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ZEISS DTI thermal imaging cameras. For more discoveries at night, and during the day.

Bournemouth area birding break (1 Viewer)

M

mathare

Well-known member
I'm taking the missus for a week in Bournemouth starting this weekend (14th) and would like to get some decent birding in. Roughly speaking I was planning to take in RSPB Arne, Poole harbour, Brownsea Island, Hengistbury Head and Bournemouth beach & lower gardens.

Have I missed any sites worth visiting?

Any tips for the various sites?

All local advice most gratefully received :t:
 
I was there on the beach a couple of weeks ago. Check out the gulls - at least one Med Gull is patrolling up and down on a regular basis!
 
The Beach and Gardens are lovely places to visit, but not really for the birding (although you could get something interesting flying by at sea). Anything in particular you'd like to try and see?
 
MSA said:
The Beach and Gardens are lovely places to visit, but not really for the birding (although you could get something interesting flying by at sea). Anything in particular you'd like to try and see?
Click to expand...
I say it's a birding break but I don't intend it to be 100% hardcore birding. It's also a very welcome break from work for us both and we like spending time wandering round parks, gardens and so on - just being out and about really.

As far what we'd like to see - we live in suburban south-west London so are happy to see anything we don't see very often locally. We pop to the London WWT quite regularly so wildfowl and waders are always welcome.

I saw my first Avocet a few days back (at Martin Mere WWT in Lancashire). I don't know if this is the right time of year to see them around the Poole Harbour area but anything like that would be good.

In terms of smaller birds, pretty much anything goes. It would be nice to maybe add a few more warblers to the life list but I'd be happy with a few everyday finches given the fact I barely see any around us.

Oh yeah, and based on the list of places I have identified, how likely am I to need a scope? I know RSPB Arne only has a couple of hides and I don't expect anywhere else on that list to have them but might I want the scope and tripod for scanning the beach & sea, for example?
 
Also if you have a day trip to swanage you should go to Durlston country park where they have breeding razorbills and guillemots and peregrine.

Chris
 
Studland Heath was good for Dartford Warblers - I never saw any at Arne in 2011.

Higher Hyde Heath is good I saw Yellowhammer there.

The two most beautiful areas were Arne and Durlston. You need to book yourself on a Nightjar walk at Arne too.
 
I'd second Durlston.

For nightjars we've always been lucky just by pulling into a layby here-ish as it's getting properly dark and waiting. I'd expect trying something similar on almost any heathland in the area would end well.
 
Thanks all, this is all really good info.

Unfortunately we're not driving down so we'll be on public transport to the layby for Nightjars probably won't be an option. That may rule out the Nightjars walk at Arne too as that runs from 8pm till late, according to the RSPB site. Depending on how late it runs it might be awkward getting back afterwards. Sometimes public transport can be a curse.

We saw breeding Guillemots and Razorbills at Bempton Cliffs earlier this year but I guess by now they will have young, which they didn't when were at Bempton in March so that could be a good one. I'd love to tick a Dartford Warbler so will add Studland Heath to the list too.

Thanks again everyone :t:
 
There's Nightjars on the top of Hengistbury Head, and Dartfords there (and on the lower slopes/Common as well). Depends on where exactly you're staying, but bike hire could be a possibility? Getting a bus at 11pm might not be easy - certainly not from the Head, possible if you walk to Southbourne.

CHOG website for Hengistbury (and Stanpit - althought having spent all day there on Sat, probably not worth visiting if time is tight) in footer to this post; updated daily so you'll know if there's anything good around.
 
I was at Arne on Saturday, not much about in Middlebere channel, some Shelduck, geese Oystercatchers. Out on Coombe Heath Meadow Pipits, Heard Dartford Warbler and round the car park and entrance in to the field leading to Coombe Heath, Spotted Flycatcher Sika deer, and couple of Buzzard circling over head.
Upton Country Park can be interesting though busy, Good chance of seeing Shelduck lots of Gulls and might see Common and Sandwich Terns out in the bay. round the park most woodland species could be seen.
 
There is a good bus service from Bournemouth to the ferry at Sandbanks for Brownsea Island. It's quite a pricey day out though - ferry, National Trust entry, then entry into the Dorset Wildlife Trust reserve once you're on the island! Great views of the terns etc from the hide though.
 
The cost of a day out on Brownsea Island is something that has come up several times as I have been reading around. I have to admit to being a bit of a squirrel fan though so the chance to see reds is one I won't pass up so whatever the cost of the day I will be doing Brownsea Island. After all, we're on holiday and splashing the cash goes hand in hand with that really
 
Brownsea Island and Arne have been good so far. Got two more birding days planned, probably Hengistbury Head and Studland.

Hengistbury Head - take the scope or not bother?
 
mathare said:
Hengistbury Head - take the scope or not bother?
Click to expand...

If you're going to seawatch, definitely take it. If it's a warm day you might find it useful for scanning up the Avon Valley for raptors, and if the tide's low it will be handy to check out waders (if there are any - it's between seasons, so very quiet on the wader front).
 
I decided against the scope in the end & saw plenty without it. An incredible number of Whitethroat - all Common I assume, Lesser didn't occur to me till I got home just now. Not used to seeing so many Goldfinches either. Missed all the waders listed on the CHOG site but hey ho. Beautiful area though.
 
Popped to Wool (Monkey World) today and on the way back to the train station, at around 5.30 I saw a large raptor. It had black wingtips, then a white band then brown when viewed from below. My first thought was Buzzard but I'm no expert, having had my first confirmed Buzzard just a couple of days ago. The colour pattern wasn't quite right for Buzzard and looked more like Red Kite based on my field guides. I saw from the Dorset Birding thread (on which I didn't wish to intrude) that Red Kites have been seen around Dorset but what's the likelihood that I saw one above Wool this afternoon?

If it helps the bird circled, almost spiralled upwards and rose to be nothing more than a speck in the sky in less than a minute or so. When I first saw it the bird was not that far above treetop height
 
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