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

Dorset birding (2 Viewers)

Flemingo said:
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!


PS Scary- what were those strange adverts on you posts??
Click to expand...

I didn't see the adverts! What were they for? And if it wasn't for stones and horses my girls would never want to walk round.

Are you sure the sparrowhawk wasn't a peregrine? I've been tricked by one at the far end over the pool recently which was sitting on the ground and looked like a sparrowhawk when it first flew up.
Chris
 
Longham Lakes 0930-1130

Been a small arrival of Song Thrushes (15) in bushes N of L1 and 50+ Linnets/Goldies to S of L2. Also seem to be about 50 Meadow Pipits, an increase?
Pochard 6, Gadwall 8, Wigeon 27 (around large Island), Teal 5 (in southern pools).
Little Egret 3.
Kingfisher 2, Grey Wagtail 3
Black tailed Godwits 5 through L2 headed up river. Common Sand on L2, Green Sand on L1.
JACK SNIPE again on L1( flushed from small beach area to the East of the Western most large Reed bed on the North side of cross-trackway between lakes. Flew towards carpark end and landed!)
SORRY original was on N side of L1!!
Otter from L2 over track to the west side and through fence down to stream.

Ray
 
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Scary- The adverts appear to have disappeared but were google adverts and the only one I can recall was for accommodation in Wimborne.

The Sparrowhawks both melanistic and otherwise were definitely Sparrowhawks. I see these more frequently than the Peregrines.

Watching a small flock of Mistle thrushes on Ferndown common I clocked a single Fieldfare today.

Ray- Starting to get jealous of your sitings. Jack Snipe again and otter!
 
Oldbirder Ray said:
Longham Lakes 0930-1130

JACK SNIPE again on L1( flushed from small beach area to the East of the Western most large Reed bed on the North side of cross-trackway between lakes. Flew towards carpark end and landed!)
SORRY original was on N side of L1!!
Otter from L2 over track to the west side and through fence down to stream.

Ray
Click to expand...

Jack snipe - Think i'll have a look tomorrow, so was it very close to the edge of the water?
 
scary-canary said:
Jack snipe - Think i'll have a look tomorrow, so was it very close to the edge of the water?
Click to expand...

Today the bird was on the exposed matting/netting exposed by the lower water level. Come over the stile at the NW corner of the lakes from the horse paddocks, keep to the right and go down the crosstrack from W to E. There are 2 decent beds of phragmites reed on your left (ie south side of lake 1). The exposed "beach" is immediately past the first reed bed. The other day it was on the N side of lake 1, straight to the NW corner from the stile!

I think I have been lucky because I get to the lakes before the fishermen and the first dog walker and during the week its a lot less busy than at weekends. Today, 1 dog walker, 1 fisherman by 11:30!!

Good hunting!

Ray
 
Longham Lakes 19 Oct 0945-1100

Never mind Chris, you can't win them all!
Clearly decrease in activity at the lakes today, pipits and finches down in number.
Chiffchaff 1 on the edge of west wood.
Wigeon 32, Teal 6, Gadwall 3
Kestrel and Sparrowhawk both seen
Large Island held Lapwing 12
Green Sandpiper south side L2 and small pools by the pumping station.

Ray
 
I was at Sherborne Old Castle this morning and apart from the usual birds, a Female Black Redstart put in an appearance.
 
Hi. Great to see a thread on Dorset. Although I live in London. I used to go to boarding school in Dorset. Where my love of birds developed. I have family in Verwood, so do still get down there, occasionally.

BTW. The 'scary' adverts, formerly mentioned, appear automatically, as a result of certain relevant keywords picked up in your posts.
 
Longham Lakes 21 Oct 0945-1045

Beautiful sunny morning, very warm in the sun. frost on sheltered grass areas. Lakes flat calm with little wisps of mist coming off as the water surface warmed. I could almost write a poem (not). Disappointing circuit as far as increases from cold weather concerned. Very little to show.

However, all clouds have a silver lining! This time in the forewing pattern of the eclipse drake of a pair of GARGANEY flushed from the SE corner of L2 and landed on the NW corner near the upwelling flow. I have never seen Garganey this late in the year before.

Common Snipe flushed from S side of crosstrack, landed on Large Island.

OTTER seen in L2, left water to the W into the wood by the river.

Bit pushed for time otherwise would have had a more careful look around.

Ray
 
Longham, 9am-10am

Warm today
32 wigeon, at leat 2 possibly 3 kingfisher
1 green sandpiper
3 teal
I unidentified wader seen flying off when I didn't have time to follow it - my guess was redshank, but it didn't call. Too large for a sandpiper, but couldn't rule out greenshank. Redshank is a rare bird for the site.
More than 100 cormorants on the lake itself.
One fox asleep at the dam end.
Chris
 
Otter seems to be seen more and more, not seen it there yet. Which one do you class as L2?

Thanks

Oldbirder Ray said:
Longham Lakes 21 Oct 0945-1045

Beautiful sunny morning, very warm in the sun. frost on sheltered grass areas. Lakes flat calm with little wisps of mist coming off as the water surface warmed. I could almost write a poem (not). Disappointing circuit as far as increases from cold weather concerned. Very little to show.

However, all clouds have a silver lining! This time in the forewing pattern of the eclipse drake of a pair of GARGANEY flushed from the SE corner of L2 and landed on the NW corner near the upwelling flow. I have never seen Garganey this late in the year before.

Common Snipe flushed from S side of crosstrack, landed on Large Island.

OTTER seen in L2, left water to the W into the wood by the river.

Bit pushed for time otherwise would have had a more careful look around.

Ray
Click to expand...
 
Dawn visit to the lakes. Still beaten by a couple of walkers which is my excuse for seeing very little! A Green sandpiper on N lake being the only notable bird. Of the 27 wigeon only one full adult male plumage. Lots of Cormorants. More Heron than usual (5ish as they kept moving) and a Little egret which I presume is due to less disturbance first thing. Late Swallow while driving back.

Have you noticed how Longham Lakes-centric this thread is? It can't be because of the incredible birds!
 
I don't want to be overly questioning of people's sightings, but the recent mention of Jack Snipes at Longham troubles me.

Normally Jack Snipe only flush a very short distance when you do disturb them, and are very difficult to flush at all. Yet recently the Longham birds all seem to have taken off and flown a long way, which certainly isn't standard behaviour.

Did you guys see these birds well enough to be absolutely sure?

I'm asking because I'm the (unofficial) list-keeper of birds for Longham.
 
Flemingo said:
Dawn visit to the lakes. Still beaten by a couple of walkers which is my excuse for seeing very little! A Green sandpiper on N lake being the only notable bird. Of the 27 wigeon only one full adult male plumage. Lots of Cormorants. More Heron than usual (5ish as they kept moving) and a Little egret which I presume is due to less disturbance first thing. Late Swallow while driving back.

Have you noticed how Longham Lakes-centric this thread is? It can't be because of the incredible birds!
Click to expand...

It's because there's only usually you and me and dominic plus a couple of other people on it. And we've given away our secret!! the big one is surely coming!!!
Chris
 
Longham lake today

Got caught in the rain this afternoon, walking round. Still saw 2 stonechats, and 2 female teal, which were very wary. Wonder if these were the birds that you saw Ray and thought were Garganey?
Several lapwings, gang of wigeon, but not much else.
Chris
 

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