Dorset - Nothe Fort - Male Black Redstart!

 

I took a leisurely visit to Nothe Fort hoping to catch up with the male Black Redstart that has been frequenting Stone Pier of late. I didn’t have to wait long for the bird to appear the white wing patch and orange tail were obvious as it made a short flight onto the stone ledges.

The bird was feeding as it took the short flights between positions and gradually edged closer to me. The light wasn’t great but what an amazing contrast the colours were. The weather was closing in so I made good my escape before it rained.

Earlier on in the day I had seen Great Northern Divers from Sandsfoot Castle. Black Necked Grebe was seen from the sailing club with a Black throated Diver out in the middle of the harbour later on in the day. 

Perhaps I should have stayed longer but would have missed the Redstart! Swings and Roundabouts!

Dorset - Portland and Harbour - Owl and Grebe Watch!

Yesterday morning I was up and out at early o clock to get down to Portland to do some site research with the goal of locating owls on the island. I arrived in good time for dawn and began my vigil. Conditions were good with a slight wind blowing across the island. At 0730 a Short Eared Owl appeared over the hill keeping low as it hunted over the fields opposite the Bird Observatory.

My next goal was to locate Purple Sandpiper along the cliffs at Portland Bill. The tide was receding by now and a small group were noted wave jumping.

I moved down to the lighthouse where a female Black Redstart popped up onto a roof as I was photographing a Rock Pipit. The sea was fairly quiet a lone sea-watcher informed me there had been a few Red Throated Divers had flown through the Bill.

I caught up with Jodie and John at the Observatory and then moved down to Ferrybridge to check the shorebirds. Dunlin was present in good numbers along with Ringed Plover. The bird in the picture has a yellow ring with black on its right leg. I was unable to read it before a Peregrine spoilt the party by scattering the Mediterranean Gull and waders.

A Slavonian Grebe has been present in the harbour for a while now but I had not found it on recent visits. The tide was out and the wind at Sandsfoot Castle was favourable allowing me to scan the harbour. I located the bird but it took over an hour to do so, Great Northern Diver and a Razorbill were the other species of note. I added another Diver to the tally at Portland Castle before returning for owl watch at Portland.

Dorset - Portland Harbour - Winter Birding behind the Harbour Walls!

The weather this morning was terrible and it was no surprise that games were postponed. I made my way down to Lodmoor RSPB arriving just before the rain stopped. I then walked a circuit of the reserve whilst the unsettled flock of Golden Plover sometimes joined by Lapwing circled above!

I logged 37 species on my journey but there was nothing out of the ordinary. I decided to move on to Portland Harbour to see what its walls would hold! I started at Sandsfoot Castle and worked my way down to the sailing club. A distant Great Northern Diver was seen along with a female Common Scoter which was making steady progress into the wind.

I moved on to Portland Castle for the remainder of the afternoon which provided the best photo opportunities. A Great Northern Diver was first in the frame. The birds feed on crabs in this area and can be reasonably close to the shoreline.

I was a bit surprised to see a Razorbill feeding on the edge of the seaweed. The bird looked healthy enough as it zipped alone the shoreline.

I have a trip to Bristol tomorrow to visit Mangotsfield Utd Ladies hopefully the game in the stadium will still be on! If not there may be time for another outing!

Dorset - Puddletown Water Meadows Bardolf Farm - Escaped to the Meadows!

 

I was out doing the rounds at Bardolf Farm today when I chanced upon an unusual goose (which I initially thought was a hybrid) on the water meadows. Getting pictures of the bird was tricky but I continued on with the day. The bird was seen again at Athelhampton mid afternoon where it was closer and more obliging!

The verdict is the bird is a Hawaiian Goose and Hugo informs me it is likely from a collection kept at WWT Slimbridge. An escaped bird but it caught my interest and a species I have not seen before hence the initial jump to a hybrid! I get some weird looking geese on the farm!

The Canada geese have tipped the 200 mark and with more cold weather coming in the numbers are likely to grow! May even get a White fronted goose turn up as has happened around Christmas time on two of the last three years! Fingers crossed!

