long. Birds are regularly seen at Lodmoor RSPB but this was the second record for Bardolf Farm which was quite exciting in itself!

Hugo did not connect with the bird but had a probable Siberian Chiffchaff in a group of Chiffchaffs down at the water meadows. I had a look for the chiffy and checked the rest of the flooded areas for the Egret with no joy but the sun had gone below the tree line and it was almost dark!

Ten Egyptian Goose the regular wintering Green Sandpipers, Snipe and plenty of Canada Goose, Wigeon, Teal and Lapwing! 

Bardolf Farm total 105! What a glorious day!

Dorset - Bardolf Farm and Puddletown Water Meadows - Conspiracy of Ravens!

My last visit to the Water Meadows was cut short by news of a Red-necked Phalarope spending its second day at Lodmoor RSPB. There was an accident en-route which halted traffic in the area and needless to say I dipped the bird! 

I have since had a week in town and took the opportunity to clear the smog out of my lungs by spending the day on Bardolf Farm which includes Puddletown Water Meadows.

A week away and what a difference in the water levels, I obviously missed some serious rain! The wildfowl were more spread out as there were more feeding opportunities in the expanse of flooded meadows. The main contingent of wildfowl was on the water meadows with the fields between Athelhampton and Burleston catering for the remainder of birds. The area around Waterbarn cottages is slowly flooding with the River Piddle expanding as it races through the farm.

The most interesting sighting of the day wasn’t anything rare but a likely family party of Raven who konked their way over the water meadows! The inner bird showed signs of moult in the primaries whereas the second bird was smaller and the feathering looked fresh. The pictures are three of the four birds. This species breeds in the surrounding area but I had not seen this many together here before.

I also noted a couple of Snipe that were recently new in feeding on the meadows. During my rounds I compiled a wish list of winter species that I wouldn’t mind adding to my tally. They included Water Pipit, Jack Snipe, Golden Plover, Dunlin, Yellow browed Warbler and Firecrest. All have occurred on the farm in the past and there is suitable habitat and a growing flock of Lapwing that might drag along a shorebird or two!  

Will one of the above be next on or will it be something I had not anticipated?! It’s just going to be a game of patience!

Dorset - Puddletown Water Meadows and Bardolf Farm - Wallowing Wildfowl!

I spent the whole day covering Bardolf Farm which includes the Water Meadows. There was no rain despite the low cloud which gave me the opportunity to travel light and walk the fields on top of the ridge!

Wildfowl numbers are increasing with the Canada’s drifting onto the meadows in small groups, all 156 having arrived by 1030hrs. I noted 60 – 70 flying N over Puddletown as I was returning home therefore there are still a good number of geese that have not visited the meadows!

Bird of the day was a Pintail which looked like a 1w male. The picture was taken from the road which is a fair distance for my 300m lens! The two tone bill, greyer feathering and white neck and belly indicating a male the striking head pattern had not completely formed during the moult.

The Swan Goose re-appeared and I noted some white around the base of the bill which is common in Swan x Greylag hybrids therefore it is likely this bird is a hybrid!

Two groups of Egyptian Goose were seen flying S over Puddletown total 26 birds. This is not the first time in recent times these birds have been noted in flight. I wonder if they are commuting between Silverlake and a lake in the Milborne St Andrew area.

A Peregrine was noted at Waterbarn Cottages having ambushed and devoured a pigeon earlier in the day! 

The finch flocks are still scattered about the Farm with mixed millet seed fields holding Linnet, Yellowhammer, and Chaffinch. One feeding station is already attracting the latter two species along with Dunnock and House Sparrow.

There is a sightings blog for the above:-

Puddletown Water Meadows sightings 

Dorset - Puddletown Water Meadows and Bardolf Farm - The Geese are Back!

 

I was back on home soil today spending most of the day post Covid-19 jab watching the Water Meadows! The Geese were back in numbers and what a sight it was to see! There was even a Swan Goose that arrived late morning with three Canada’s. It’s in the picture somewhere! A phone call to Hugo later and we were both looking at a first for our tally’s all be it an addition to our escaped / feral total! Hugo is compiling his life list which stands at 182(+) species against my meager 104 species! A handful of Egyptian Goose completed the goose chase!

