Dorset - Isle of Portland - Western Subalpine Warbler Steals the Show!

The original plan was to visit Portland Saturday but the weather forecast indicated fog over the island which lingered at the top of the island until mid-day so I spent the day on the farm instead. I added Willow Warbler and Whitethroat to the list.

As events turned out visiting Portland today turned into a masterstroke. I started in the harbour and Ferrybridge with a couple of Whimbrel, Ringed Plover Turnstone and a few Sandwich Tern and Shelduck. Little did I know that the couple of Wheatear I saw were just the tip of the ice-burg.

I moved on up to the Verne and Fancy’s Farm which was littered with Wheatear! News broke of a Western Subalpine Warbler that was found by a visiting group from Gwent at the top of the strips and top fields. There was no time to waste I scuttled back to the car and headed for Sweethill Farm! I met Viv on the way and the next couple of hours drew a blank before the bird showed briefly! Numbers at the twitch were dwindling and as the afternoon wore on the bird showed well on several occasions which was a relief!

A male Redstart was a pleasant addition for further down the fields along with a steady movement of Wheatear through the area!

There was also a couple of Whinchat of which I saw a stunning male. I revisited the Subalpine Warbler a couple of times guiding people to the right area. Late afternoon I walked the fields moving down to The Hump and Reap Lane where I teamed up with Dave Bishop. A few more Wheatear were added to the tally but not much else!

Dorset - Portland to Gillingham - Uh Oh! Junco!

 

I was up and out at stupid o clock and heading off to Portland with the prospect of strong SSW winds which may offer up Skuas and Shearwaters! The sea at the bill was performing well with the sea crashing over the rocks onto the path at the Obelisk! I did question my sanity as I took up position tucked into the wall mid way along its width. There were a couple of wave and blow-hole photographers at work but beyond that the area way initially devoid of people!

Birds were generally moving east which was my general direction of observation. This tactic did cost me a Bonxie and Manx Sheerwater as they were observed from the observatory and passed behind me! High tide came and went which seemed to settle the sea to reasonable turbulence!

A four plus hour watch produced a close in dark phase Arctic Skua which cheered me up! A handful of Scoter, 47 Kittiwake a Manx Shearwater, 171 Gannet, 2 Sand Martin and a Swallow made up the tally! I returned to the Observatory and there was talk of a Dark-eyed Junco in a garden at Gillingham in the North of the county!

I have only seen one Junco in the UK and that was 7^th April 2008 at Dungeness in a garden near the lighthouse! It didn’t take much thinking time before I was on the road to Gillingham to secure a new bird for my Dorset tally!

Thanks to the property owners for allowing access to their garden. It was good to see a few of the usual suspects there! I find Dorset twitches a very civilized and social event!

Dorset - Bardolf Farm - Minimal Migration!

It was survey day on the Farm and it was blowing a gale so I wondered what kind of return I would get from the five areas I cover. As things turned out the results weren’t too bad and there were signs of some movement of hirundines on the site!

A flock of 8 Cattle Egrets are becoming almost regular this year. They were on Puddletown Water Meadows early morning before flying low E towards Athelhampton! These birds are using the Piddle Valley to navigate and have been seen on the flooded meadows at Affpuddle.

A couple of Red Kite was observed today both were different birds with one having secondary feathers missing in one wing. The wings on the first bird were complete with feathers. This species is clearly expanding its range in Dorset but I have wondered how many different birds visit the water meadows or if birds use the valley as a migratory route! I manage to get pictures of the majority of birds and have set about the task of comparing the feather patterns for each bird. I’m certain some birds do return but thus far there have been at least five different birds over the meadows! It seems this year is going to be another good year for Kite sightings. Last year was quiet in comparison!

Hirundines were on the move today with half a dozen Swallow and a flock of c35 Sand Martin that got held up over Athelhampton early afternoon!