Dorset - Lodmoor RSPB - American Golden Plover!

I received a call from Brett on Saturday about a juvenile American Golden Plover that Darah had found at Lodmoor RSPB. I was just setting out for my game at Bridport FC and could not make the trip to Lodmoor. My parting line was "I hoped the bird stuck around until after the weekend". I also had a game on Sunday which was more suited to ducks than footballers!

I was up at early ish o clock and made my way to Lodmoor in heavy rain. This was supposed to stop after 0800 therefore I was not too troubled by this. It was still raining when I arrived and I started to get a bit worried!

I walked the north path hoping a Bittern would grace me with its presence but this was not to be. I noted a large flock of Golden Plover were circling the reserve losing height with every completed circuit. The birds eventually came to rest on the west scrape and were close by. I negotiated the path that was littered with passerines including Blackbird that were feeding on the ground.

After some searching I located the American Golden Plover which was pretty aggressive towards the other plover around it. The bird was smaller than its European Counterpart and noticeably greyer with a prominent supercillial stripe behind the eye.

I secured some shots and then put the news out. The flock became very restless taking to the skies several times before splitting up and settling. The bird was seen once more before it was lost to view. I met up with Bob Ford to discuss bird tours and hopefully get Bob onto the bird. This was the largest Golden Plover flock I had seen at Lodmoor and numbers were estimated at over 700 during the day.

Numbers grew as the morning progressed but despite many pairs of eyes fixed on the flocks the plover was not re located.

I remained on site until dusk once again in the hope of spying a Bittern through the rain showers. A female Goosander dropped in during one downpour! Note the thick neck and base to bill and white patch under the chin!

Early starts are paying dividends at the moment!

Dorset - Wild Woodbury Rewilding Project Bere Regis - Great Grey Shrike!

I was up and out at early o clock this morning with only one thing in mind. The Great Grey Shrike that appeared to have roosted in the area contained within the Wild Woodbury rewilding Project near Bere Regis.

The day was perfect for a shrike warm very little wind with sunny spells early on. There were only a couple of people in the area and I joined a lady that had been to look for the Short Eared Owls the night before (when the shrike was first seen!). I scanned the hedgerow and saw a white blob on top of a bush. I switched to the scope and said “I’m just going to check this is not a Magpie” It wasn’t and my latest Dorset tick was calmly perched up in full view although distant.

I phoned Pete Coe and then put the news out. At last I had caught up with this bird! The bird moved along the hedgerow in full view for at least an hour. During this time I met Seb Elwood (formerly Haggett) who had recently returned from his honeymoon in Costa Rica having married Liv who works on the Poole Harbour Osprey Translocation Project! Both have changed their surname which means “Old Forest”. He was delighted to connect with the shrike! 

The project has just entered its third year and is transforming how our landscape can benefit from the return to natural processes. Details of the project can be found here:-  Wild Woodbury Project . 

Donations to the project can be made through the Dorset Wildlife Trust here:- Wild Woodbury Donations

The shrike eventually disappeared out of view chasing a passerine into the hedgerow which ran adjacent to where I was standing. The bird was not seen for the remainder of the day! I remained in the area hoping to connect with Short Eared Owl before dusk but was not successful! I finally met Ian Ballam and a couple of folk who knew of me but could now put a face to the Kojak logo!

The only question in my mind now is where the shrike has gone. If it has moved further west then I should check the areas of the farm from Tolpuddle through to Athelhampton. A long shot I know but Bardolf Farm has records of Great Grey Shrike the last between 10^th November and 2^nd December 1988 at Higher Burnbake!

Dorset - Puddletown Water Meadows Bardolf Farm - Barnacles are Back!

The water levels on the meadows look good for something interesting to drop into. Wildfowl numbers are consistent for the time of year with six Barnacle Geese making a regular return on Sunday to top the bill! I listen out for them as they would be a good garden tick!

Today I had one eye to the sky as I completed my rounds. There were around 4,000 Wood Pigeon that were hoovering up the remnants of the maize crops and likely having the feeding station seed for desert! The pigeons are like locusts as they move from field to field and I was hoping a Goshawk might make an appearance at some point!