I spent the latter part of the day watching the feeding stations in preparation for Sunday’s winter finch and WeBS counts! Prospects are looking good for the second seasonal count! The Waterbarn Cottages area of Bardolf Farm is also worth checking for gulls which rest along the banks of the River Piddle. Numbers increase throughout the afternoon!

Wood Pigeon and Stock Dove flocks were moving S during the day with a few Fieldfare and Redwing moving through the Farm. Wigeon, Teal and Lapwing numbers are slowly increasing as the pools increase in size and the surrounding meadow becomes more appealing.

With the evenings closing in early I keep a watchful eye on the fields for Short Eared Owl or even a Merlin both have been seen on the farm in the past therefore there must be a sporting chance of seeing both species during the winter months!

Dorset - Portland and Weymouth - Scramble for Sabine's Gull!

The day started late with a mini scramble and a return to Portland and Chesil Cove where Charlie had found an adult Sabine’s Gull! The good news was it was still in the bay but how long would it remain for! The journey to Portland can be a tricky one particularly around rush hour but after a nano seconds thought I had loaded the car and I took a leisurely drive down to see the bird! I half expected it to have flown by the time I arrived in the cove! The bird was still there and remained for most of the day moving along the sea around a large patch of weed and debris! 

I caught up with a few of the Portland regulars and then went on a Black Redstart hunt around Portland Castle. A phone call from Pete Coe and a Whatsapp message cut the search short with news of an Arctic Tern in the Weymouth Marina Area!

I had a brief view of the Tern flying away from me as I walked down from Westham Bridge and then a long period without seeing the bird! I needn’t have worried as it later re-appeared buzzing around above my head at one point before continuing on its short circuit of the marina. It was so close the camera would not focus on the bird! The bird returned repeating its antics before eventually making its way down towards Radipole Visitor Centre.

The Sabine’s gull was still in the cove but I decided to head for home and beat the traffic rather than fight my way through it to get back to Portland. A few Leach’s Petrel were also in the harbor today! Three Sabine's also at West Bay Bridport!  

The storm has really stirred things up at sea adding a couple of more species to my VC9 list!

Dorset - Portland - Braving the Elements!

I was back on the road today with a plan to call in on the Waxwing at Littlemoor and then take on the elements with a sea watch at Chesil Cove via the harbor and Ferrybridge!

I spent far too much time looking for the Waxwing which was no-where to be seen. I think I kicked every Rowan on that estate before moving on to Ferrybridge to see if the rough weather had blown anything interesting into the harbor!

One species that was in abundance throughout the day were Kittiwake with juvenile/1^st winter birds heavily outnumbering the adults. A Great Northern Diver was present at Ferrybridge along with the regular fair of shorebirds which included a Curlew!

Brent Geese numbers are on the increase with a scattering of birds along the receding tide-line. There were candidates for all three sub species in the area!

The sky was getting darker and looking extremely menacing so I returned to the car and took up position at Billy Winters and scanned the harbor. This was a good move as the heavens opened up all around me! A Gannet sought sanctuary away from the gale force winds!

There were no flying people on the harbor today which meant the birds were reasonably close in! A Great Northern Diver, Mergansers, Gannet, Shag and Kittiwake were all present. I was to find out at Chesil Cove how rough the sea was therefore it was no surprise to see such a mix of species!

Mid-afternoon I joined Charlie and Dave Bishop in Chesil Cove and wow it was blowing a gale! The walk up to them was quite a task but it was worth the trek! A two hour sea watch produced a few Leach’s Storm Petrel, a couple of Arctic Skua, a Grey Phalarope, Little Gull and waves of Kittiwake!

Somehow I had avoided getting soaked and had a good day at sea. A pit stop for top quality fish and chips at Daniels in Wyke was just reward before heading home!

Dorset - Puddletown Water Meadows Bardolf Farm - Viz Mig over the Farm!

Today offered a window of opportunity between storms to catch up on winter migration. The pools and River Piddle are looking much healthier and with that the wildfowl and geese were more inclined to take a look at the water meadows. The main period of migration was from 0730 to 0850hrs.

There was a good movement of Redwing 313 and Fieldfare 119 was all moving generally W to SW. The majority of flocks were single species with a couple of Mistle Thrush that stopped on wires before heading off. A mixed flock of Redwing 4 and Fieldfare 28 were observed whilst at Waterbarn Cottages.

I saw the largest movement of Wood Pigeon 354 were noted all flying S in flocks of up to one hundred birds.

