[Buzzard1905]

just seen on www.dorsetbirdclub.org.uk that 2 bitterns were spotted at hatch pond today!!! still have'nt seen one yet so two can only be good news

[Nina P]

Have I come to this thread too late?
Scary, you can't live very far from me, have you ever been over to Whitesheet? That is a really great birding place to go, wood larks, yellowhammers, linnets, dartford warblers, buzzards, curlew, lapwing, golden plovers, Nightjars, even had the Montys one year! The lesser woodpecker, greater woodpecker and the regular greeny not to mention chiffchaffs and other normal birds! I love trying to get over there as the birding is really something towards the end of April the dartfords are displaying.

You go over the area below russell coates you must look out for the european green lizard, there is a large breeding colony there. very interesting as there are several different snakes to be seen if there is enough peace and quiet!

Hengistbury head has been one of my best birding spots, get over the head around the end of April and watch the hirundines come in, there you have Swallow, Housemartin, Sandmartin and swift in one day! not to mention the kestrels, sparrowhawks, green woodpeckers, stone chats, and if you walk to the start of the beach huts there is a pool where there is a notice saying this is an SSSI and there I have seen Whimbrel, Godwits, Little Egrets, herons, marsh warblers, red shanks, greenshanks, curlew, just to mention a few, I usually go with a friend as I am disabled, and my husband doesn't like me travelling out alone.

Sadly Bournemouth beach is less likely to have much birding because of the ignorant ones! The jet skiers disturb the birding on the other side of the run, but I have seen in the harbour many different birds, like knot, dunlin, kingfisher and more from the mmudeford side of the harbour, until the baiters decide to walk straight at the waders and drive them from view!, This they do this especially if you are looking through a scope, they think I want to see them!! If you are interested in joining our little group, send me a PM.

[Buzzard1905]

went to radipole yesterday where a sparrowhawk.2 bearded tits and a long tailed tit were the highlights for me!also popped down to lodmoor and saw a kinfisher.Today i popped down to hatch pond to try and catch the bittern but still no luck.Did see 2 great crested grebes which ive never seen before,also four commorants showing really well

[Frampton 25]

I led a field trip for Wiltshire Ornithological Society yesterday (Sunday) in the Weymouth and Portland area. A rather unwieldly 26 turned up, but in spite of that I think they had a good day. We had two good flight views of a Bittern at Radipole, with Cettis Warbler and Bearded Tit, as well as all the usual birds.

There were two Great-northern Divers from Ferrybridge, with at least one more, plus the Velvet Scoter in Portland Harbour. A Black Redstart showed really well at Portland Castle, as did the Purple Sandpipers at Portland Bill. There were huge numbers of Auks off the Bill, also Gannets and Kittiwakes. Thankfully there weren't too many oiled birds, but there was an oiled Great-northern Diver in Weymoth Bay later on.

We ended the day at Castle Cove where the Yellow-browed Warbler showed well, with a male Blackcap there as well. A final look over Portland Harbour found us 17 Mediterranean Gulls and a Slavonian Grebe. We had 77 species for the day, I think they went home happy.

[scary-canary]

Originally Posted by Frampton 25

We had 77 species for the day, I think they went home happy.

Sounds like a great day.

On Saturday I walked round Baiter, Poole and saw nothing besides a few pied wagtails. The kite fliers and surfers had scared away the brent flock - only three left on the field.

Sunday a walk round Christchurch found the peregrine on its favoured gargoyle at the priory in the afternoon and a grey wagtail on the stream behind the priory. The peregrine barely moved in 90 minutes!

[scary-canary]

Also one dead oiled guillemot on Bournemouth beach today and great crested grebe offshore.

[scary-canary]

A flock of at least ten yellowhammers near Badbury rings today, plus dartford warblers showing well at Holt Heath and four buzzards over there, but no stonechats. i reckon the have deserted the heath - at least the bit I watch.

