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

Dorset birding (2 Viewers)

scary-canary said:
He was off the bypass, between the sports centre roundabout and the one that goes to the blue pool.
Click to expand...

A friend of mine phoned me mid morning to ask me if I had any information as to where the White Stork was at Wareham. In the pouring rain he had been driving up and down the bypass without success. I checked this thread and saw your photo of the White Stork by the black cow. I told him this and within a few minutes his wife spotted the cow and he saw the bird. He was very relieved. Thanks Roger
 
The best that I can come up with: two Goldcrests in our Leylandii hedge earlier in the week. I have seen them before, but not very often. Sure it's a case of pure luck.
 
Wendy Morris said:
The best that I can come up with: two Goldcrests in our Leylandii hedge earlier in the week. I have seen them before, but not very often. Sure it's a case of pure luck.
Click to expand...

Seen a lot of Goldcrests in my garden this week, certainly more than I have done other years at this time of year. I get them most often in winter but never usually see them in the garden the rest of the year.

Paul.
 
One wheatear and several chiffchaffs at Longham lake this afternoon. Still a few swallows and martins.
Water level is very high indeed.
 
quite a few Swallows and Martins down White Nothe/Ringstead way (very high), a garden warbler in the undercliff, plus half a dozen wheatears at the beach.
Later a jack snipe at Lodmoor, along with lots of Gadwall, a lot of Canada and a few Teal.
 
Any one been over to Brownsea lately? Thinking off taking a trip next week if the weather is ok. Any tips on best places/hides?

Thanks.
 
Longham lake today

Nice walk today, with nothing unusual but still several chiffchaffs, a grey wagtail, lots of robins, 2 wigeon , little egret and a 40+cormorants.
Water level is very high.
Also, and I guess this is seasonal, the mipit flock at the far end has reached more than 20.
No swallows to report today or waders.
Chris
 
Ferndown Common this a.m.

Birding from the Great Barrow, 07.40-08.20

Siskin 10 (North), Goldfinch 9 (6E,1N,2 others), Greenfinch 3 (1E,2N), Chaffinch 1 (SE), Linnet (heard only), Song Thrush 9 (N), Pied Wagtail (4, of which 1E), Grey Wagtail 2 (E), House Martin 7 (N, high), Swallow 2 (N). 47 birds, 40 mins.

Nothing exceptional, but it shows that there is at least some visible migration over this site. Have had Hawfinch, Brambling and Hobby in the past.
 
Longham lake today

Perhaps the quietest day i've ever had at Longham today with little to get excited about. Seven wigeon and a grey wagtail were the "best" things!
Chris
 
scary-canary said:
Perhaps the quietest day i've ever had at Longham today with little to get excited about. Seven wigeon and a grey wagtail were the "best" things!
Chris
Click to expand...

Had a stroll around earlier this week and pretty quiet then too. Kingfisher and Common Sand the highlights. Quiet enough for me to count the Comerants - 124 on the lake and the pylons. Is this alot for Longham and do they roost on the pylons??

PS What happened to the Garganey?
 
Flemingo said:
Had a stroll around earlier this week and pretty quiet then too. Kingfisher and Common Sand the highlights. Quiet enough for me to count the Comerants - 124 on the lake and the pylons. Is this alot for Longham and do they roost on the pylons??

PS What happened to the Garganey?
Click to expand...

The garganey just went. People think it was an escape, but I don't know. 124 is a good count of cormorants.
I had an otter there earlier this week! In broad daylight. My first in England for 20 years.
Chris
 
Flemingo said:
Had a stroll around earlier this week and pretty quiet then too. Kingfisher and Common Sand the highlights. Quiet enough for me to count the Comerants - 124 on the lake and the pylons. Is this alot for Longham and do they roost on the pylons??

PS What happened to the Garganey?
Click to expand...