Wildfowl numbers were up with Wigeon 52, Teal 5, Mallard 18, and Lapwing 5 visiting the edges of the pools. The latter moved up onto the Waterbarn cottage area early afternoon.

Canada’s were the most numerous geese with 274 flying N then NW of which 78 stopped on the meadows. These birds are feeding on fields not too far from the A354 and are all making their way back over my house this afternoon.  A small flock of Egyptian Geese 7 were noted flying S at 0906hrs.

Greylag Geese numbered 8 all stopping off on the meadows before a few moved on.

The Stonechat at Athelhampton were still able to feed from the fence wires but it was a tricky process!

The afternoon is good for gulls near Waterbarn cottages but Herring and Lesser-black Backed were the only visitors. I kept a sharp eye out for Black Redstart around the farm buildings. There have been several reports of this species around Portland and one report on a farm N of Dorchester. Still no YBW but this was not ideal conditions to find one with some trees bending over in the strong winds.

The wind is currently howling thank goodness my home is in a sheltered spot! I'm just waiting for the rain!

Dorset - Puddletown and Bardolf Farm - Not So Wild Geese!

The day had a very grim outlook high SW winds with heavy showers with brief sunny spells thrown into the mix. On the plus side it is still mild for the time of year. I spent the morning doing chores with one eye fixed on the skies around the house.

Geese have been regular commuters over the garden and today was not to disappoint with the sound of honking geese filling the storm filled skies. I made a note to check the key spots on the Water Meadows and then spend the last hour before dusk watching from my garden.

A flock of eleven Greylag Geese passed over the garden mid-morning. I did the rounds on the Water Meadows noting six Egyptian Geese on the pools which are growing with each downpour! The Green Sandpipers were in their usual spot on the sludge tank. Apart from a congregation of gulls there was not much else to report.

I returned home and began my garden vigil. I didn’t have to wait long before an untidy flock of geese headed my way. It was odd that none were calling so I put the camera into action before counting the birds as they passed by. Nineteen Egyptian Geese a new species for the garden!

Not bad but I am close to the water meadows therefore this garden list would be a bit different to the list from my old home! These birds were not on course for the meadows which had me wondering where they were heading. Time ticked on with several groups of Canada Geese total seventy five heading in the same direction as the Egyptian’s.

As I am writing this in the dark (so I can see out of the glass roof to the conservatory!) a total of one hundred and ninety one Canada Geese have headed back S. Both species are introduced to Britain but you can’t beat the sound of geese as they honk their way on their journey. I can only surmise that they roost at Silverlake (Warmwell Gravel Pits) which is roughly S of here! There were no returning Egyptian Geese. I wonder where they could be!

The geese have managed to avoid the Water Meadows but it can’t be long before there is a Goose convention on the now soggy meadows!

Dorset - Portland - Portland Three Day Pageant!

I am currently sidelined from the turf due to an injury and what better tonic to hear that pal and all round nature guru Pete Alfrey was in town! A night at mine and then it was time to blitz Portland and spend some time at the bird observatory! The mild weather was producing some interesting moths with the odd rare bird thrown in!

(photo by Pete Alfrey)

Bird of the three day visit was a Pallas’s Warbler which I initially thought was a life bird but in the excitement I forgot about the bird that I saw whilst on a day trip to Dungeness on 8^th November 2003! This was the second bird to feature in the Bird Observatory gardens within a few days. It was very elusive making brief appearances in the tree by the old book shop. Needless to say I failed to get pictures of the bird but I knew Pete would be quicker on the button and the above was a screen shot of the bird!

A Wryneck had been present at the observatory quarry for a couple of weeks and it did not disappoint showing well for both of us!

Time was spent trawling the coast-line of the island hoping for a swift to be patrolling the sheltered areas of the coast. The east coast of the country having had several Pallid Swifts, but we did not find one despite a concerted effort. A nice bonus was a Short Eared Owl that appeared from no-where during the skirmishes along the east coast!

A Wheatear was spied at Fancy’s Farm and a wing bar phyllosc escaped identification the eagle eyed Pinpoint having picked it up at distance!

Moth of the trip was an Egyptian Bollworm which was the eleventh record for Britain and the forth record for the PBO!

A couple of Crimson Speckled was on the island one made its way into a pot at the PBO and the other which was twitchable on the island.