The gulls at Beddington Farm used to cause a commotion when a raptor appeared but this spectacle is nothing short of chaos when a Goshawk suddenly appears from the shadows! Today wasn’t going to be that day but it didn’t stop me from shadowing the pigeons for a good proportion of the morning!

Late afternoon the Barnacle Geese were in prime position for pictures from the gate at Cattlecrush but there was a friendly herd of cows between me and the gate! And on this occasion I could not sneak past the guards!

Pete Coe’s news broke of a Great Grey Shrike not far from me late afternoon! I guess I will have another attempt in trying to connect with this bird in the morning! There just aren’t enough daylight hours! 

Dorset - Puddletown Water Meadows - Bunch of Barnies!

The hatches are down and the meadows are flooded. This is always an interesting time of year on Bardolf Farm as birds are drawn into the area if only to have a look at the fields before departure. I visited Waterston prior to my stake out at my usual haunt. There is about a mile between them and the River Piddle also runs through here. I have noticed recently that the fields are very flooded which has attracted gulls and today approximately 1400 pigeons to the neighbouring fields! Nothing special was noted but I will keep an eye on this area until the water recedes.

Wildfowl have increased on Puddletown Water Meadows and it was a good day for species of Geese with six Barnacles being the main attraction. The origins of these birds are doubtful but I believe Silverlake had similar numbers earlier in the year. Egyptian, Canada and Greylag were also present along with other wildfowl including a male Shoveler, Wigeon and Teal. A small flock of Lapwings were also present.

I had a brief stop off before dusk at Athelhampton and I was delighted to see the area was also flooded! Little Egrets and Herring Gulls going to roost were the only notable movements overhead.

The temperature is due to drop next week but will it be enough to encourage something rarer to visit the meadows! Time will tell! 

Dorset - Chesil Cove and Portland Castle - Leach's Petrel's Delight!

The weather has been more suited to ducks than being on the turf therefore I was sat on the doorstep waiting for the eleven o clock pitch inspection to reveal the obvious outcome!

A few minutes later I was off to Chesil Cove to join Charlie are the regulars on a sea-watch. I missed the Great Shearwater which is very unusual at this time of year. There were around 200 reported past Lizard Point which is also irregular as this species should now be back on its breeding grounds in the South Atlantic.

The good news was there were numerous Leach’s Storm Petrels moving through the Cove one fell fowl to a Greater Black-backed Gull prior to my arrival. The wind was still blowing a gale and once I had reached the huts and settled in (Took me ages to get my eye in much to the amusement of the regulars!) the sheltered watching was very enjoyable!

Most birds were at telescope range but a couple came within range of my 300mm lens. This species is seen during this time of year but not usually in these numbers. The pale panel in the wing and the divide to the white rump separate this species from the Storm Petrel which also has a white band on the wings.

Once the seas looked brighter I moved down to Portland Castle where the Great Northern Divers have been observed close in feeding on crabs. I was not to be disappointed as the light was good for a while and a partially breeding plumaged bird came in close again within striking range! My Blue Peter photography beginners badge is in the post!

Not a bad afternoon at all. I will be waiting on a call tomorrow regarding Weymouth Women’s game but the first team played on the pitch today, have another home game on Tuesday night and there is more rain tonight so who knows if it will be on!

Dorset - RSPB Weymouth Wetlands - Fudge Duck does the rounds!

 

The plan was to have an away day once the Ferruginous Duck had been confirmed as still being on the Postbox pool at Lodmoor RSPB. I arrived in the nick of time having a brief view in the telescope before it joined three Pochard completed a couple of low circuits of the area and flew off NW towards Radipole RSPB. The regulars upped sticks and made their way to look for the bird at Radipole.

I stayed at Lodmoor keeping my eye on whatsapp in anticipation of the bird being re-located at Radipole. The east scrape was loaded with ducks, gulls and a flock of Golden Plover who intermittently took to the sky performed a wheeling display before coming back down to earth.

