Dorset - Puddletown - Chaos in the Garden!

I have been on garden watch for the last couple of days. It has been clear and sunny and has presented the opportunity to tidy up with of course one eye to the skies! I always have my binoculars and camera at hand should there be anything of interest pass over or visit the feeders.

I was having a few lazy moments this afternoon when there was chaos from the bushes behind me. A male Sparrowhawk dropped onto the path with a House Sparrow in its talons. The raptor paused long enough for me to use some stealth and put the camera to use! The bird then turned with prey in tow and flew over the fence and up over the back wall out of sight!

I had earlier secured pictures of a recent addition to my garden list Raven. Two birds that “Konked” their way as they circled high over the garden!

A pale phase Buzzard gave me a moment’s heart tremor yesterday as it glided over the garden. There has been a pale bird present at Bardolf Farm of late but for a split second I forgot about that bird and slung the camera at it before I realized what it was!

My garden is close to Puddletown Water Meadows on Bardolf Farm and the list of species makes far better reading than my previous garden in Surrey! My garden list stands at 52 species!

Dorset - Bardolf Farm - Harvest Time For Raptors!

The farm has been neglected of late but a return to complete a round of breeding bird surveys gave me a taste for a few more visits. The weather is still very chilly in the brisk winds and feels more like April than the middle of June!

Adam had given me the heads up that the rye fields situated at the NW part of the farm were going to be harvested. This event usually turns out to be a good raptor day and it did not disappoint. Red Kites are notorious for scavenging and it was not long before two birds arrived with a third bird joining them in the afternoon!

I have had a look at the feather patterns and although I could not achieve three in the same shot I managed some reasonable shots as the birds quartered the edges of the rye.

This species is becoming more common in this part of Dorset but I still get a good variety of birds through the farm. I never tire of watching this species particularly when two birds spar with each other over the crop.

Buzzards were also on the wing looking for any scraps left in the fields (rats!). Gulls were not numerous but were represented by Mediterranean, Great Black-backed, Lesser Black Backed, Herring and Black-headed Gull. 

A Kestrel made a mid level fly over early afternoon.

Dorset - Lodmoor RSPB - Yellow Legged Gull!

Saturday 8th June 2024

As the birding year enters the Summer doldrums I have maintained a presence in the field as well as catching up on reports and training should I continue officiating next season.

Last Saturday during a pre tour reconnaissance at Lodmoor RSPB I identified an adult Yellow Legged Gull on one of the islands along the west scrape. News was circulated via the local Whatsapp group at the time of the find and birders at the reserve were put onto the bird.

Later on in the day whilst at the Portland Bird Observatory I caught up with an old pal Richard Sargeant and the guys from the Army Ornithological Society. The YLG had been seen early afternoon on The Fleet at Ferrybridge and discussion confirmed that in certain light the scapulars and coverts appeared a similar shade to Herring Gulls!

This rang alarm bells in my head and having posted a picture of the bird on “X” and “Bluesky” (Incidentally I posted the time on the photo which was an hour behind the time of the sighting at 1030hrs!) I monitored the birding community’s response to the posts! 

I have also had the time to examine my pictures of the bird and remain content with my initial identification on the day. Gulls are a tricky group at the best of times to identify and I hope my rationale below assists with any debate:-

My experience with Yellow Legged and Caspian Gulls originates from patch watching at Beddington Farmlands Croydon Greater London where both species were regular features. First and 2^nd winter Caspian Gulls arrived during the winter months with influxes of larger gulls to the land-fill site. Yellow legged adult birds were seen from spring with juvenile birds arriving later in the year.

The structure of the bird was a bulky with an overall proportional appearance. The head was rounded with a heavy bill. The legs were regular in length and deep yellow in colour. The bird did not give a small headed long billed slim long legged appearance with a ski slope back as in Caspian Gull.

Comments: 

A = The scapulars and covers are noticeably darker in the bird than nearby Herring Gulls.

B = The bill is heavy with goynes angle that touches the upper mandible. The bill in Caspian Gull is noticeably long in relation to the small head.

C = YLG eye is pale with a red orbital ring and the iris is yellow. Caspian Gull beady eye is darker in appearance.

D = The head on this bird is rounded. Caspian Gull head is smaller with a longer neck.

E = The legs are deep yellow in colour. Caspian Gull legs range from pale yellow to pale pink in adult birds.

I am always interested in any additional comments birders have on this bird.

Dorset - Portland - Mixed Bag!

Yesterday I spent another day on Portland trawling the island for whatever scraps I could find on the land and sea. I started at The Verne and Fancy’s Farm locating a couple of Whitethroat and a Chiffy!

A sea watch at the Bill in very pleasant conditions had me locate a couple of Puffin that have been hanging around the colony over the last couple of months. This is positive news for the island as this species was thought to have moved on to pastures new with only irregular single bird sightings in recent times.

I spoke to Paul Rendall who was also successful in seeing the Puffins that had drifted up towards the colony. He was delighted to connect with the birds. I returned to the observatory to have a look through the moths before re-joining Paul to go on an orchid find!

Elephant Hawk Moth I had in my West Sutton garden a while back (I’ve been living in Dorset for 4years!!) but have not seen this species in Dorset until now.

Common Wainscot is a new moth for my ever growing tally. The garden trap is definitely helping with identification of moths at the observatory.

Cream-spot Tiger is not new but it was nice to see an individual with its wings open showing off its yellow-orange hind-wing!

Paul took me to a spot on the Island where there were the most Bee Orchids I had seen before with a Pyramid Orchid which I neglected to photograph during the Bee fest!

Another plant was shown to me which is likely to be Bedstraw Broomrape (viz Observation.org) which again would be easily missed if you were not aware of its presence! Thanks Paul!

