Dorset - Warmwell Gravel Pits - Keeping My Wits About Me!

I spent yesterday morning at Warmwell Gravel Pits aka Silverlake which is due south of Bardolf Farm. I keep an eye on the sightings for this site as there is some interchange of birds between the sites. I arrived at stupid o clock to observe a mass exodus of birds including Mallard (over 400) and Goosander (14) who all flew west.

As the morning progressed the masses of Canada and Greylag Goose piled onto open water and islands. The site has been shaped with plenty of good edges to low islands since my last visit over eighteen months ago. A winding fishing lake and a similar boat lake has also been built into the eastern side of the reserve.

Birds of the day were five Black Tailed Godwit that took a look at the eastern lake and continued to fly SE over the pylons.

A Wheatear was also found on a small island with a raised pile of sand which looked like a Volcano.

A Great White Egret is still present spending the morning navigating the best areas for feeding in the numerous channels across the lakes.

Spotted Flycatcher was still present in Knighton Woods and a male Pochard and a handful of Teal were found in amongst the wildfowl. Common and Green Sandpipers were also noted along the edges.

A telescope is best as there are a lot of edges to check. I logged fifty species during my 4k circuit of the woodland and lakes.

Dorset - Lodmoor RSPB - Spotting the Crake!

Lodmoor RSPB was the venue for the latest rarity to visit Dorset with a juvenile bird located on the post box pool yesterday evening. This is a new species for my Dorset list but I stood fast until news was received of the birds continued presence this morning.

(photo by Phil Cheeseman)

The post box pool is on the Preston side of the reserve which was accessible via the A353 which was relatively free of traffic when I set off for the reserve. I had planned for a long stake out but had views almost immediately as I was greeted by the regular Dorset birders!

The bird was patrolling the edge of the far reed bed sometimes coming closer in a gap just to the right of a grass lined mud spit/island. I eventually got some dot shots of the bird but my camera was beyond its limits. The bird is on the edge of the reed line right of the tussock of grass.

I took a walk around the reserve around mid-day with Phil Cheeseman to see if anything else had dropped into the area. Great Egret was present around the shelter. Mediterranean Gull numbers were up with a scattering of Black Headed, Herring and a Great Black Backed Gull.

Shorebird numbers were also up with a flock of Dunlin (19), Black tailed Godwit (12), Ringed Plover (5), Green Sand (5), Common Sand (2), and a group of Sandwich Tern (16).

Migration is slowly picking up pace and my eyes are firmly fixed collating news from across the southwest in anticipation of the next rarity showing up!

I have one eye on the Farm but at present the meadows lack water to encourage wildfowl to return to it!

West Sussex - Pagham Harbour RSPB - A Big Ish Weekend!

The Pagham Harbour Big-ish weekend was upon us! We were up and out early having had a look through the moths that had accrued overnight! There were a good 20+ new species for my list which I will collate when I return home.

The first port of call was to nail the Semipalmated Sandpiper that had recently moved to Siddlesham Ferry. The bird was easily located in close proximity to a Little Stint which gave a good comparison. The bird was larger and bulkier but looking more compact than its counterpart. The primary projection was noticeably shorter. My shots were distant and fuzzy! A Spotted Redshank joined the duo as it fed along the backwater!

Common and Green Sandpiper were added to the shorebird total. Species present included Avocet, lapwing and the only sighting of the day of Black-tailed Godwit. Ducks were represented by a flock of Teal and the resident mix of Mallards.

Once the star bird had been nailed we moved swiftly on to east wall to cover the rising tide. A mixed flock of Dunlin, Ringed Plover, Redshank, Grey Plover, Bar-tailed Godwit, Knot, Oystercatcher, Sanderling, Turnstone and Whimbrel were our reward with a Great Egret briefly present before it moved further around the harbour.

An adult Yellow-legged Gull was a bonus for the day list with fly over Yellow Wagtails. A low flying calling Tree Pipit was also a nice addition whilst we searched the mudflats. A walk to another pond added a few passerines including Willow Warbler to the tally.

A shift in location re-located the Great Egret with a mix of Cattle and Little Egret at a roost and out on the mudflats.

