The day started off well with a garden tick on an overcast and misty morning. The plan for the morning was to visit a local site Thorncombe Wood which is run by the National Trust and where Thomas Hardy’s Cottage is situated.
There were plenty of woodland birds to keep me occupied en route but getting decent shots in the heavily covered trees was another matter altogether. A Marsh Tit was heard and located on the edge of a tit flock. Treecreeper and Great Spotted Woodpeckers obliged in the area of the car park.
I stopped off at the small pond to see what dropped in for a drink but by this time there were plenty of people and dogs about. Despite this I managed to position myself on Black Heath which gave me excellent views of the skies and over Thorncombe Wood.
Sighting of the day were a couple of Roe Deer that came bounding into the open space from the cover of trees. I don’t think either saw me giving me a perfect opportunity to capture the moment on camera. The folk at the pond were also completely oblivious to what had just unfolded!
There was a Redwing flock in the area settling in the top of a tree within the wooded area.
Nuthatch was very vocal throughout the woodland. I could not see what all the fuss was about with the above bird but it was not happy with something!
A Coal tit obliged at the top of my stakeout point. Bullfinch were regularly heard but stayed close to cover as they moved across my field of vision.
After mid-day the movement and bird song dwindled therefore I decided to move on and pay another visit to Silverlake or Warmwell Gravel Pits as it is known. The fact it was a landfill site and was loaded with gulls had nothing to do with me being drawn back to the site! Honest!
There were certainly plenty of gulls I counted 77 Mediterranean Gull amongst just short of a thousand gulls! This was like the old days and worth keeping an eye on for winter white wingers that may pass through!
I spied what is surely an escape in the form of a Ruddy Shelduck. This time I had the heavy artillery with me using an old android phone attached to my scope to catch its movements!
I hope there is not a trend developing here!
ps: The garden tick was a Collared Dove!
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