Dorset birding (1 Viewer)

[DorsetDude]

Morden this morning 3 Dartfords, 3 Spot Flys and a single Hobby in a small tree by the Decoy Pond

No hobbys yesterday evening. Looks like the 2 dead pines near decoy pond/morden bog days are numbered, one's down already and the last one has a load of wood hacked away round its base. Wonder whats caused that, noticed it on another dead pine nearby too.

Wood larks seen near decoy cottage on track, spotted fly at decoy cottage and cuckoo fly past. Bee swarm still on the gorse bush also.

 

[scary-canary]

Longham

Nothing new at Longham this morning, but it's worth reminding people that the numbers of swallows, sand martin, house martins and swifts that are present at the moment, with hundreds of each species present, makes for a truly great wildlife spectacle. Mornings are best and to stand and watch while swifts scythe past your ears is breathtaking at times.
Nothing that we;ll see in Springwatch will compare with actually being out on the lake side witnessing this for yourself. I feel lucky to have such a great site so close. Chris

 

[pooleparrot]

No hobbys yesterday evening. Looks like the 2 dead pines near decoy pond/morden bog days are numbered, one's down already and the last one has a load of wood hacked away round its base. Wonder whats caused that, noticed it on another dead pine nearby too.

Wood larks seen near decoy cottage on track, spotted fly at decoy cottage and cuckoo fly past. Bee swarm still on the gorse bush also.

Hi DD, the 1st pine succumbed ove the winter, I think it is the deer that are gnawing at the bases of the dead trees, getting fibre and bugs. As you say it also evident on alot of the large fallen trees across the bog.


Ian

 

[DaveJones]

A NightJar flushed from land adjacent Two Mile Coppice this afternoon.

At Lodmoor, not a lot other than a Blackwit and Cuckoo. Also Marsh Harrier, Little Egret and Pintail.

 

[pooleparrot]

Morden Bog

A pair of Hobby chasing low over the heath and a surprise Wheatear on the way back to the car, 1st Wheatear for about a month at Morden.

 

[DaveJones]

Arne

Three Spoonbills, two Little Egrets, Hobby, Wheatear, a few pairs of Siskin displaying along the approach road. No luck with Dartfords or Woodlark though.

My first ever Raft Spider and Sand Lizard:t:

 

[scary-canary]

Longham lakes

All seems to have calmed down at the lakes this evening, with still a great aerial dsiplay from the swifts, but not much else going on. Did count nine magpies together.
Chris

Ringer Roger Peart caught both green (a tailless individual) and great spotted woodpecker on site this morning.

 

[DaveJones]

Portland

Went looking for Butterfly's and Reptiles, but very few of either found. This has to be the worst spring i can remember, but hopefully things will begin recover from the washout.

A muntjac was seen well in a quarry at Southwell, but little else to excite.

Roseate Tern was at Lodmoor AM, and the Arctic Tern is back in its fave spot.

 

[scary-canary]

Peregrine on a pylon and mandarin on the big lake again this morning, plus flock of 10 black tailed godwits through.

And late news from yesterday a skylark singing over the ploghed field towards Hampreston - not sure how often I've seen them recently.
Chris

 

[DaveJones]

Lodmoor

Caught up with the Roseate Tern today, and the Arctic Tern had shifted to the other Island, where it is paired with a Common Tern.

Also what appears to be either a First Summer Arctic or Common Tern. Head was tucked in asleep, and was in a rush so never i got any bill colouration, but an interesting bird none the less.

Marsh Harriers were displaying and a couple of Cuckoo's were calling. A few Black and Barwits, Whimbrel, and Dunlin dotted about.

:t:

 

[scary-canary]

Caught up with the Roseate Tern today, and the Arctic Tern had shifted to the other Island, where it is paired with a Common Tern.

:t:

Two good terns...

 

[DaveJones]

Two good terns...

Unfortunately, the Roseate did not hang around for to long, but another regular at Lodmoor told me that it had been coming in, on and off over the last fortnight.

The Arctic paired off with a Common Tern last year aswell, producing a single chick, that subsequently died. Hes a little easier to catch up with, as he comes in and gives the female Common Tern a tasty fish!

Aswell as the first summer comic, ive also seen a Black billed Common there too, so its all the joys of tern I.D.:t:

 

[scary-canary]

Three nightjars back on nearby heath last night.
Hobby over Longham Lake this afternoon. One sum plum dunlin there this morning.
Chris

 

[pooleparrot]

Morden Bog

Plenty of interest today, the pair of Redstart were showing well in the pines by Decoy Cottage, with plenty of Spot flys all around the area.

Also 4 Woodlark, and 4 Dartford Warbler throughout the day.

When the sun came out in the afternoon so did the Hobbies, 3 aerial above the Decoy Pond, with another one Hawking low over the pond from the small pines all around the pond. Quite spectacular when diving from high to catch the dagonflies.

 

[luke]

Great Reed Warbler at Radipole today. Was showing occasionally this morning and singing in the buddleia loop, probably best viewed from the boardwalk or small viewing platform.

 

[pooleparrot]

Red Kites at Morden Bog

Yes that is a plural in the title, at least 4 maybe even 5 Red Kites this afternoon at Morden.

At 14.30 watched a single Red Kite Drift over by the Decoy Pond, it headed off in the direction of Wareham. Started walking back towards the car at Sherford Bridge. Walking across the field at 15.00 saw another Kite and thought is it the same bird, but then realised it wasn't alone. There were 4 Red Kite and a Common Buzzard all circling above, for a moment I thought I was in Wales not Dorset!!!

Also seen today plenty of Hobby with a max count of 5 over the Decoy pond in the early afternoon, and a male Redstart up by the cottage.

Ian

Ps A record shot of the 1st RK and of 2RK's with the Buzzard.

 

[pooleparrot]

Broodpatch

Picture attached of a Mipit at Morden with what I assume is a Broodpatch. Is this correct?

 

[scary-canary]

Great views of Great reed, Black winged stilt and a roseate tern at Weymouth this week.

 

[Teamscotch]

I stayed at Whitcombe, near Dorchester last week with my family.

As we were about to start the long drive home to Aberdeen yesterday morning a Black Kite appeared circling over the A352, several times swooping down to road kill (rabbit, I think), giving staggering views. It circled the hamlet a couple of times and then seemed to move on.

A glorious end to our hols!

 

[Oldbirder Ray]

Longham Lakes between 6 and 7a.m. today.

Very little variety about,
Canada goose with 3 goslings, a pair of Gadwall and lots of Tufties practising formation flying for the jubilee.
Common Sandpipers, flock of 3by the crosstrack and 1 by the small island. Common Tern fishing on the small lake kept taking its catch off to the far side of the waterworks by the R. Stour!
Lots of singing Reed Warblers and far more Reed Bunting than I have seen here before.

Walking back from Wimborne this afternoon heard Cettis singing opposite the one way system to the Market near the Coach and Horses.

Ray and Pat