A visit to Church Norton added more passerines including a couple of Spotted Flycatchers to a tally that ended on 90 species for the day!

Sunday morning we returned for a couple of spells at Church Norton covering this area early morning and late afternoon up until dusk. A couple of Yellow Wagtail flocks were noted flying over the churchyard in the evening. A Marsh Harrier was added over the back of the harbour late evening.

The return to Mill Lane secured the Wood Sandpiper on a pool and a fly through Kingfisher, Jay and fly over Mistle Thrush on the adjacent pond. These species managed to avoid us the day before therefore were a welcome addition as we approached the 100 species mark!

By the end of the weekend we had scraped through with 100 species which was not a bad effort considering we had breaks in birding over both days. 

I have been to Pagham Harbour numerous times over the years but having been shown the hotspots have realized I was just scraping the surface on this vital staging post for migratory birds!

Dorset to West Sussex - Inter County Birding!

I set out at stupid o clock to head out to West Sussex to spend the weekend with Pete Alfrey at his new homestead near Pagham Harbour RSPB. I had planned on a couple of stops along the way aiming to arrive in Sussex mid afternoon.

First stop was at Keyhaven Marshes to sample some of the shorebirds this Hampshire reserve had to offer. Some of the pools were almost dry but there was a good mix of shorebirds including Dunlin, Ringed Plover, Greenshank, Oystercatcher a snipe, Common and Green Sandpiper.

There had been Curlew Sandpiper present the previous day but despite a couple of likely candidates. The first was a distant bird where the white rump could not be picked out within a flock of Dunlin, when they took flight. The second bird that drew attention to itself on one of the closer islands but pictures have confirmed the bird to be a juvenile Dunlin. Note some black on the belly and the braces found on a juvenile bird. The bird had a slightly decurved bill and visible supercillium but no peach wash on the breast.

On the furthest pool Grey Plover in varying stages of breeding plumage were noted. A couple of Red Knot was also noted on the far shoreline.

In the harbour a flock of Eider were present the majority of birds in eclipse plumage.

I spent the afternoon at Farlington Marshes which has had sluice problems resulting in the sea water getting into the freshwater pools. The tide was out with good numbers of Redshank present. I moved down to the reed-bed where Bearded Tit were active pinging their way across a narrow channel giving fleeting views.

I made my move to avoid any traffic through Chichister arriving at Pete’s home mid afternoon. A check of the Siddlesham Ferry pool at Pagham Harbour RSPB in poor light conditions did not find the Semipalmated Sandpiper but a plan had already been hatched to return early morning to seek out this UK tick for me. We also planned on a big day at Pagham Harbour setting a tally of ninety species for the day!

Dorset - Portland and Weymouth - Cory's Weekender!

I spent the last weekend at Portland and Weymouth. Sea-watching was the focus on Portland with a slow start on Friday. Saturday looked very much the same until I had departed The Bill for Lodmoor to be told that nine Cory’s Shearwater had passed The Bill heading east!!

Confirmation of this news via the Observatory had me turning tail and hot footing it back to The Bill to join Martin, Freddy, Phil et al hoping that more birds would pass by. It turned out to be a good move as precisely nine birds passed by west at varying distances! Were these the same birds returning from feeding! We will never know but it is likely.

I had a tour on Sunday details here, Portland was fog bound but there were a few familiar faces sea-watching as we passed by The Bill.

Lodmoor RSPB had its regular fair of shorebirds, Green and Common Sandpiper, Dunlin, Black Tailed Godwit, Redshank, Oystercatcher and a handful of Lapwing. Gull numbers at the reserve are low but this will increase as the migration gains pace!

The Bearded Reedling at Radipole RSPB have been difficult to connect with. There are family groups present but the regular areas have been very hit and miss! A Redshank was bizarrely noted resting on a lily pad on Sunday!

A Rose-coloured Starling had found its way into a garden in Broadmayne bus sadly only remained for a day!

Canary Shouldered Thorn

I had my largest haul of moths in the garden which took an age to process. I have had 87 species in the garden in four months!

I am linking up with Pete Alfrey this coming weekend with more birds and mothing on the agenda!

Dorset - Puddletown Water Meadows Bardolf Farm - Silent Hunter!

