• Welcome to BirdForum, the internet's largest birding community with thousands of members from all over the world. The forums are dedicated to wild birds, birding, binoculars and equipment and all that goes with it.

    Please register for an account to take part in the discussions in the forum, post your pictures in the gallery and more.
ZEISS DTI thermal imaging cameras. For more discoveries at night, and during the day.

Dorset birding (1 Viewer)

hi dorset birders,

We're got a few days down in Dorset at the end of August - mostly a family holiday, but hoping that it might coincide with a few migrants and seabirds, who knows with the weather this summer!

Just a few questions which someone might be able to help with:

1) Where is the best place to look for Dartford Warbler in late August? We thought of Arne, are there any favourite places there or elsewhere?

2) Where is the best place to look for Lulworth Skipper? Never seen one, and thought we could resort to butterflies if there is nothing much bird-wise.

3) Any good places for Hummingbird Hawk-Moth or other hawkmoths?

Thanks for any help and good birding.
 
hi dorset birders,

We're got a few days down in Dorset at the end of August - mostly a family holiday, but hoping that it might coincide with a few migrants and seabirds, who knows with the weather this summer!

Just a few questions which someone might be able to help with:

1) Where is the best place to look for Dartford Warbler in late August? We thought of Arne, are there any favourite places there or elsewhere?

2) Where is the best place to look for Lulworth Skipper? Never seen one, and thought we could resort to butterflies if there is nothing much bird-wise.

3) Any good places for Hummingbird Hawk-Moth or other hawkmoths?

Thanks for any help and good birding.

Anywhere with gorse around arne is good for dartfords

2 Try Durlston Country Park, Swanage. Great for butterflys and birds too.3 Hummingbird hawkmoth is possible almost anywhere if it's a good year. Durlston again might be good.
 
Chris, thanks - the Durlston website has some really nice info, we'll try to visit both Durlston and Arne.

John

Obviously for seabirds you'll want to go to Portland Bill, and also Radipole for waders.
Have a good holiday. Nice restaurant for fish and chips or cream tea at Portland Bill too!
Chris
 
Red Kite again. At the NE end of the village, almost exactly the same place as I saw it a while back. Hope it may only be a short time now before it comes over the garden....when I am here!
 
Hi Chris , Dominic and all ,

just back from Nairobi for a month . Hope to get to Longham this week . Been an avid reader of this column , but far away.
Hope to see you all at the Bird Fair at Rutland Water where Kenya will have a stand in M6 . Visit us if you are interested in the best birding country in the world

Mike


Obviously for seabirds you'll want to go to Portland Bill, and also Radipole for waders.
Have a good holiday. Nice restaurant for fish and chips or cream tea at Portland Bill too!
Chris
 
Around dorset

Started out at Holes Bay today in the pouring rain with good views of several adult yellow legged gulls.
More rain at Upton brought teal and loads of redshanks but no ibis.
A long a confusing walk around Morden to find the Park Lake brought lots of house martins and a little grebe.

Thena nice walk along Middlebere brought two wheatear, a dartford warbler, and at the hide 4 greenshank and 2 more yellow legged gulls, but no spoonbills.

Final stop, after an unsuccessful look for parakeets at Studland (it was the beer festival!) was Brands bay which had lots of gulls, including 2 adult med gulls.

Later a walk round Longham Lake found 4 common sandpipers and lots of fluffy tufted duck chicks.
Not a bad day in spite of the weather.
Chris
 
Besides Lulworth Skipper, are there any other interesting butterflies in the Weymouth area of Dorset? I too will be down your next week on hols and will be mainly birding and wildlife-ing. Any info gratefully received.
Cheers Jono
 
Besides Lulworth Skipper, are there any other interesting butterflies in the Weymouth area of Dorset? I too will be down your next week on hols and will be mainly birding and wildlife-ing. Any info gratefully received.
Cheers Jono

Grayling on the heaths last weekend at Studland. Lots of blues if you can tell them apart. Again Durlston or the quarries on Portland are good for those.
Chris
 
Longham lake Friday morning

One winter plumaged common tern was the highlight of a windy visit today. Lots of willow warblers and a chiffchaff too. One common sandpiper and a good number of swifts still (at least double figures).
Chris
 
Longham lake, Saturday earlyish (7.45am-9am)

Highlights this morning were a first for the site for me - spotted flycatcher. Also nice views of a gaden warbler, yesterday's winter common tern and the black swan on the river.
Also sparrowhawk, kingfisher, little egret and a raft of 35 great crested grebes.
Chris
 

Attachments

  • P1030547.jpg
    P1030547.jpg
    44.3 KB · Views: 61
  • P1030554.jpg
    P1030554.jpg
    251.5 KB · Views: 36
Ballard Down, Brands Bay & Studland

a nice day out in the rain and murk revealed 3 Peregrine near Old Harry Rocks, more than one Whimbrel and scores of Curlew at Brands Bay, then Commic + Sandwich Tern and Ringed Plover at Studlland Beach, and what looked extremely like a Wood Warbler on the heath behind.
This isn't the sharpest of snaps, handheld at 300mm, but it's nice enough image ...
 

Attachments

  • cr22082010_059.jpg
    cr22082010_059.jpg
    182 KB · Views: 53
6 Yellow Wagtails at Longham today. Also, bizarrely, a flock of 30 or so Dunlin were flying madly around Longham Reservoir South and didn't seem to manage to land. This is by far the largest number recorded here.
 
Hi Dominic

good to meet you at the fair . Will read your rare species book with interest. Fair great as usual .

rather belatedly I had an hour at the lakes this morning about 7 am , it was a beautiful fresh day . Not much on the lakes except many juvenile Grebes On the edge of the lakes, the bushes and trees seemd to have plenty of activity.
Willow Warber, Juvenile Wheatear [very friendly !] Linnet , Gold Finches and some Swifts flying over .

A very pleasant hour.
Back to Nairobi tomorrow night
Any one intersted in Kenya , my email address is [email protected]


best to all

Mike D

QUOTE=Dominic Couzens;1908708]6 Yellow Wagtails at Longham today. Also, bizarrely, a flock of 30 or so Dunlin were flying madly around Longham Reservoir South and didn't seem to manage to land. This is by far the largest number recorded here.[/QUOTE]
 
Longham lake today

Good birding round the lake this evening, but lots of flies.
3 greenshank, 3 common sandpiper and new for the site for me one ruff. (not great views and never got it on the ground only in flight with common sands. About half the size again as common sands, plain brown bill about as long as its head , thin wing bars, looked like it had an all dark rump). Also several wigeon whistling and 2 yellow wagtails on the islands.
Several herons landing on the water and swimming.
More than 30 pied wagtails.
Probably some whites if i was confident enough in id-ing them.

Chris
 

Users who are viewing this thread

Back
Top