• 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 (2 Viewers)

Astonishing day at Longham Lakes today.

Thanks to a text from Chris, had a look at the goose flock at Hampreston Fields. It contained 1 Barnacle Goose and 1 Brent Goose among the Canadas, while the Swedish-banded wild Greylag Goose wasn't far away.

Chris flushed a Bittern into a reedbed, which I managed eventually to find and see well in a tiny reedbed on the edge of the fields. On my way back, I saw a raptor in the distance over Ferndown whihc proved to be a Red Kite.

With several Smew and 6+ Goosander also there, and with Ruff and Grey Plover seen yesterday, this site is having quite a year.
 
Dominic Couzens said:
Astonishing day at Longham Lakes today.

Thanks to a text from Chris, had a look at the goose flock at Hampreston Fields. It contained 1 Barnacle Goose and 1 Brent Goose among the Canadas, while the Swedish-banded wild Greylag Goose wasn't far away.

Chris flushed a Bittern into a reedbed, which I managed eventually to find and see well in a tiny reedbed on the edge of the fields. On my way back, I saw a raptor in the distance over Ferndown whihc proved to be a Red Kite.

With several Smew and 6+ Goosander also there, and with Ruff and Grey Plover seen yesterday, this site is having quite a year.
Click to expand...

Great to finally find a bittern (and great to get someone else to see it too), but the two geese 'ticks' were almost as impressive - brent and greylag.
Indeed I wonder if I've ever seen a truly wild greylag. I'm counting this one as better than most.
Chris
 
Longham lake today

Terrible weather but did manage to see the usual 2 redhead smew plus one
goosander. No sign on the fields of the greylag.
Impressive count of 60 teal on the big lake.
Chris
 
Managed 67 species at Longham Lakes yesterday, which is the most I have ever had there. It's a pretty good inland total in a small area, and I missed Feral Pigeon, Long-tailed Tit and the recent geese.

Most unusual was 2 Egyptian Geese. Also 1 Shelduck, 4 Smew, 3 Goosanders. Others included Nuthatch, 4 Bullfinch, 30 Siskins, 1 Green Sandpiper, 1 Black-tailed Godwit.

Duck numbers included 2 Pintail, 91 Teal, 138 Wigeon and 98 Tufted Duck. Also 32 Common Gulls and 1 Med Gull.
 
Managed 67 species at Longham Lakes yesterday,
Click to expand...

Nice mix Dominic. We went over this morning for an hour from 10:00-11:00.

Still 4 Smew, 4 Goosander and 4 Shoveler but very few passerines. Highlight was a flock of 22 Black-tailed Godwits loosely accompanied by a very vocal Golden Plover. Only geese were 28 Canada.

Lots of Mute Swans on floods.

Ray and Pat
 
Brief visit again this morning for 1 hour at Longham Lakes

Duck and gulls well spread out across the lake.
Large numbers of Common Gull, several Lesser Black Backed Gull as well

Smew back to 5 now, one definitely a female and judging by the amount of white in the wing, one is a 1W? drake.
Goosander 4, three of which were stood up on the south side of the large island. I don't think I have ever seen them out of water before.
The 8 Bewick's Swans still on the flooded fields towards Hampreston and according to another birder a Black Swan was also there.
Shoveler now 7, Goldeneye 1 and Pochard 40+. Still can't find a Pintail amongst them though.

Great Crested Grebe 2 put in an appearance as did Little Grebe 2, Little Egret 2 and Herons 5.

Fieldfares and Redwings well into the 20's on the flooded fields.

Buzzard 2 in dead trees near the River.

Briefly back to the Smew. I have noticed they are using the tops of the flooded Willows on the large lake to act as cover to keep off the gulls pinching their catch. Clever!

Ray without Pat.
 
Last edited:
Just for info: we were birding in Dorset yesterday morning, one of the RSPB guys saw a Bearded Tit in the reedbed at Radipole, but we couldn't relocate it. Saw the Long-billed Dowitcher at Lodmoor - pretty spooky - everything was constantly on the move, mainly a Buzzard hunting, but a Sparrowhawk also chasing around.