 

It is amazing how quickly the area has dried out despite some rain overnight most fields remain this way. The cattle have been moved off of Mill Mead which gave me the opportunity to walk the fields! As I was watching Green Sandpiper on a pool a white ghost glided onto a fence post in the distance. The Barn Owl looked around and then seemed to be fixated on the ground in front of it! A couple of shifts of fence post later and the bird continued quartering the fields looking for a meal!

That was a very pleasant surprise but random visits to the Farm are generally my most productive! I completed the rounds with a build-up of Mallard on the River Piddle! This happened around this time last year. Juvenile birds boosting the numbers in the area!

Dorset - Arne RSPB and Middlebere Channel - Catching up!

Sunday 4^th August 2024

I spent the day at Arne RSPB and Middlebere Heath and channel which overlooks the Arne Peninsula. Bird of the day was a female Osprey which had caught a rather substantial lunch and spent the afternoon flying to various favoured posts to consume it. The crows tried to muscle in on the meal but she was having none of this sweeping one bird away with a flap of her wing.

This is one of two un-ringed birds in the Poole Harbour area at present both met during the morning and quickly decided to part waves both heading for separate areas around the harbour.

The early morning start at Shipstall Point produced a Whimbrel, Curlews, Common Sandpipers, Black Tailed Godwits Sandwich and Common Terns.

A Hobby was noted swooping at the gulls on the mud spooking them all Peregrine style from the Middlebere hide mid afternoon. The closest views of Hobby for some time but I was too slow to react!

Dorset - Silverlake Warmwell Gravel Pits - Scarlet Darter!

 

I popped out this morning to seek out a Scarlet Darter that I could not find at Silverlake (Warmwell Gravel Pits) yesterday evening. The new shallow lake has been created as mitigation for other developments on the site (This has a very familiar Beddington Farm ring to it!).

Scarlet Darter has been present for around a week and is a rare migrant to Britain. The first record was in 1995 and records have all been in the southern part of England. The fluorescent red colour is obvious in the male. The female is duller yellow brown in colour.

There were a few people looking today at the small pond which is opposite the main car-park on the Crossways side of the gravel pits. A Lesser Emperor Dragonfly was pointed out to me but again once my eye was in on it this species was easily told apart from the Emperors with its bright blue saddle and brown abdomen. There was absolutely no chance of a photo of this one!

It turned out to be an interesting morning with guidance from more experienced heads! Could I therefore be adding Dragonflies to my agenda!

Dorset - Portland and Weymouth - Knot a Bad Day!

Temperatures have soared over the last few day and the sun has definitely had its hat on! I took an early outing to Portland stopping off at The Fleet at Ferrybridge meeting up with Pete Saunders during his daily rounds. Curlew and Whimbrel were present prior to my arrival but my bird of the morning was a Red Knot that flew from The Fleet over the bridge and headed across the harbour!

I spied a small flock of duck flying high west Pete was quick on the draw capturing seven Shoveler which are uncommon in the area at this time of year! The usual fair of Ringed Plover and Dunlin were present with a growing number of Mediterranean Gull in the area. A Wheatear was also noted in flight on the far side of The Fleet!

I moved via Portland Castle onto the Island spending some time at The Bill. A Redshank arrived on the rocks and spent the morning hopping East along the exposed rock faces as the morning progressed.

Wheatear was also noted in the area with a lone Kittiwake that was perched on the rocks at the site of the now dispersed seabird colony!

A day on the Island would not be complete without the Little Owl which is proving to be slightly tricky at times but generally makes an appearance before or after a visit to The Bill!

High tide was just after 1600hrs therefore the plan was to wend my way towards Lodmoor RSPB via Radipole RSPB! The Bearded Reedling were heard at the latter but not seen on this occasion!

As the tide was on the rise a good variety of shorebirds were noted at Lodmoor. Greenshank (which may be a long staying bird), Turnstone, Dunlin, Black-tailed Godwit, Common and Green Sandpipers were all observed. I did not check the hump for the mornings Little Ringed Plovers which cost me a Whimbrel before I made tracks for Silverlake and the Scarlet Darter! Which I did not find!

It was good to catch up with Roger Hewitt who is a fellow patch watcher in the Dorchester area!