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Dorset birding (2 Viewers)
- Thread starter scary-canary
- Start date
scary-canary
Canaries forever... and i'm not always scary, some
timmyjones
Well-known member
Brother just rang me trying to describe a large grebe sp. on the stour in Bournemouth. Thought it could be Red-necked but he has just sent me a photo, turns out it was 2 redhead Goosanders! Do you guys get many records?
bren-escape
Well-known member
Cant believe I have been away for a month, come back and there is a hoopoe, hope its still there tomorrow.
scary-canary
Canaries forever... and i'm not always scary, some
there is one possibly 2 birds being seen regularly near Longham Bridge at the moment, but they are quite unusual most years.
Oldbirder Ray
Well-known member
ajaybirder
Member
First visit to Dorset....help please
Hi
I am planning to visit Dorset next spring, and as well as doing the tourist bit (first visit ! ) I would like to get some solid birding in - Radipole/Fleet/Portland etc. Could any of you Dorset birders suggest the best time to visit & places to go to get a good spread of local birds ( now, now, behave yourselves ) and is sea-watching on the cards, if so from where?
Initial thoughts are the week that includes That Wedding - gotta get away - but advice most welcome. Thanks.
Merry Xmas & a very good birding New Year to all.
ajay
Hi
I am planning to visit Dorset next spring, and as well as doing the tourist bit (first visit ! ) I would like to get some solid birding in - Radipole/Fleet/Portland etc. Could any of you Dorset birders suggest the best time to visit & places to go to get a good spread of local birds ( now, now, behave yourselves ) and is sea-watching on the cards, if so from where?
Initial thoughts are the week that includes That Wedding - gotta get away - but advice most welcome. Thanks.
Merry Xmas & a very good birding New Year to all.
ajay
Blandford Birder
Active member
14 Waxwings in Larksmead in Blandford this morning including six in a Rowan tree in our garden. Needless to say I was at work, but my wife very kindly took some photos.
I see on Birdguides that there were 24 Waxwings in Old Farm Gardens also in Blandford this afternoon.
I see on Birdguides that there were 24 Waxwings in Old Farm Gardens also in Blandford this afternoon.
luke
A Welsh birder in Dorset!
portland will be in full swing at that time of year, plenty of common migrants plus the chance of some rarities. The fleet will probably be quite quiet but still a very pleasant walk.
Oldbirder Ray
Well-known member
Longham Lakes 14/12/2010 11:30-13:00
Still much of the surface of both lakes frozen. Several birders we met had not seen Hoopoe or the Smew.
Only 1 each of Heron and Little Egret.
Common Gull 5; Herring Gull 15; Lesser B B Gull 4; Greater B B Gull 1 however constant traffic of gulls between here and White's Tip on Canford Heath.
Snipe 2
Electricity helicopter checking pylons disturbed flock of geese on fields to the west, flew over the lakes to the Golf course
Canada Geese 60+; Barnacle Geese 2.
Lots of Gadwall and Tufties also
Teal 5; Pochard 52; Shoveler 2 (pair sleeping on Island);
Goosander 4 (redheads) flew over SW corner of lakes and appeared to land on the river.
To the north of the large island one Scaup type female (photo attached). Lacked grey vermiculations on the back but small black nail on a bill which was larger and differently shaped to Tufties. Slightly larger than Tufties and higher in the water with very pronounced and clearly demarcated white patches around the bill. Possibly Hybrid Scaupxtufted or pure Scaup?
Redwing 5; Song Thrush 1.
Ray and Pat
Still much of the surface of both lakes frozen. Several birders we met had not seen Hoopoe or the Smew.
Only 1 each of Heron and Little Egret.
Common Gull 5; Herring Gull 15; Lesser B B Gull 4; Greater B B Gull 1 however constant traffic of gulls between here and White's Tip on Canford Heath.
Snipe 2
Electricity helicopter checking pylons disturbed flock of geese on fields to the west, flew over the lakes to the Golf course
Canada Geese 60+; Barnacle Geese 2.
