Dorset - Puddletown Water Meadows Bardolf Farm - Gathering of Goslings!

The plan for the day was to get out on Puddletown Water Meadows whose water levels would have been boosted by another torrential downpour throughout yesterday. There was still rain in the air on a generally gloomy day!

I bumped into Martin (who lives and works on the farm) along the track and as we were chatting a small flock of Egrets passed overhead heading W towards Mill Mead. I managed to pick out a Cattle Egret on the edge of the flock but my impression was that the majority were Little Egrets.

As the day progressed the local Little Egrets were moving around with the Cattle. Numbers have been up of late 7-9 birds all in the area of Mill Mead. There wasn’t much moving around in the skies but the Mute Swans were very active in chasing the juvenile flock of Canada Geese around the Causeway Pond. It was interesting to note that they left the family party of Egyptian Geese alone on the lake!

The pair of Egyptian geese had successfully raised four goslings which I think is a record for the farm. This species has bred in recent years but the young are usually predated prior to the goslings reaching the juvenile stage.

There is still potential for some movement out there therefore I am looking to pop out again later this afternoon!