A sombre end to the day where a young Roe deer had been hit by a car along Athelhampton Road (car didn't stop) and was sat in the road. Despite me lifting it into a jeep and a trip to the local vets the deer didn't make it!!

Dorset - Athelhampton Bardolf Farm - Cattle Egrets Drop In!

I spent the afternoon trawling the Farm looking for migrants. Blackcap have arrived in small numbers and I have had a female visiting my feeders for a while now. Most of the winter wildfowl have departed to pastures new but I did find a small flock of Teal and a lone Lapwing and Wigeon today!

The afternoon pressed on with one eye to the skies as Osprey’s are on the move and one was reported over Portland and at the Fleet which fueled my fire to add one to my Farm tally!

The day was drawing in and I was at Athelhampton checking the sodden fields when a flock of Egrets dropped in on the most southern most field from Athelhampton Road. My initial count was 6 Cattle and a handful of Little, but the Cattle Egrets decided to move on as a group and 8 was the tally!

Cattle Egrets have been noted on the Farm earlier this year and there have been sightings of various numbers from Affpuddle and Tolpuddle (I had 6 there recently) which is further east along the Piddle valley. This suggests the valley is being used by Egrets (and Red Kite) to navigate between feeding grounds!

This species is becoming more common in Dorset with good numbers that roost at Abbotsbury. Records on the Farm are naturally increasing along with Goosander. This could also be a result of the high water levels in the area!

Dorset - Isle of Portland and Harbour - Sea Watch with Many Manx Shearwater!

I spent the day at Portland sea-watching and searching for migrants. The sea-watch started in Chesil Cove at stupid o clock amidst some heavy rain which had downed a Manx Shearwater in the cove. A couple of Sandwich Tern were the only product of what seemed like a crazy idea!

The Sandwich Terns were moving out to sea from the Harbour and The Fleet so I decided to go and investigate. I bumped into Pete and Debbie Saunders in the harbour. The Sandwich Tern were moving through the harbour from the Nothe Fort area and Pete logged 80+ birds in his time there.

There was also a couple of Great Northern Diver in the Harbour. These will be moving on to breeding grounds soon.

A sea watch at Portland Bill produced the best results following heavy showers which saw Manx Shearwaters passing east through the bill. The biggest group was six birds. A small flock of Scoter and Sandwich Tern were also noted.

A Wheatear made a brief appearance as I walked back to the Observatory. Once the sun re-appeared there were plenty of folk wandering around at the Bill therefore it was no surprise the bird did not stick around!

I spent the afternoon checking the fields on the east side of the island which did not add much to the day list.

Dorset - Bardolf Farm - Afternoon Pursuit over the Farm!

I took a mid afternoon jaunt over to the Farm today. The waters are receding which is leaving a network of muddy edges that may well tempt a shorebird or two! After my initial vigil from Athelhampton Road I donned the wellies and went to view the meadows from the Causeway pond moving round to the gate to mill mead which is still under water. A couple of Sand Martin were noted around the area of causeway pond!

As I was there a white dove entered from the east with an adult Goshawk in hot pursuit. There were a few twists and turns as the chase ventured through the trees towards Athelhampton Road. I managed a few shots but none will win any awards and the fate of the dove is unknown.

The female Goosander was still present late on at Athelhampton!

The doves are common in the village and on my feeders. They regularly fly low along Athelhampton Road buzzing past me if I am on watch there!

I think the next few days will be spent walking the fields in these areas as the habitat looks good for something to drop in!

Dorset - Puddletown Water Meadows Bardolf Farm - Hirundines from the Heavens!

An earlier start on the farm today which was much chillier than yesterday but there were things going on amongst the swirling clouds! It took a while for birds to emerge from the clouds but when the action started I had to have eyes everywhere!

A Red Kite was the first interesting entrant wheeling in from the east. The bird circled above Puddletown Water Meadows and then seemed to be sucked up into a vortex of air disappearing above the cloud and vanishing! 