Lots of Gadwall and Tufties also
Teal 5; Pochard 52; Shoveler 2 (pair sleeping on Island);
Goosander 4 (redheads) flew over SW corner of lakes and appeared to land on the river.
To the north of the large island one Scaup type female (photo attached). Lacked grey vermiculations on the back but small black nail on a bill which was larger and differently shaped to Tufties. Slightly larger than Tufties and higher in the water with very pronounced and clearly demarcated white patches around the bill. Possibly Hybrid Scaupxtufted or pure Scaup?
Redwing 5; Song Thrush 1.
Ray and Pat
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Dominic Couzens
Well-known member
I agree. The head shape looks wrong.
I saw 1 Smew at Longham at 2.30pm, together with a Goosander.
There were 92 Pochard on Longham Reservoir North (small lake), which is a record. However, I didn't cover the big lake, so there could have been many more.
I saw 1 Smew at Longham at 2.30pm, together with a Goosander.
There were 92 Pochard on Longham Reservoir North (small lake), which is a record. However, I didn't cover the big lake, so there could have been many more.
Oldbirder Ray
Well-known member
scary-canary
Canaries forever... and i'm not always scary, some
Ray
I saw your bird on Sunday and agree that it has a lot of white on the face. Sadly for me it still had a tuft, and I've seen other female tufted ducks at Longham with varying amount of white on their faces.
We're going to have to keep looking for a better scaup - it'll come one day when we're not expecting it.
Chris
I saw your bird on Sunday and agree that it has a lot of white on the face. Sadly for me it still had a tuft, and I've seen other female tufted ducks at Longham with varying amount of white on their faces.
We're going to have to keep looking for a better scaup - it'll come one day when we're not expecting it.
Chris
Dawn Balmer
Well-known member
Anyone go birding in SY97? This 10-km square covered Worth Matravers, Wool and Kingston. We still need more records for the Bird Atlas to improve the winter species list. Looking through the list there are a few species that ought to be in the 10-km square such as Peregrine, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Tawny Owl, Treecreeper.
A couple of nearby squares also need further help - SZ07 (Swanage/Durlston Head), SY88 (Lulworth Camp, West Holme, Wool) and SY99 (Lytchett Bay, Sherford).
If you can enter any records into www.birdatlas.net that would be a great help. You can also check back through your notebooks and add in records back to November 2007.
Many thanks
Dawn Balmer
A couple of nearby squares also need further help - SZ07 (Swanage/Durlston Head), SY88 (Lulworth Camp, West Holme, Wool) and SY99 (Lytchett Bay, Sherford).
If you can enter any records into www.birdatlas.net that would be a great help. You can also check back through your notebooks and add in records back to November 2007.
Many thanks
Dawn Balmer
scary-canary
Canaries forever... and i'm not always scary, some
Feathered one
Well-known member
2.00pm today, Longham lakes, cold with a few flakes of snow falling.
The lakes must be at least 3/4 frozen over now.
At least 120 Lapwing, no Hoopoe, Meadow pipits trying to find food along the banks, 60ish Pochard, one Gooseander, 2 green woodpecker and 4 Snipe.
Also one black feathered body floating in the water.
Malc
Not good light for flight shots, so lucky to get this one
The lakes must be at least 3/4 frozen over now.
At least 120 Lapwing, no Hoopoe, Meadow pipits trying to find food along the banks, 60ish Pochard, one Gooseander, 2 green woodpecker and 4 Snipe.
Also one black feathered body floating in the water.
Malc
Not good light for flight shots, so lucky to get this one
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bren-escape
Well-known member
Anyone know where abouts at Canford Heath the waxwings have been seen?
christchurchBob
New member
I had an email from Jackie at Two Owls Birding to say they were near to Culliford Crescent by Walditch Gardens at Canford Heath and they were there yesterday. Unfortunately can't get there myself this week so hoping they hang around for a bit. Hope this helps
bren-escape
Well-known member
Thanks, not sure I will make it either, but hopefully:t:
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