A Marsh Harrier was the cause of all the commotion on one occasion small flocks of Snipe joined the now busy airways!

A single Dark Bellied Brent Goose was found in amongst the Canada Geese before the news broke that the Ferruginous Dusk had been found in the open water between the shelter and the tennis courts. A brisk walk and a short drive later I was at Radipole obtaining sun lit views of the bird thanks to Martin Cade!

The final task of the day was to get some pictures of the duck. This involved another yomp and almost a swim as the paths were very flooded en-route to the shelter! After some good banter with the regular Band of Birders I made my way back to the truck. Thanks Roly!

Dorset - Puddletown Water Meadows Bardolf Farm - Stork Out!

There has been plenty of rain recently and as a result the meadows are gradually flooding. The farm had what I believe is a first record on October 27^th when Howard Mason saw from the ridge a White Stork in a tree near Waterbarn Cottages. The bird took flight to be joined by a second bird as both headed north over Devil’s Brook towards Langham’s Vineyard. I was heading to the farm and quickly diverted to the Vineyard to check the river and surrounding fields. I had no joy despite a thorough search of the area. 

I was out a bit earlier today having noted a new rain front of rain was heading this way. There wasn’t too much of note. A flock of Canada and Greylag Goose, Wigeon and Teal were at Puddletown Water Meadows. Numbers will gradually increase as the area floods. There have been a few Stonechat scattered about the farm of late. Today was no exception with a first winter male along Athelhampton Lane.

The birds made the most of the morning which was warm sunny with very little cloud. I guess they knew what was coming later in the afternoon! Howard joined me on top of the ridge as I watched the front edge ever closer.

I then put the truck to the use it was made for checking fields for anything that might be lurking. When I got to the top of Tractor field I noticed a large number of pigeon and corvids in flight over Barge field. It was time to investigate. There were a large number of mainly Stock Dove with a mix of Common, Herring and a couple of Lesser Black-backed Gull all on or in the vicinity of a tiny pond that had formed in the field. I do hope one day for a Yellow Legged or even a large white winged gull but with the change to shallow non inversion ploughing gull numbers are generally lower these days!

I made it home before the rain started washed the truck and its now having a rinse courtesy of the rain!

Martin has just sent me a picture of a Snipe that he had an encounter with today on one of the meadows. It’s difficult to judge size but the central crown stripe is dark, the bill looks short and the markings through the mantle are complete and dark. The bird looks good for a Jack Snipe. His description of behavior also points in this direction too! This would be the first of the Autumn!

Dorset - Puddletown Water Meadows Bardolf Farm - Flying Visit!

 

I took a flying visit to the Farm this morning. There was a 3-4hour window of opportunity between the rain setting in. The good news after rain is there is a lot more liquid on the Water Meadows which inevitably encouraged a few duck to drop in. Mallard numbers have dropped but the first couple of Wigeon of the autumn were a welcome sight. A small flock of Teal was the only other offer on the duck front!

The wind picked up in strength as the morning progressed. The Collared Doves were gathering at Waterbarn Cottages. I remember a similar gathering in this area at around this time last year. Herring Gulls were moving over the ridge in small numbers. I checked the barns for chats but none were skulking out of the wind. The general count of passerines was low again due to the stormy conditions.

My last stop of the day was at Athelhampton where numerous Swallow and a couple of House Martin were hawking insects over the fields. One obvious leucistic bird caught my eye it’s a shame I hadn’t adjusted the camera settings from earlier!

In the evenings I have been working my way through my moth list which means I am now on a slippery slope into Lepidoptera! Moths list

Dorset - Portland - A Couple of Days on the Island!

Birding of Portland is hard work and needs a concerted effort to search the different habitats that cover the island. Our first stop was at Ferrybridge where a Grey Phalarope had spent a couple of days giving crippling views to onlookers. We weren’t as fortunate and neglected to check the sea before moving onto the island! Needless to say the bird spent the morning on the sea between Lidl’s and the Skate park!

A Pale Bellied Brent Goose was our best offering from Ferrybridge. A couple of small flocks of Dark Bellied geese flew over as we were sifting through the shorebirds. These included a Knot, Bar-tailed Godwits, Dunlin, Ringed Plover and Oystercatcher.

