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

Dorset birding (2 Viewers)

Hi Ian

Was planning a trip out to Morden over the next few days. Could you expand a bit on where the dead trees are in relation to the decoy pond? North, south etc? Would really like to see wood lark.


Thanks.
 
Woodlarks @ Morden Bog

Travelling from Sandford roundabout, go past Lawson Clump parking area, halfway between Lawson Clump and Sherford Bridge parking area there is a small pull-in on the Bog side of the road. Park there, climb over the large metal gate cross the narrow field and then climb over the 2nd wooden farm gate. If you follow the main path past the Log Stack(I've seen 1 feeding around the Log Stack and on another occassion in farm field) straight towards the decoy pond you are in prime Woodlark country. About 150-200 yards along the path ,if you look to the right there are 2 very prominent dead trees in the middle of the heath , these often have calling Cuckoos in. These 2 trees are also popular with the woodlark especially in the evening. This area of the heath(from the wooden gate to the dead trees) is the best area for Woodlark(IMHO), look for them feeding along the paths or more likely sat atop any of the trees around.

I hope this makes sense and helps.

Good Luck

Ian
 
Terns at Lodmoor

Spent lunchtime looking for the arctic tern at Lodmoor. Didn't see it in the 40 minutes I had, but was fascinated by the constant to-ing and fro-ing of the colony of common terns. Does the arctic have a favoured site or is it just luck?
Nice flock of summer dunlins too.

Chris
 
Morden Bog 6.30pm-9.45pm

An evening visit to try and see this years Nightjars, although there were plenty of 'churring' birds after sunset I did not manage to see any in flight.

Other birds of note;

Turtle dove(a pair)
Crossbill(a pair in pines near Decoy cottage)
Hobby(1 flying low over heath as sunset approached)

Total Species Count 35

Ian
 
Morden Bog 25/05/11

Another attempt to see the 1st Nightjar of the year.

Again, like Sunday, from about 21.15 plenty of birds churring, but none flying, started to make way back towards car at 21.45 ,when out of the tree alongside the path 1 male Nightjar flew, it wheeled around for about 30 seconds and then back into the tree.

Also had a Hobby earlier in the evening perched in the larger of the 2 dead pines.

Ian
 
Ian, if you go for the nightjars again, try the white hanky trick - flapping one around can attract birds closer, as it imitates the wing flashes. Apologies if you know this already!
 
Thanks, Mark, I had heard this before but I've never tried it, but I will give it a go next time I'm there.(add a stick and some bells and I could take up Morris dancing as well)

Ian
 
Longham this evening

I'd estimate there were at least 600 swifts feeding over the lake at dusk this evening, and I could be underestimating at that.
Two massive explosions too, sounded very close to Bearwood - anyone got any ideas?

Chris
 
scary-canary said:
Good views of the savi's at lodmoor tonight , still reeling madly. Chris
Click to expand...

Chris

still fantastic to read about Longham lakes from afar . Just posted a fantastic 7 day trip from Nairobi to Lamu and back on Birds and Birding thread . Might wet some appetites for Kenya .
\Back home in August . Hope to see you sometime , even at the Birdfair where we will have our usual stand


Mike
 
Just got back from Morden Bog, Nightjarring again. 1840-2230.

A total of four birds seen tonight, I did try the white hanky trick and it did seem to have an effect especially the darker the evening got.

Also had a pair of Hobby, 1 of which was watched for about 30 minutes before sunset hawking over the heath, returning to and from the same tree between catches.Also saw a single bird fly overhead after dark at about 22.15.

4 Cuckoos all male, there were also the most Siskins I have seen on the bog, every time I checked a bird in my bins it seemed to be a Siskin.

Total count this evening 35

Ian
 
Middlebere Heath and Avocet Hide 06.00am -09.15am

Highlights from Hide(Tide Out)

1 Avocet
4 Redshank
1 Greenshank
2 Little Egret

The walk across the heath produced the normal heath birds plus a splendid Male Reeve's Pheasant.

Total Species 43
 
Hi chaps, new bloke here.

I have been reading with interest about Longham Lakes. I have fished it for a few year and thought its bird life was my little secret. It appears not!

Anyway on Tues at dusk there was a male hobby chasing the ephemeroptera in spectactular fashion. Couple that with the reed buntings and warblers it makes for a very atmospheric place to not catch carp.

On another note of interest, there as a lesser white throat on hengistbury head on Wednesday. First time I have made a positive ID on one so would have been happy enough but to make things better she had a brood in the nest which was JUST visible. Great stuff.

May see a few of you down Longham one time. I'm the one reading a book and not catching anything!

Eddy
 
Best night of the summer so far for Hobbies at Morden, with 8 seperate sightings in 2 hours, not sure how many seperate birds but it was at least 2, because sighting 6 and 7were a pair hawking over the heather on the Sherford Bridge side of the Decoy Pond.

Sighting 5 was the most Majestic, I was walking up one of the slopes, again on the Sherford Bridge side of the DP, when just as I reached the top 1 screamed over my head from the other side of the hill no more than 20ft off the ground, the colours were vivid in the evening sun.

I never tire of watching these magnificent acrobats.

Ian
 
Hey all, another newbie here.

I've only been birding for the last year and I am mainly Poole-based, so my local patches are Holes Bay, Hatch Pond and Canford Heath which seem to be slightly overlooked (although they are quiet at the moment).

Spring highlights have included Garganey and Whinchat at Hatch Pond, Wheatears and extremely close views of Whimbrels at Holes Bay. Two pairs of Ravens at Upton Park last week. Fledged Stonechats, Greenfinches, and great sightings of Dartford Warblers, Linnets, Whitethroats, Willow Warblers and Hobby at Canford Heath. Pics on my blog - http://poolebirds.blogspot.com/

I have not yet been to Longham. Is it do-able without a scope, I tend to use 10x50 bins?

I have been to Morden bog once, but approached it from Wareham Forest end. How far is the Decoy Pond from Sherford Bridge? I've still yet to see Redstarts, Woodlark or Spotted Flycatchers so any help with these would be great.

Paul
 
Paul I have attached a small map of the area around the Decoy Pond. As you can see the Decoy Pond is only about 500m from Sherford Bridge parking Area(on the map it is right hand end of Red marked bridleway where it crosses the road). If you follow the path from Sherford Bridge until the bridleway meets the Green dot line you will come to a set of gates where you can access the heathland, follow the path after about 150-200m you will be in a wooded area ,keep going and on the right through the trees you should see the remnants of the "old decoy cottage", in this area you will see Spotted Flycatchers easily, it is also the area for Redstarts, although I haven't seen any for a couple of weeks. They may of moved on and not bred in the area, but you may be lucky. From this area you can then access onto the heath/bog above the decoy pond, anywhere around the Decoy Pond you have a chance for Woodlark.
I hope this makes sense and you can follow my directions, they sound easy to me, but I know the area.

Good Luck.

Ian
 

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