I have compared the feather wear on this bird with the bird at Athelhampton the previous day and there is more wear in the tail and wear in the primary tips at p6 and 7 on both wings which suggests this is a different bird. Three birds in two days will there be more to come!

Shortly after eight Buzzard suddenly dropped below the cloud as they circled in a migratory fashion. These birds disappeared in the same manner as the Kite which definitely put me on edge! What would be next!

I noted a pair of Gadwall on the meadows. This species is a rare visitor to the farm with no records last year! My previous sightings have all been at Athelhampton.

I have convinced myself there will be a Garganey tucked away amongst the receding water and sodden ground so I walked the meadows in search of this quarry. I was at the Causeway pond scanning the fields when a flock of Sand Martin appeared below the clouds the birds remained in the area hawking the feast of insects!

A female Goosander was noted resting in the grass at the waters edge at Athelhampton. This is another species that has become a regular feature on the farm this year!

The rest of the day was pretty average after that!

Dorset - Bardolf Farm - Kite Flying Conditions!

Having had a blast of the bug that is going around I made it on the farm at late o clock this morning. Sometimes I wonder if these things happen for a reason as the day turned into a late raptor watch from the ridge.

The water levels are receding on the farm leaving plenty of muddy edges to the meadows. The wellies were on and it was time to walk the meadows looking for a shorebird that may have stopped off to re-fuel! None were found in the three key areas but the warm air certainly encouraged the raptors to put in extended appearances! There is a distinct lack of Green Sandpiper this winter!

The Buzzard pairs were very vocal today over the ridge with Sparrowhawk, and a Kestrel joining in the mix! Birds of the day were the two Red Kites that put in appearances on different areas of the farm.

The first came in low over the meadows at Athelhampton at 1247hrs. The bird checked me out as I was walking the fields before it slowly wheeled off in the direction of Puddletown Water Meadows! I continued my rounds noting a high number of Little Egret on the farm.

I was checking a feeding station which incidentally still had good numbers of Yellowhammer present when a Red Kite appeared distantly at the top of the ridge. I was at the bottom of the path and only had limited views of the bird that seemed in no hurry to go anywhere. I moved to a better position below the ridge but could not re-locate the bird! Could this be the same bird as before?!

The second confirmed Red Kite of the day was flying high in a northerly direction and seemed on a mission to get somewhere it was late afternoon 1642hrs! I have checked all my dot shots and the bird in missing a primary feather (p7) which may be moult! The secondaries were complete and it was difficult from the other pictures to see the extent of wear in the tail (which the first bird had)!

Last year was quiet on the Red Kite front but the previous year there were migratory birds moving through the farm. I spent hours comparing photographs of birds in an attempt to establish if there were “local” birds visiting the Farm! Three birds were noted in the same day on more than one occasion!

Tomorrow looks like more of the same weather therefore I hope to get out earlier with the prospect of catching up with some hirundines! An Alpine Swift was photographed over Southwell, Portland this afternoon!! Wow!

Dorset Athelhampton Bardolf Farm - Flock of Egrets!

 

A start at reasonable o clock this morning with another SW wind which I hoped may have sent a hirundine the Farms way. It was not to be but a mixed flock of Egrets containing four Cattle Egret were seen arrive at Athelhampton mid morning.

The flock was present in the fields behind Burleston Farmhouse yesterday and it is highly likely these are the same birds that returned today! 

A female Goosander was also spied on the Brook partially concealed by vegetation.

A flock of Siskins were found in the Alders in a local garden with birds visiting a garden path between forays in the trees. 

A couple of Great Black-backed Gull were seen on the water meadows along with the regular mix of wildfowl! 

Dorset - Isle of Portland and Weymouth - Owls Zat!

A twelve hour shift in the field with Roly ended on a high note with a Short Eared Owl giving excellent views hunting over a couple of fields in close proximity to our location!

The morning began at stupid o clock at Portland Bill with a handful of Red-throated Diver and twenty five Common Scoters passing during a three hour session.

