Dorset - Bardolf Farm Puddletown Water Meadows - Just a Matter of Time!

The Farm has thawed out and the water levels are receding leaving a mosaic of muddy areas for birds to feed on. The wildfowl numbers are up with flocks of Lapwing visiting the water meadows today. I had my highest count of Snipe 112 but couldn't find a Jack until mid afternoon when a bird popped up along the track and dropped onto Devils Brook near Waterbarn Cottages. I guess it was going to happen at some point but it has seemed like I have been looking for a lifetime! I just need to find a bird I can photograph! This was a new county bird for me despite many hours of searching soggy fields!

The conditions are good at all three key areas of the farm which always gives me a dilemma of how long to spend in each area. I have not found a water pipit despite a thorough search and Meadow Pipit is pretty thin on the ground. Devil’s Brook at Waterbarn Cottages has been the most productive for new species for me this year with all three additions (Golden Plover, Woodcock, Jack Snipe) seen in this area.

I am continuing with owl watch in the evenings which are drawing out nicely and the weather has been favourable so far.

I met with Hugo yesterday afternoon to go through the 2022 bird report and discuss tactics for the coming spring. I am glad I have bought some new kit as I will need to cover a lot of ground if I am to add to my tally of birds.

A weekend on the turf beckons with three good games in prospect!

Dorset - Bardolf Farm Puddletown Water Meadows - Who's Watching Who?!

 

The cold snap continues to shuffle birds around and postpone football matches! The latter frees up some time to visit Bardolf Farm and the water meadows. Today’s plan was to search for winter birds that are not regularly seen but are likely to be present lurking in the shadows!

The water meadows had a large gathering of Snipe seventy six was the final count. The only disappointment despite my relentless searching through them was there were no Jack’s amongst them! I moved on spending the day walking the farm. The Pintail were not seen today but I did find yesterday’s low flying Peregrine that was once again stirring up the Lapwing and wildfowl by using the ridge as cover.

I have been spending time after dusk listening out for Tawny Owls which are heard in various areas of the farm. No joy today but I did connect with a low flying Woodcock that bombed over the track to feed on the flooded meadows!

I had a fascinating encounter with a Barn Owl who was trawling the hedgerows for a meal. The bird was completing a circuit so I hid in cover losing sight of it in the process! The bird re-appeared some time later on a post a few metres behind where I was hiding! I wonder who was watching who?!

Dorset - Bardolf Farm - Golden Greats!

The water levels continue to rise but there has not been much to report on of late. It has turned cold again and I was rubbing my hands together in anticipation when the sky was filled with snow this morning! Frozen ground and snow will create a movement of birds as they look for feeding grounds. The River Piddle has burst its banks also providing some open grazing ground for the wildfowl.

I was stood at the front door as if I was waiting for the school bell to go but this time the signal to go was for the snow to stop! I spent a couple of hours on the Water Meadows at the gate at Cattlecrush hoping for a flock of Golden Plover or another species of shorebird that had tagged onto a Lapwing flock. A couple of wintering Green Sandpiper and twenty seven Snipe were the only offerings from this group.

Mid afternoon I moved up to Waterbarn Cottages and checked a couple of the feeding stations before walking the fields which run parallel to the River Piddle and the flooded meadows. There were a reasonable number of Lapwing but they seemed very flighty which had me thinking there may be a Peregrine about. 

My scanning did not find a raptor but a flock of Golden Plover that were on the move in front of the Lapwing. There were twenty six birds who all headed north and out of the Bardolf Farm boundary! This species is new for my farm tally and used to be a regular occurrence in the fields during the winter. A large flock of up to a thousand birds is regularly seen at Maiden Castle which is a couple of miles southwest as the crow flies.

Within a few minutes the first Red Kite of the year appeared over the ridge and remained in the area for most of the afternoon. This was my first Waterbarn Cottages kite with most birds being observed passing through the water meadows.

A pair of Pintail were also present with Wigeon and Teal on the flooded meadows was it the kite that was causing the commotion amongst the wildfowl! That was an interesting half hour!

A late visit to Athelhampton completed the day observations, but there were no additions to the species list. A Brambling was noted in a bordering garden this morning therefore my eyes need to be peeled as this is a new species for my Bardolf Farm list! 

Dorset - Bardolf Farm - First outing of the Year!

The New Year rolls in and the water keeps on rising. These are the highest levels since I arrived just over two years ago. Many of the geese have moved on. A handful of Egyptian and the regular Swan x Greylag Goose (There is more orange in the bill now!) are still present.

The Lapwing numbers are increasing on the Farm with 500+ at the water meadows at Puddletown, 256 on the water meadows near Waterbarn Cottages and 53 at Athelhampton. I check the flocks very closely to see if there is anything else within their ranks. I also take pictures so that I can have a leisurely look through them as I have noticed Dunlin before by using this method!!

A Pintail was still present at the meadows at Waterbarn Cottages and a late Barn Owl completed a reasonable afternoon in the field. There were a few regular species missing but the feeding stations were still attracting the finches and Yellowhammer!

Tomorrow looks like a washout with water levels to rise further as a result! Interesting times!