My local patch Puddletown Water Meadows was the venue for my first outing of the year. The meadows are within walking distance of the village and are well worth keeping an eye on at this time of year.
Geese feature in varying numbers from day to day which always adds to anticipation levels as something rarer could get pulled in to graze on the meadows. A handful of White-fronted Geese were present for a day at the end of the year. These birds have now moved on to Charminster Water Meadows. A Barnacle Goose has also been present at Charmouth leaving me pondering the possibility of that bird arriving on the meadows.
During my counts this morning a Barnacle Goose was noted feeding with the Canada’s a few Greylag’s were also resting on the fields. This bird although likely to be of feral origins was a new patch tick for me (unlike the Whitefronts!) therefore in relative terms had some woo hoo factor attached to it!
I continued my vigil moving up the lane which dissects the fields. I checked the feeders in a garden that backs onto the meadows and boom another patch tick in the form of a March Tit! Just like London busses none for ages and then two at once!
I recorded forty species during my time with some regular species missing from the tally. I then moved on to check the fields down to Moreton. On the way back I popped into Waddock Farm Cress Beds noting a couple of Green Sandpiper on The Watercress Company Site.
Last year was spent compiling a yearlist which involved a lot of “twitching” the upside of this was improved my knowledge of potential migrant traps. The result was a vast improvement in my Dorset list. I find there is no substitute for finding your own rarities so this will be my focus for the year as well as covering the River Piddle Valley!
I am still completing a 2021 review but not surprisingly having seen over 220+ species, this is taking a bit longer than expected!
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