Hi just joined the Birdforum. Have been to the lakes a couple of times over the last year but intend to visit regularly.
Started Sunday and been each morning Mon to Wed.
Sunday produced lots of Chiffs.
Monday 20 Mipits hanging around, Rock Pipit in SW corner lake 2 and a Wheatear N of lake 1.
Tuesday I also counted Cormorants and got 120. Small flocks of Skylark flying over Easterly 16 in the hour.
Wednesday was best with
3 Gadwall (2 drakes and a duck),
Common Sand between Small and large Islands,
Crossbill over N (calling),
flock of 9 Black-tailed Godwit in over the lakes from the W head to SW corner of lake 2, lined up to land and thought better of it headed down the Stour
finally a Jack Snipe flushed from the grass at the N edge of lake 2. Did a fly past and then headed W.

Looks really promising area but always was. My early days were birding in the 50s and 60s at Longham on the Stour in the days of big Yellow Wag and Sand Martin passage. I even remember when Gadwall and Little Egret were never see around here!
 
Last edited:
Oldbirder Ray said:
Hi just joined the Birdforum. Have been to the lakes a couple of times over the last year but intend to visit regularly.
Started Sunday and been each morning Mon to Wed.
Sunday produced lots of Chiffs.
Monday 20 Mipits hanging around, Rock Pipit in SW corner lake 2 and a Wheatear N of lake 1.
Tuesday I also counted Cormorants and got 120. Small flocks of Skylark flying over Easterly 16 in the hour.
Wednesday was best with
3 Gadwall (2 drakes and a duck),
Common Sand between Small and large Islands,
Crossbill over N (calling),
flock of 9 Black-tailed Godwit in over the lakes from the W head to SW corner of lake 2, lined up to land and thought better of it headed down the Stour
finally a Jack Snipe flushed from the grass at the N edge of lake 2. Did a fly past and then headed W.

Looks really promising area but always was. My early days were birding in the 50s and 60s at Longham on the Stour in the days of big Yellow Wag and Sand Martin passage. I even remember when Gadwall and Little Egret were never see around here!
Click to expand...

Three birds there that I need for my patch list. In three years of watching haven't seen or heard crossbill, rock pipit or jack snipe.
I hate beginner's luck.
Chris
 
I flushed a Jack Snipe when I was walking round the lake a couple of years ago. It was in the rough stuff just over the fence where the new lake is now. It shot up right in front of me and flew off across the lake.

Paul.
 
Quick walk round the lake this afternoon - 5 wigeon, 2 pochard, 1 common sandpiper and a peregrine were the highlights. Also several lapwing on the island, 60 cormorants on the water and as many on the wires.
Chris
 
Chris (or anyone else) do you know who has produced the defunct list of birds at the lakes from 2002? I found it when doing a Google search, the webpage has gone but a partial word doc is available. Details of years seen and numbers for each specy but no specy names! It would be good to extend it and see how the mix alters over the years.

I should be out earlish most mornings next week for an hour or so.

Ray
 
Oldbirder Ray said:
Chris (or anyone else) do you know who has produced the defunct list of birds at the lakes from 2002? I found it when doing a Google search, the webpage has gone but a partial word doc is available. Details of years seen and numbers for each specy but no specy names! It would be good to extend it and see how the mix alters over the years.

I should be out earlish most mornings next week for an hour or so.

Ray
Click to expand...

It's the work of Dominic Couzens who regularly watches the lakes. He's often on this forum so I'm sure he'll be in touch. I don't know why the website is down... it's only stopped working recently. It's great that someone else is watching the lakes regularly. Please keep me updated wiith what you see on this forum
Cheers
Chris
 
Lakes again today, with one of my daughters (8yo). Trying to get her interested in birds but she easily gets distracted by horses or some interesting stones! Not much of note compared with Ray.

2 Kingfishers, 2 poss 3 Grey wagtail, 3 Swallows, presumably juvs as short tails, 1 Wheatear, a female Sparrowhawk skimming across the lake and the Cormorant count reached 138 today! Lots of the usuals but no Jack Snipe!

Thought it was getting a bit late for Swallows. The Sparowhawk reminds me that I saw what looked like a melanistic bird a couple of weeks ago. May have been a trick of the light. Has anyone else noted a melanistic sparrowhawk recently in the area.

PS Scary- what were those strange adverts on you posts??
 

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