In Portland harbour 100's of Red-breasted Mergansers. 4 Mediterranean Gulls.
 
Got to look at the two great bustards at Moonfleet at lunchtime. Staggeringly impressive even if the have just hopped over the wire. The bump between them was a hare, which went on to flush them both. Good to see them in flight.

Chris
 

Attachments

  • P1050066_2.jpg
    P1050066_2.jpg
    309.9 KB · Views: 123
Longham this morning

Three smew, one female goldeneye and one ad winter med gull (coming into summer plumage) this mornings highlights.
Chris
 
scary-canary said:
Three smew, one female goldeneye and one ad winter med gull (coming into summer plumage) this mornings highlights.
Chris
Click to expand...

You must have been there the same time as us Chris. 09:30 to 11:30

Missed the Med Gull; oh bother!

We had 4 Smew and 1 Goosander. Duck numbers well down now and seem to be tipping slightly more to dabbling rather than diving.

3 Black Tailed Godwits, initially on the big island then feeding around the shore. Also seem to be a reappearance of Great Crested Grebe, now up to five.

About 200 Redwing on the fields to the west of the lakes.

Ray and Pat
 
Oldbirder Ray said:
You must have been there the same time as us Chris. 09:30 to 11:30


Ray and Pat
Click to expand...

Did you have a friend with you without a scope? I spoke to three people while looking at the smew - mentioned I'd has a female goldeneye. There were several groups of birders about.
Chris
 
scary-canary said:
Did you have a friend with you without a scope? I spoke to three people while looking at the smew - mentioned I'd has a female goldeneye. There were several groups of birders about.
Chris
Click to expand...

We were one of the groups of 4. I had my sister and brother in law with us as they have just taken up birding. Only one scope, backpack style carried, mine. You can always tell me as I recently realised the brown "Beanie" style hat I wear has OR (Oldbirder Ray) on the front.

Good birding
Ray
 
Oldbirder Ray said:
We were one of the groups of 4. I had my sister and brother in law with us as they have just taken up birding. Only one scope, backpack style carried, mine. You can always tell me as I recently realised the brown "Beanie" style hat I wear has OR (Oldbirder Ray) on the front.

Good birding
Ray
Click to expand...

Did you flush all the gulls that were sitting on the track near the pumping station? The med was with them on the water!
Chris
 
scary-canary said:
Did you flush all the gulls that were sitting on the track near the pumping station? The med was with them on the water!
Chris
Click to expand...

Yes we did!! That is just rubbing salt in the wound Chris. I couldn't give the Gulls a thorough check as the "girls" and my brother-in-law were cold and needed to get back to the cars!! We real birders are made of tougher stuff.

I want to give the gulls a much more careful scrutiny, I'm sure I am missing more than the odd Med.

See you there soon.
Ray
 
Oldbirder Ray said:
Yes we did!! That is just rubbing salt in the wound Chris. I couldn't give the Gulls a thorough check as the "girls" and my brother-in-law were cold and needed to get back to the cars!! We real birders are made of tougher stuff.

I want to give the gulls a much more careful scrutiny, I'm sure I am missing more than the odd Med.

See you there soon.
Ray
Click to expand...

I've yet to see yellow-legged gull there, but I'm sure it's just a case of me missing them rather than them not being there.
chris
 
Four smew at Longham Lakes this morning and a nice mixed flock of fieldfare and redwings in the horse paddocks.
Chris
 

Similar threads

dandsblair
Natural Wonders of Chile - 27th January to 19th February 2024
Replies
9
Views
1K
dandsblair
dandsblair
Troubador
Zeiss SFL 10x40: A Field Review
2 3 4
Replies
60
Views
18K
Dyrlege
D
wolfbirder
A great day in East Yorkshire
Replies
7
Views
1K
WACCOE
WACCOE
dwatsonbirder
A fleeting visit to St Kilda
Replies
14
Views
2K
MKinHK
MKinHK
opisska
Iceland 2022: at the wrong time in the wrong place
Replies
14
Views
3K
greykangaroo
greykangaroo

Users who are viewing this thread

Total: 3 (members: 0, guests: 3)
Back
Top