A visit to Portland is not complete without checking in on the Little Owl at the Observatory Quarry!

The rest of the day was spent visiting a very windy Ferrybridge, Portland harbour and Lodmoor RSPB. A couple of Great Northern Diver was noted at Portland Castle. A couple of Black-tailed Godwits were the only birds of note at Lodmoor which still had very high water levels!

Celebratory Fish and Chips were had before we parted company with a plan to meet up for another adventure! 

Dorset - Puddletown Water Meadows Bardolf Farm - Peaceful Puddletown!

 I spent a full day at the farm which started with a chilly wind. There were a few movements over Puddletown Water Meadows (Mill Mead) including Great Black-backed and Lesser Black Backed Gulls. No hirundines so far but it is generally a bit early for Sand Martin!

I was just about to move on up the lane and a Shelduck entered from the SW circled and then landed on the flooded meadows. It spent the next hour or so feeding and generally wandering around! This species is not rare in Dorset but was the third record for Bardolf Farm! Two birds dropped in at the same place on Friday 26^th January 2024. Blog entry here.

The rest of the day was spent doing the rounds which included observations at the feeding stations. Numbers were down but perhaps this is a result of the milder weather! Owl watch did not even produce a hoot in any direction!

Yesterday whilst up a ladder cleaning the guttering I heard Mediterranean Gulls calling. I quick slide down the ladder dash in the house for the camera and a garden tick ensued. Twelve birds were counted amongst Black-headed Gull. The bird in the picture is a 2nd winter with black notching on the outer primaries and an incomplete black hood. 

Dorset - Louds Mill Dorchester - Yellow-browed Warbler Still Present!

I took another morning skirmish to Louds Mill Dorchester to catch up with the Yellow-browed Warbler. The bird has been present in the trees opposite the no parking sign at the Water Treatment Works since last Saturday at least. This was my third visit and proved to be third time lucky for me!

The bird is quite feisty chasing any Chiffchaff off that dares to get too close to it! Paul Harris was the finder of what has been a bird of great interest to Dorset birders. That just shows how few there have been in the last few months! 

Hampshire - New Forest - Away day!

The day was spent in the New Forest researching the key areas within the backdrop of picturesque surroundings. I picked up Roly en-route and the adventure began in almost perfect conditions despite being very damp underfoot.

Pig Bush was the first stop where bird of the day was seen flying low over the open heathland. The adult female Hen Harrier glided by without any fuss and disappeared almost as quickly as it arrived!

During our visit all three woodpeckers were heard with only Great Spotted seen flying into and on the top of a tree. A Firecrest was more obliging making its presence known almost immediately as we entered the woodland.

A couple of Woodlark was singing in the area which made the task of finding them an easy one. A flock of around fifty Redpolls were found drinking from a puddle on one of the tracks which became more flooded and almost impassable in places.

An afternoon visit to Acres Down added Brambling to the days return. Woodpeckers were quiet for the majority of the afternoon. There were several Buzzard picked up from the ridge but it was concluded a morning visit would likely be more fruitful for key species.

The last stop of the day was at Eyeworth Pond where Mandarin Duck were seen along with a Raven.

This was also the best opportunity I had for pictures of Marsh Tit despite seeing many birds at all the sites during the day! Fish and chips finished a great day in the field!

Dorset - Athelhampton Bardolf Farm - Cattle Egrets Return!

 

I kept an eye on Athelhampton this morning and eventually located the Cattle Egrets on the flooded meadows south of Athelhampton Road. The birds are mobile feeding and then moving on to another area. A Buzzard disturbed them this afternoon all four flying low east towards Tolpuddle.

I drove the flooded areas towards Tolpuddle, locating a single bird on the flooded fields in front of Affpuddle village. Was this part of the original flock or an additional bird?!

With water levels as they are at present and more rain expected anything could turn up on the numerous flooded meadows!

