Dorset birding (2 Viewers)

[pooleparrot]

Holes Bay

6 Spoonbill this morning, the hybrid/Cape Shelduck was on the bay outside the railway line as were a pair of Goldeneye. Also a Buzzard was remarkably unconcerned on roadside light.

 

[pooleparrot]

Holes Bay

High tide this morning, but still 4 Spoonbill present all resting on the shoreline of Pergins Island. Also 1 Bar-Tailed Godwit and the female Goldeneye, 130 Avocet and 8 Pintail. The 2 Barnacle Geese have returned to the shoreline off of Upton CP.

 

[scary-canary]

Pooleparrot
What's the feeling on the barnacles? Feral or genuine birds?
Chris

 

[pooleparrot]

Pooleparrot
What's the feeling on the barnacles? Feral or genuine birds?
Chris

Chris
No concensus as yet, they were around UCP about a month ago with the Canada's but I haven't heard of them being reported from any other sites. I suppose the probability is pointing towards feral birds but you never know. If anybody has any other ideas or has seen these 2 birds elsewhere it would be good to know.

Ian

 

[pooleparrot]

Morden

Only saw the Shrike fo 5 minutes at the start of this mornings visit, couldn't relocate for the remaining 3 hours.Other interest was a Peregrine mobbing a Buzzard, a good increase in ducks on MPL and a total of 10 Dartford Warblers.

 

[pooleparrot]

Middlebere/Holes Bay

Middlebere turned up a surprise this morning when just after watching a ringtail fly past the hide a Great Grey Shrike appeared from nowhere and tried to take a pipit, it was unsuccessful and flew off behind the hide. This was presumably the bird that has been around Coombe Heath over the last couple of weeks. There were 5 flyby's by Ringtails(same bird?) and 1 Male Hen Harrier in 3 hours, also a single Merlin and plenty of Avocet.

Holes Bay this aftenoon , there were 13 Spoonbill.

 

[Oldbirder Ray]

Chris
No concensus as yet, they were around UCP about a month ago with the Canada's but I haven't heard of them being reported from any other sites. I suppose the probability is pointing towards feral birds but you never know. If anybody has any other ideas or has seen these 2 birds elsewhere it would be good to know.

Ian

Take a look on Abbotsbury posting for this forum on 30 November when 2 Barnacle joined their Canada Geese.

Ray

 

[Swannery Steve]

Take a look on Abbotsbury posting for this forum on 30 November when 2 Barnacle joined their Canada Geese.

Ray

Yes 2 Barnacles arrived at Abbotsbury on 30 November and were last seen on the 4 December. They mostly associated with the Canadas but were also often on their own. They were fairly wary and I kinda assumed they were the vanguard of the 50+ flock that has visited the West Fleet in the last few winters that are very wary and are assumed by several observers, I believe, to be of wild origin but who knows?

Steve.

 

[pooleparrot]

Middlebere

Back to Middlebere again this morning, the Ringtail was around again this morning and at one point sat up on one of the posts infront of the hide. No sign of the Male whilst I was there.

 

[Swannery Steve]

Yes 2 Barnacles arrived at Abbotsbury on 30 November and were last seen on the 4 December. They mostly associated with the Canadas but were also often on their own. They were fairly wary and I kinda assumed they were the vanguard of the 50+ flock that has visited the West Fleet in the last few winters that are very wary and are assumed by several observers, I believe, to be of wild origin but who knows?

Steve.

As a postscript four unaccompanied Barnacle Geese (ie not with Canadas), of unknown origin, flew east over The Swannery this morning.

Also at The Swannery this morning were the three Long-tailed Ducks and the nine Scaup still.

Steve.

 

[scary-canary]

Longham lakes lunchtime

Pair of bullfinches along Green Lane, and both fieldfare and redwing, plus mistle thrush on the horse paddocks. Kingfisher perched near the "ghost" by visitor centre. Green woodpecker showing well along causeway.
Water level even higher than last visit.
Chris

PS Reports of 14 waxwings in Tesco car park on Castle Lane, Bournemouth

 

[mike davidson]

HI Chris

coming back from Kenya tomorrow . Hope to see my first Waxwings . Have there been many recorded in Dorset ?

we had David Lindo here in November and he recorded 270 species in 5 days in and around Nairobi

Mike D

Pair of bullfinches along Green Lane, and both fieldfare and redwing, plus mistle thrush on the horse paddocks. Kingfisher perched near the "ghost" by visitor centre. Green woodpecker showing well along causeway.
Water level even higher than last visit.
Chris

PS Reports of 14 waxwings in Tesco car park on Castle Lane, Bournemouth

 

[scary-canary]

HI Chris

coming back from Kenya tomorrow . Hope to see my first Waxwings . Have there been many recorded in Dorset ?

we had David Lindo here in November and he recorded 270 species in 5 days in and around Nairobi

Mike D

Mike
Hardly any waxwings here so far. The Wednesday Tesco flock was the biggest so far.
Chris

 

[scary-canary]

Mammal tick at longham lakes

Weasel showing well on the northern path this afternoon. First time I've seen it there. Chris

 

[timsg80]

I had a great birdwatch around Ferrybridge and Portland Harbour yesterday:

The snow bunting reappeared on the bridge at Ferrybridge and allowed great views of less than three feet! Nearby, there was a water pipit feeding and a short-eared owl appeared being mobbed by gulls and corvids. In the harbour, there were about 10 black-necked grebe, two-three great northern diver and best of all a pair of velvet scoter (my first in Dorset). There was also a black redstart at Osprey Quay. Not a bad morning!

 

[Farnboro John]

Back to Middlebere again this morning, the Ringtail was around again this morning and at one point sat up on one of the posts infront of the hide. No sign of the Male whilst I was there.

Those are nice! How much lens to get them?

John

 

[pooleparrot]

Those are nice! How much lens to get them?

John

John, they were taken with my Canon SX50 bridge camera(not my DSLR) , they were taken on 50x Zoom equivalent of a 1200mm Lens.

 

[pooleparrot]

Middlebere

Middlebere this morning on a rising tide, 300+ Avocet, 1 Merlin, 1 Peregrine, Kestrel, Sparrowhawk and Buzzard. Just before I left hide a Ringtail flew by.

 

[Joe52]

Bittern at Hengistbury Head this afternoon.

 

[pooleparrot]

Ringtail

A shot of this mornings Ringtail