[scary-canary]

Originally Posted by Nina P

Have I come to this thread too late?
Scary, you can't live very far from me, have you ever been over to Whitesheet? That is a really great birding place to go, wood larks, yellowhammers, linnets, dartford warblers, buzzards, curlew, lapwing, golden plovers, Nightjars, even had the Montys one year! The lesser woodpecker, greater woodpecker and the regular greeny not to mention chiffchaffs and other normal birds! I love trying to get over there as the birding is really something towards the end of April the dartfords are displaying.

You go over the area below russell coates you must look out for the european green lizard, there is a large breeding colony there. very interesting as there are several different snakes to be seen if there is enough peace and quiet!

Hengistbury head has been one of my best birding spots, get over the head around the end of April and watch the hirundines come in, there you have Swallow, Housemartin, Sandmartin and swift in one day! not to mention the kestrels, sparrowhawks, green woodpeckers, stone chats, and if you walk to the start of the beach huts there is a pool where there is a notice saying this is an SSSI and there I have seen Whimbrel, Godwits, Little Egrets, herons, marsh warblers, red shanks, greenshanks, curlew, just to mention a few, I usually go with a friend as I am disabled, and my husband doesn't like me travelling out alone.

Sadly Bournemouth beach is less likely to have much birding because of the ignorant ones! The jet skiers disturb the birding on the other side of the run, but I have seen in the harbour many different birds, like knot, dunlin, kingfisher and more from the mmudeford side of the harbour, until the baiters decide to walk straight at the waders and drive them from view!, This they do this especially if you are looking through a scope, they think I want to see them!! If you are interested in joining our little group, send me a PM.

Hi Nina. i'm in the process of replying to you - just haven't found time to write a proper reply yet.

[Nina P]

Originally Posted by scary-canary

Hi Nina. i'm in the process of replying to you - just haven't found time to write a proper reply yet.

Not to worry, I had a different type of day today, decided to go to Kingston Lacey House to see the snowdrops there, with my mother and my good friends Trish and Keith, it was heavy going on the old hand propelled chariot, and people were very helpful as some of the terrain is heavy going with all the pea gravel, and some of the paths were too narrow at one end, I ended up with scraped knuckles as there was one point that has standind stones guarding the exit!! Brilliant planning in that respect, I now have scratched hand holds around the wheels! I really don't appreciate things like that! I suppose I shouldn't grumble as I think I was the one allowed in without charge!
Highlights of today were, Ordinary worker bees, at least five of them pollenating the snowdrops, two huge red tailed bumble bees, and three red admiral butterflies, one of which landed on Keiths coat, (must have thought he was a brilliant blue flower) There wasn't much in the way of birds there, but then it is really rather early for the regular ones around there!
My garden has been delightful for the wild birds, I noticed a flock of around fifteen Longtailed Tits in the plum tree, and I have seen many greenfinches in my garden, despite the ravages of the finch virus that almost wiped them out at the end of 2005, but so far not seen one chaffinch, that is sad. plenty robins, and the incessant drumminng of the Greater Spotted Woodpeckers, I must admit I do like to wind them up when I tap on the gate with a stone, they come closer and closer, in fact I can draw them into the ash tree on the boundary, but once they see it's me they drum a real tattoo and buzz off. I guess they are just telling the rest of them that the fat human in the chair is playing silly 'B's.

[James Lowther]

As I'm a dorset birder guess i should make an effort to keep this thread going!! :-)

today saw the yellow-browed warbler again in Castle Cove, Weymouth, I've been twice now and both times it's been in the trees just beyond the end of the weird stilted structure to the left of the steps. Need to be patient and alert though!!

Slavonian grebe very close in off the beach also.

James

[JSlee]

Originally Posted by James Lowther

As I'm a dorset birder guess i should make an effort to keep this thread going!! :-)

today saw the yellow-browed warbler again in Castle Cove, Weymouth, I've been twice now and both times it's been in the trees just beyond the end of the weird stilted structure to the left of the steps. Need to be patient and alert though!!