There were good signs of migration with Brambling, Siskin, Redpoll, Meadow Pipit, Wood Pigeons and a Hawfinch which we missed! Gannet were numerous (500+/-) close in to the shore but a sea watch produced little else!

Stonechats were present in good numbers across the island with small groups moving around keeping an eye on us from the tops of bushes.

An evening session around Pensilvania castle produced a pair of Firecrest which were vocal but tricky to capture on camera.

The quieter periods were spent delving into the PBO moth trap basins with plenty of migrants taking advantage of the warm airflows. I have a stack of pictures which I am attempting to identify but failing that I’m sure Pete will remind me of the names of the moths I have forgotten!

 Petes blog here 

On the way home I stopped off at Ferrybridge noting a dozen Brent Goose, just under two hundred Mediterranean Gulls, Dunlin, Ringed Plover, and half a dozen Bar-tailed Godwit.

Dorset - Puddletown Water Meadows Bardolf Farm - Having a Field Day!

Torrential rain with strong winds have been battering the neighborhood over the last few days and it was reminiscent of my days at Laguna Blanca where the only thing to do was to batten down the hatches and let the storm pass!

The upside to this is the water meadows are beginning to live up to their name with the River Piddle re-gaining decent levels and the purpose built pools filling up with water! It won’t be long now before the meadows are alive with wildfowl!

There was a small sign of things to come today with Teal, Lapwing and Wigeon all present around the pools.

After an early start at the water meadows I moved up to the farm spending the rest of the morning at Waterbarn Cottages. The skies were dark and rain threatened every minute that passed.

The most significant movement of the day was Fieldfare which flew SW in untidy flocks ranging from a dozen to over one hundred birds. There were fortunately a few stragglers that were within camera range. 613 birds was the final count in a steady flow of birds between 1100 and 1220hrs.

This is the first real passage of this species I have seen in the area. The fields in winter hold smaller flocks but it was great to witness this mini spectacle! I just hope to see a few over my house!

A couple of Shoveler passed over N along with two groups of Wigeon. 

The second group looking to put down circling the River Piddle valley before departing!

An Egyptian was the only goose of the day. I regularly see and hear geese over my house first thing but recently they are flying away from the water meadows likely to nearby fields to feed.

Dorset - Puddletown Water Meadows Bardolf Farm - Red Sky in Morning...!

 

The day after a decent downpour can be interesting particularly if there is another day of rain to follow! Then plan was to blitz Bardolf Farm and the Water Meadows and stupid o’clock was the start time! The skies looked particularly menacing. Red sky in morning…..Uh oh!

The pool on the water meadows is filling up but there needs to be a lot more rain before the Piddle is assisted in bursting its banks. The dawn came in with the sound of honking geese from a field adjacent to Milom Lane! This is just outside the recording area but the Geese were obviously restless as parties took flight circling the water meadows are returning to the field! It took a while to get to grip with numbers but there was a flock of Greylag’s and another of Canada’s. There were a few stragglers of each but 70 (44 Greylag, 26 Canada) was the final tally over the meadows!

I took a drive down the lane later on in the morning but viewing is difficult due to the high hedgerow and narrowness of the lane. I found a gate to pull in at and watched the geese part in the direction of Silverlake! 

After a quick pit stop at the house I drove round to Waterbarn cottages to continue my farm watch. The Sludge tank had its regular Green Sandpipers, Meadow Pipits, Pied and Grey Wagtail. The bird in the picture dropped in at Athelhampton whilst I was watching a tit flock.

Reed Bunting, Yellowhammer and Linnet were nearby some utilizing the wires which made counts easy to complete.

A wander round to the River Piddle saw a Kingfisher perched up on one of the new log features that were added by the Dorset Wildlife Trust.

A couple of Stonechat were in the hedgerow just along from the gate. Calling Chiffchaff was all checked just in case a YBW was lurking behind one of the calls!

The day moved on and my first sighting of a Hobby as I crossed over the footbridge above the A35. This bird was seen again 3hrs later patrolling high above the Piddle. Both the ponds were checked with Little Grebe on both.

There were good numbers of gulls scattered about the fields some had gathered to wash up and rest but I could only find Herrings of varying ages with Lesser Black Backed!

The day ended back at the Water Meadows and I took my leave as another wave of menacing clouds rolled in. Nothing special today but plenty of birds moving around keeping me occupied recording 54 species in just over eleven hours!