A Sandwich Tern pitched up resting in amongst the gulls.

A good number up to 17 Ring Ouzel were recorded around Suckthumb Quarry/Thumb Lane. Birds were heard chacking in the bushes but it was not until late on the first day that we connected with this species.

Bird of the two days was a Red-breasted Flycatcher which was found down by the huts in front of the observatory garden. The bird was mobile but Pete managed to see it before the bird made its way back into the Observatory gardens. We staked out the Obs Quarry and then sacrificed ourselves as the bird was ringed during our visit to Daniels (No lunch time opening!) then Codfathers to have lunch! 

I spent the afternoon staking this bird out with Gerry Hayman (purbeckpilrgim) eventually getting good but short views as it was harangued by Wren and Robin in the trees! There are some fantastic pictures on the Observatory website here.

The rest of the time was spent kicking bushes and occasionally peering out to sea! It was good to catch up with the band of local birders, Nick Bond (Naturetrek), Roger Hewitt and Paul Rendell and his wife.

I stopped off at Lodmoor on the way home just in case a Bittern decided to put in a flight appearance. Squeeling Water Rail and four Great White Egrets were the product of this stop!

I am looking to kit out my new wheels which will enable me to camp on Portland which will save a forty minute drive or two!

Dorset - Portland - Portland Observatory Moths!

An early start had Pete and I heading down to Portland which had me indulging further into the world of moths. The observatory sets numerous traps around the garden catching hundreds of moths which are sifted through each morning by Martin and his team.

Dark Mottled Willow (Spodoptera cilium) A rare migrant which occurs in Africa and Southern Europe flying during September and October.

Beautiful Gothic (Leucochlaena oditis) This moth occurs along the south coast from the Isle of Wight to Cornwall flying sometimes in August but generally in September and October.

Green-Brindled Crescent (Allophyes oxyacanthae) A common species in Britain flying from September to November.

Turnip Moth (Agrotis segetum) A common species in Britain which flies in May and June and August and September.

Next up the birds that we encountered over the mini trip!

Dorset - Puddletown - Garden Moths!

I have spent the last couple of days on Portland with Pete Alfrey. His arrival prior to our adventure on the island instigates a moth session in my garden. I don’t have a trap myself therefore this is a rare opportunity to see what my garden attracts and maybe will encourage me to take the giant leap and purchase a trap. The other bonus is tapping into Pete’s knowledge in naming the majority of the species caught in the trap.

A Feathered Thorn (Colotois pennaria) which is common in Britain flying in the autumn from September to December. It is named from the male that has the feathery antennae.

Beaded Chestnut (Agrochola lychnidis) which is a very variable moth and is widespread in southern Britain flying from September to November.

Large Yellow Underwing (Noctua pronuba) which is an abundant moth in Britain flying from June to November.

I have taken reference from the following:- Field Guide to Moths of Great Britain and Ireland by Waring and Townsend and websites: ukmoths.org.uk; dorsetmoths.co.uk; 

Dorset - Puddletown Water Meadows Bardolf Farm - Happy Hirundining!

The outlook did not promise much but we are in a peak period for migration therefore anything could turn up. I started out on the Water Meadows dodged the cattle (I do like this herd as they don’t follow you around!) and the first action of the day was 104 Mallard that flew in from the NE. A small percentage pitched down on the River Piddle. The remainder circled for a while before departing in all directions!

There were a trickle of Hirundines across the Meadows but nothing to get excited about. I trawled the Causeway pond and the hedgerows where there were a good mix of passerines including Treecreeper a few Coal Tit, Nuthatch and Great Spotted Woodpecker. This prompted me to head to Burleston pond where the action was to hot up! A few passerines around the pond and a Spotted Flycatcher on the wires near the pond. Instinct told me to shoot first then deploy the binos on this occasion!