Dorset - Athelhampton Bardolf Farm - Smash and Grab Farm Raid!

The rain has been relentless but it finally stopped late afternoon. This resulted in a scoot around the now completely flooded meadows in anticipation of finding something unusual in the wildfowl.

A visit to Athelhampton produced a high number of egrets with more arriving as I was checking through them! There was no surprise to me when I located four Cattle Egrets, three together in the far field to the south of the road, a single bird that moved onto the adjacent field to Athelhampton Road.

The birds arrived at 1700 and departed low NW with Little Egrets at 1745 heading towards Athelhampton House. I would not be surprised if they re-appear on the farm in the next few days!

Cattle Egret is uncommon on the farm with a couple of sightings each year. This species is regular in Dorset with good numbers that roost at Abbotsbury which isn’t too far away as the crow flies!

The fields in flood around the meadows which is a designated flood plain. Hatches divert water away from the local villages onto the land providing habitat for wildfowl in the winter.

Dorset - Portland to Radipole RSPB - An Early Migrant!

A trip to Portland this morning where fog greeted me as I drove up the hill to the Observatory! I went down to The Bill and tucked in for a short sea watch. The Auks were numerous with Gannet joining the passage of gulls. The only species of note were a couple of Fulmar.

I returned to the observatory and where a couple of Common Scoter was picked up as they negotiated the coastline. The fog had cleared but I decided to move down to the harbour to catch up with the grebes and divers.

A Black-necked Grebe had been seen close to Billy Winters the previous day and it did not take long before it was noted. There were a couple more birds but they were much further out! The Great Northern Diver was also at distance but I had better views from my next stop.

The Sailing Club (near Sandsfoot Castle) gives a view across the harbour and the small group of female Common Scoter was seen in amongst the buoys!

The last stop of the day was to catch up with a Swallow that had been seen for a second day at the Visitor Centre at Radipole RSPB. Studland had the first UK record on 9^th February 2024. The mild weather has also seen a House Martin at West Morden both locations are in Dorset!

Dorset - Bardolf Farm - Wildfowl on the Water Meadows!

I was back on Bardolf Farm today to complete the monthly WeBS and winter finch counts. The recent rain has topped up the water meadows and saw another Goosander visit the site at Athelhampton. The female was not too impressed with the Wigeon it was associating with as it pecked at the ducks heads any time one got too close to it. Beyond this the bird seemed quite settled on the bank to one of the tributaries that has formed due to the increase in water levels.

The Swan x Greylag Goose was also present with Canada Geese on the next field near Causeway pond. This bird has been visiting the farm for a while and has changed in appearance since its first visit and looks more like a Swan Goose apart from the orange thirds to the bill!

There were a few confused birds today many Song Thrush and Dunnock were singing and a Mute Swan and Canada Geese were prospecting nest sites. Another cold snap will resolve this early call to claim territories!

WeBS and Finch site totals.

Dorset - Isle of Portland - Island Rounds!

Today was spent on the Isle of Portland and the weather was very pleasant indeed having previously endured roughly 36hrs of rain! High tide was at around 7am therefore I stopped off at Portland Castle / Osprey Quay to check the area for a male Black Redstart and the mill pond of a harbour for Great Northern Diver.

Both species did not disappoint with the Black Redstart entering the area of rocks which bordered the boat yard.

The Great Northern Diver was easier to find on a very calm harbour. The bird stayed out beyond the buoys but was still finding plenty of food as it took short dives to take unsuspecting crabs from the bottom.

I called in at the observatory and the morning had been very quiet so I took a walk down to the bill to catch up with the Purple Sandpiper.

The Rock Pipit was very lively with wing and diving displays suggesting spring was just around the corner! In fact there were a lot of singing birds on the Island let’s hope a cold snap does not put everything on hold! A bird ringed on the 30^th September 2023 as a 3j at the observatory silver ring number 2699305 with white on black AAJ was photographed near the beach huts.