I continued with harbour watch and finished the day at Radipole RSPB on another Bearded Reedling stake out which was unsuccessful. I’m currently on a 50% hit rate for this species! 

Dorset - Portland - Doing the Island Rounds!

I completed the rounds at Portland today with the early morning stop (post moths) at Ferrybridge where the breeding plumaged Bar-tailed Godwit was still present. There were also good numbers of Sanderling and Dunlin, Ringed Plover and over thirty Little Terns making up the tern colony. A couple of Wheatear were also noted near the Wild Chesil Centre early on.

The gardens to Portland Castle held a single Spotted Flycatcher that was very active within the understory of the trees that overhang the small boat yard. A Dolphin was loafing in the harbour by one of the boats its behaviour was reported to Portland Port Authority as I thought it may have been caught up in ropes but from CCTV it was playing in the harbour and had been for a couple of days! 

Once on the island I covered The Verne, Fancies Farm, Newground and finally Church Ope Cove in the vein hope of finding something special!

Bordered Straw (Heliothis peltigera)

As is traditional with all visits to Portland I popped into the Bird Observatory where I had a look through the collection of moths many of which I could name! I was introduced to a Bordered Straw by Martin and Jodie which is a migrant and new for my growing list of species of moth. UK Moth list Here are a couple of other species that are new:-

Common Swift (Korscheltellus lupulina)

                                                      Marbled Minor (Oligia strigilis)

Cream Spot Tiger (Arctia villicia)

Now that I have fallen down the slippery slope into Lepidoptera, I am finding it surprisingly addictive! I do appreciate it is not every-ones cup of tea! It wasn't mine until a short time ago!

I have several sources of information starting with A Gateway Guide to British Moths by James Lowen which is a paperback beginners guide to the regular species. The book is set out by season and I have found it very useful thus far! Dorset and UK Moths websites the former giving a flying tonight summary on one of its pages.

I upload my garden moths onto Observation.org with Hugo Wood-Homer, Pete Alfrey, Janice Grove and the Portland Bird Observatory as my human sources for identification! 

Dorset - Puddletown - Garden Tick!

Like London busses none for ages then two posts at once! 

News had been circulated at just past mid-day on a local group that a large raptor had been seen in flight heading west over Dorchester. The likely-hood was it had already passed by but it had me (all be it lazily!) poised with eyes to the skies. I usually have binoculars and camera at the ready should anything catch my eye! My garden is not too far from Puddletown Water Meadows on Bardolf Farm therefore there is always a chance something will pass by!

Bird of the afternoon was a juvenile Hobby which wheeled past heading east towards the farm. I incidentally have not recorded Hobby at Bardolf Farm this year but this was another new addition to my garden list which is now up to the dizzy heights of 53 species!

A Red Kite made two appearances during the vigil. Feather patterns suggest this was the same bird returning some forty minutes after its first appearance!

A Peregrine was the last raptor of the afternoon which did not hang about heading N to NW.

The raptor fest included Common Buzzard and lasted for about an hour!

The garden tally for the day is currently on twenty seven species which includes birds visiting the feeders at the back of the house. List Below:-

Over: Hobby, Red Kite, Peregrine, Buzzard 2, Swift, House Martin 11, Swallow, Magpie, Herring Gull, Starling 2, Jackdaw 3, Rook 3, Crow,

Feeders: Siskin 2, Feral, Wood Pigeon 2, Collared Dove 3, Blackbird, House Sparrow 6, Greenfinch, Goldfinch 7, Blue and Great Tit,

Garden: Wren, Robin, Chaffinch, Dunnock,

Dorset - Time Flies By When Immersed in Nature!

It has been a month since I last posted. I’m not sure where the time has gone but I have been out on the Farm and looking in the local area for summer visitors. I had a couple of Women’s Cup finals to officiate up until mid May which kept me in the gym for part! I have also bought a moth trap and have been up at the crack of dawn processing and releasing the overnight catch. I will add a dedicated moth post in due course!

The weather seems a bit more settled with warmer sunny days lifting my spirits! At the end of 2023 I set up Dorset Bird Tours offering guided bird tours in the Weymouth and Portland. This coincided with Bob Ford passing over the guiding mantle for The Heights Hotel, Isle of Portland to me. The hotel has since booked my services for 2025 and invited me to join them at Birdfair 2025!

I have also been out looking for heathland and summer visitors in the local area paying more attention to general wildlife that is resident at each location. 

Morden Bog NNR, Affpuddle Forest, Oakers Wood, Wild Woodbury and Several Cress Beds are all within twenty minutes of my home and easily accessible via the lanes from the village.

Juvenile birds are now a regular feature on my feeders. I leave windows covered to prevent this new wave of unfamiliar guests falling fowl to my narrow flyway at the back of the house! House Sparrow, Blackbird, Goldfinch, Dunnock, Robin and Collared Dove with House Martins breeding nearby! I added Raven to my garden list a few days ago proving that even in perceived downtime there is something interesting to see locally!

Half-term week was busy around Weymouth but I got around with the minimal of disruption to regular travelling times between sites. The Bearded Reedling at Radipole are proving to be very hit and miss this year with predicted numbers being down of previous years! I missed the exhausted Honey Buzzard that was found at Ferrybridge by Freddy yesterday but he has been relentless along the fleet and has found some excellent birds this year including Golden Oriole and Stone Curlew!

Portland has been relatively quiet of late but irregular sightings of Puffin have fueled anticipation that a pair may be back in the area! The above were found during a Heights Hotel tour with RSPB Watford!

(Morden Bog id assistance required please?)

The birding doldrums are here but having read this post back there is a lot going on! Long may it continue!