I went back to the truck to have a snack and I noticed a steady flow of hirundines heading SE over the clump of trees I was parked beside. This continued for a while so I drank up and moved onto the ridge at Long Bottom. The flow of mostly Swallow continued for a good hour before I repositioned myself opposite the ridge to Waterbarn cottages. At one point there were 100+ Swallow at the bottom of the valley who seemed to be held up by the conditions. The skies brightened up and whoosh they were gone!

I moved to the “hide” and watched on for another hour or so with pulses of hirundines passing through the area. Later in the afternoon the Maize fields behind me were cut which had me return early evening to note what had moved onto the field. Corvids and a few pigeon were the only offering but it will give me an incentive to get up early tomorrow to check the fields again!

I am still eagerly awaiting the arrival of the geese but I think the meadows need some more rain! One did make an appearance this morning only to be chased off by the Mute Swan on the pond!

Dorset - Puddletown Water Meadows Bardolf Farm - Spot Flys still at the pond!

It is always worth having an early start following a day of rain. The weather particularly at this time of year mixes the birds up and there is always the possibility of a surprise around the corner! The other positive note is the water levels will increase which will encourage some wildfowl onto the pools at the Water Meadows. I had to negotiate the livestock in the area to view the key areas. This herd of cattle seem less inquisitive which mad life a tad easier!

A small flock of Teal numerous Mallards, a couple of Green Sandpiper and the flyover family party of Egyptian Goose were the product of the morning’s vigil within the environs of the Causeway pond.

I returned in the afternoon after a heavy shower and was greeted by the first Lapwing of the autumn! Is the rain continues it won’t be long before Wigeon return. There have been reports of Barnacle (6), Canada (1369) and Greylag (190) geese at Silverlake which is roughly south of here. The meadows when wet will attract a small proportion of these birds as they look for feeding in fields! 

The Spotted Flycatchers were still at Burleston pond. I looked on as the heavens opened whilst I was walking a circuit of the pond.

Dorset - Puddletown Water Meadows and Bardolf Farm - Fog Mixes up the Migrants!

Thick fog greeted me as I prepared to spend a day on Bardolf Farm. Nevertheless I ventured out hoping that something had got lost in transit and would fly over the almost dry meadows! The two ponds are attracting a variety of species at the moment so this was to be my main focus for the day.

There were a few Spotted Flycatchers within the environs of the Causeway Lake. The surrounding bushes are loaded with berries so the early slightly blurred hours were spent in this area. There was plenty of song therefore I kept my ears pinned back for anything unusual!

Once the sun began to break through there was a small movement of hirundines which generally headed north to find clearer skies. After a thorough search of this area I moved up to Waterbarn Cottages and the hedgerow lined fields surrounding the grain storage barns.

A couple of Stonechats were spied at the edge of the lagoon dropping into the mixed seed and Sunflower field to feed. I moved down to North field and noticed a Reed Warbler making its way along the hedgerow at the east end. I took up position on top of a pile of chalk to get some pictures. The bird did not call at any point during the photo shoot!

Mid afternoon I moved down to Burleston Lake and took up a leisurely position sitting on the garden furniture that no doubt features in many a family picnic! There were also Spotted Flycatcher here and it was amazing to watch the birds hawking insects with the sun as a back-drop over the lake! 

Dorset - Puddletown Water Meadows Bardolf Farm - Star and Stripes!

 

The star of the Puddletown Water Meadows a juvenile Greater Scaup is still present spending its sixth day on the Causeway pond. The pond is about 1.5 acres in size and is rarely disturbed. The vegetation around the lake is mature and there is plenty of weed and food held within its depths! To view the lake without scattering all the birds upon it a degree of creeping around has to be done. But first you have to negotiate whatever livestock that may be present within the environs of the pond!

Spotted Flycatchers were also present in the area of the pond this afternoon. I am still on the lookout for Redstart and Yellow Wagtail in the surrounding fields but have not been successful so far.

I completed my rounds visiting Burleston pond just before dusk. A couple of Spotted Flycatchers were also present buzzing over the pond between trees to feed on the ample source of flies!

Tomorrow is set to be a washout with a full program of fixtures at the weekend which will reduce my time at the farm until the beginning of next week!