A walk at The Hump had me hit the deck on a slippery path. Fortunately the camera seems ok after the tumble! The fields at Reap Lane and Barlycrates Lane were also checked before another mudslide up to the top fields at Culverwell. Plenty of passerines but not much else beyond two Peregrine working together to snare a Wood Pigeon who may have escaped the ordeal!

A catch up at the Observatory with Richard Sergeant (Tices Meadows) and then a late exit which spooked a Barn Owl which was eying up the moth lights in the gardens!

A visit to Portland is not complete without a trip to a chippy. There are a few good ones en-route home!

Dorset - West Morden - Eyes of an Eagle!

 An overcast and showery day saw me head to West Morden with Roly in search of a Little Bunting which had been filmed in the seed crop over the weekend. The search for the Bunting was not successful but we had a good mix of raptors during our search.

A one footed male White-tailed Eagle was the first entrant flying east at 1148hrs. The bird is rung with G463 and is part of a pair that is frequenting Poole Harbour. Eyes are firmly fixed on the pair for the forthcoming breeding season!

A couple of Red Kite visited the area sweeping low over the fields as they looked out for an easy meal. This species is becoming more common in Dorset as it spreads its range throughout the county!

A Buzzard and a late Sparrowhawk completed the raptor fest before the evening drew in. The days are getting longer allowing more time in the field!

Dorset - Puddletown Water Meadows Bardolf Farm - Ticking over at the Farm!

I always get a boost of birdwatching energy in January but the month always seems to fly by! I have found three new species for my own farm tally this year which has kept the momentum going into February! The second month of the year can feel a bit flat but temperatures have been high with 12c recorded today and anything could drop in!

A cold snap is predicted by the end of next week which will firmly fix my eyes on the farm! Cold weather brings geese and finches to the feeding stations! The River Piddle continues to flow as a potential freeze hits larger bodies of water!

The bird of the day caused commotion amongst the wildfowl as it circled several times above the meadows before drifting away empty handed! The Red Kite was not in a hurry keeping to a steady height as it eyed the birds below!

The Swan x Greylag hybrid also turned up today. This was its first visit of the year. It may suggest that different groups of Canada Geese visit the water meadows each day as this goose the Hawaiian Goose and other weird looking geese are not seen every day and they all associate with the Canada Geese.

Dorset - Puddletown Water Meadows Bardolf Farm - Perplexed Plover!

The water levels at Bardolf Farm are beginning to recede which is not great news but there are plenty of exposed muddy edges at Mill Mead at present. I spent the morning here watching the flock of Lapwing spiral across the landscape before coming to rest on the meadows.

I picked up a lone Golden Plover in the flock but it was distant when it came to rest viewing from Athelhampton Road. I made the decision to move to Cattlecrush at the North side of the meadows. The sun was poking its head out from the cloud which makes viewing and photography challenging despite been half the distance away!

There is still plenty of wildfowl on the meadows which means a firm eye has to be kept on the area! I have had a good run of birds of late and fingers crossed this will continue! 

Dorset - Puddletown Water Meadows Bardolf Farm - Second Record for the Farm!

My hot streak of new birds at Bardolf Farm continues. This morning a couple of Shelduck swam in to view remaining on Puddletown Water Meadows for the morning at least! Hugo was duly informed and he made his way down to Cattlecrush to view the birds from the North side of the meadows.

This was the second record for Bardolf Farm the last record was a flyover bird in January 1987!

I continued with my rounds and struck gold again at Athelhampton with a Firecrest in the bushes and trees adjacent to the white bridge where the Piddle crosses Athelhampton Road. I spent the next couple of hours attempting to get pictures of the bird but it has been a tricky task with the bird keeping within the vegetation. It was with a couple of Goldcrest, therefore I think the bird will remain in the area or even move up to Burleston Pond!

Not a bad day with two more additions to my Bardolf Farm life list. The Farm is certainly pulling in many species of bird of late. The water levels are playing their part!