Slavonian grebe very close in off the beach also.

James

I'm an occasional visitor so don't know Castle Cove - is that accessible from Sandsfoot Castle?

[ali travers]

As a Dorset birder i am glad to join this thread.
just spent the day at ferry bridge and portland with some good birds
red-breasted mergansers
purple sandpipers
turnstone
gannet
red-necked grebe
rock pipit
guillemot
great day had but quite cold in the east wind

[James Lowther]

Originally Posted by JSlee

I'm an occasional visitor so don't know Castle Cove - is that accessible from Sandsfoot Castle?

Sort of yes..

you follow the road behind the castle for a couple of hundred yards in the weymouth direction (to the right as you leave the castle), then there is a footpath off to the right (might be signposted?) that leads to some steps down to the beach

James

[Buzzard1905]

went to radipole yesterday great view of bearded tits and watched a commorant for bout 20 minutes with a massive eel,took him a while to get it down but he was'nt givng up specially with the gulls lingering!also saw blue tits,great tits,shelduck,teal,mallard,little egret,tufted ducks,moorhen,coots,

also popped to lodmoor where the only highlight was a green woodpecker and a buzzard.

[Buzzard1905]

the bittern was showing excellently to the left of the north hide at radipole today also saw 5 bearded tits,teal,shelduck,mallard,bittern,grey heron,coot,moorhen,12 cormorant,27 lapwing,2 little egret,greenfinch,pied wagtail,robin,shoveler,great black backed gull,lesser black backed gull,hering gull,little grebe,tufted duck,mute swan

Also popped to lodmoor where the main highlights were 5 long tailed tits,flock of brent geese,and excellent close up views of a kingfisher,a buzzard,and a peregrine sending the flock of gulls up and down like a yo yo.A great day albeit a little bit chilly the bittern was just beautiful and made my day.

[Nigel G]

On Friday lunchtime I called in at Hatch Pond in the hope of seeing the bittern that has been reported serveral times recently. Of course there was no sign of it but I was soon approached by an angler who was desperately seeking someone with a camera to record the 20lb Common carp he had just caught. Happy to oblige I went over to the car only to remember that I had left the camera at home having down loaded some shots that morning. Having already said yes to the fisherman (and being a kindred spirit in angling terms) I couldn't disappoint him so I went home, retrived the camera, returned and the first pic below is one of a very happy man. (The fish was safely returned immediately after it ws photographed).

Anyway, was passing Hatch Pond again on Sunday so checked again. Found 2 other birders under the pines who hadn't seen it either that morning or in the last 20 or so attempts - sounds like me. Had a quick swing round the reeds with the bins and there - just possibly - was a vague shape that could conceivably be a bittern. So returned to the car, grabbed scope and camera and confirmed it was indeed the head and neck of a bittern which proceed to show occassionally over the next half hour. Pushed for time I settled for the sighting and accepted a decent photo was out of the question. However on driving past the front of the pond (were people feed the ducks) it occured to me that it just might possibly be a better angle if indeed the bird was still there.

Triumph - not only was it still there but standing in broad view and very aminable to being photgraphed. And then, with the camera still mounted on the scope and lined up on my bittern, whilst looking through my bins I realised a second bittern had just materialised in the reeds to the left of the first one - grabbing the shutter release cable I managed to fire of 3 shots and the last of the 3 below proves that, for the moment at least, there are 2 bitterns at Hatch Pond. A truely red letter day.

[Saerwen]

[quote=Triumph - not only was it still there but standing in broad view and very aminable to being photgraphed. And then, with the camera still mounted on the scope and lined up on my bittern, whilst looking through my bins I realised a second bittern had just materialised in the reeds to the left of the first one - grabbing the shutter release cable I managed to fire of 3 shots and the last of the 3 below proves that, for the moment at least, there are 2 bitterns at Hatch Pond. A truely red letter day. [/QUOTE]

I'm green with envy, having spent fruitless hours staring at those reedbeds. But there are compensations: watching the grebes displaying to each other as though they'd been parted for months rather than 5 minutes, and meeting and chatting to some lovely people.

[Wendy Morris]

Another Dorset birder here, I'm up near the Somerset border. Only just seen this thread, but will return in future to see what's on.

Interested to see about the Rock/Water Pipits at West Bay, as I was a little confused by them back in the beginning of January. Saw them (I'm sure it was Rock) by the new breakwater and along the east beach towards the caravan park.

Hi Nina, do I recall your name fom the old beeb boards?

[scary-canary]

Originally Posted by Nigel G

Of course there was no sign of it but I was soon approached by an angler who was desperately seeking someone with a camera to record the 20lb Common carp he had just caught. D

I saw the bittern on sunday and it really did perform well. Pretty impressed by the carp photo too. Can't see the cormorants getting far with that one.
Chris

[colonelboris]

Originally Posted by Wendy Morris

Interested to see about the Rock/Water Pipits at West Bay, as I was a little confused by them back in the beginning of January. Saw them (I'm sure it was Rock) by the new breakwater and along the east beach towards the caravan park.

Ah - Since that post, I've been back home and had a look at the photos on a machine that can render the photos properly and it's a rock pipit. As you say, it was on the breakwater by the harbour.
Here's a photo of it (photo no. 2): http://www.tonykeenebirds.co.uk/bbirds/rockpipit.html

[Frampton 25]

Originally Posted by scary-canary

.. but no stonechats. i reckon the have deserted the heath - at least the bit I watch.

There have been two pairs of Stonechats which we've seen all winter along the Salisbury road from Blandford. One pair are in the roadside hedges adjoining the steam fair fields at Tarrant Hinton, the other pair are beyond Tarrant Hinton, between Turnpike Cottage and the Critchel turning.

[Frampton 25]

We spent today in the Weymouth and Portland area. The highlights were nine Purple Sandpipers between the Obelisk and Pulpit Rock at Portland Bill; the Little Owl showing well in the Observatory Quarry; a Razorbill in close off the sailing Academy in Portland Harbour, and singing Cettis Warblers and squealing Water Rails at Radipole and Lodmoor.

The water level at Radipole is unusually high at present.

[James Lowther]

a little tour of east dorset today

Merley Park
hoped to get Mandarin on my Dorset list but turns out the lake is fenced off.. :(

Hatch Pond
after a long wait was just about to shoot off, had a last scan of the reeds and there sits the bittern, perched on reed stems like a giant er.. little bittern
showed very nicely for about twenty minutes but felt compelled to share my scope for long periods with an old duffer who wasn't too sure what he was looking at


also saw 4 snipe at the top end

Lytchett bay
hoped to see spotted redshanks here but had to abandon the plan as the footpath completely flooded!

Sherford Bridge
hoped for lesser spotted woodpecker but no joy
lots of woodlarks around in morden bog south of here last weekend though

Arne
firecrest near the church in the village,
7 very lazy spoonbills on the "sandspit" from the hide
black-necked grebe off Shipstal point (but no long-tailed ducks)
marsh tit and GSW on the feeders at the car park

Warmwell cress beds
hoped for green sandpiper or water pipit
saw bugger all

anyone else seen owt good?

James

[Buzzard1905]

popped down hatch pond yesterday morning hoping to see the bittern,ive seen the one at radipole lake but wanted to see the hatch pond one no luck though but did see two goldfinches which ive never seen before so that was good for me,also saw a cormorant,great crested grebe,and a few teal

[nepp]

Hi
Coming over from Ireland for the next bank hol weekend and staying near Lulworth. Got the book "where to watch birds in Dorset etc".
Is the bittern still about at Hatch Pond? Where else do you recommend I visit?
cheers and thanks