Personal Birding Help Request (Specifically Wales, Hampshire & Dorset) (1 Viewer)

Hi there,

I'm wondering if any birders can help me out. I've got some free time off work over the next several weeks and would love to get a few new species to add to my "photographed list". I've been a birder all my life, I never really had a choice as we went on ringing holidays when I was a toddler, and running out of our tent at the age of 4 to see Yellow Wagtails, Aquatic Warblers and even a Bittern in the hand got me hooked! With the accessibility of digital photography and the ability to weave hobbies together, my birding interest has been rekindled to a passion over the last few years. I've only been at the bird photography lark in a semi serious way for a year or so and in that year have had very little time to add to the 120 or so species I've managed to get so far, (11 of the twelve months have involved our other project, namely our baby boy!) hence the enthusiasm to use my "free time" over the coming few weeks to its maximum!

I live in Cardiff so anywhere in South Wales is a realistic venue for birding. I also have easy access to accommodation in Mid-Wales and near the New Forest on the Hampshire/Dorset border so any locations around there are also strong candidates.

If anyone fancies helping out, or joining me on a birding trip (I have nothing to hide including my amateurish photography abilities!) then please take a look at the species list on my website (Bird Photography link in my signature below) to see if there are any species at local places you know about that I might get lucky in taking. A few examples of varying commonality from the species list would be:

Any species of owl
Any species of tern other than Common
Any species of gamebirds, other than Pheasant...
Bearded Tit
Cetti’s Warbler - Easy to hear...
Cuckoo
Crossbill
Grasshopper Warbler
Hawfinch
Hobby
Lesser Spotted Woodpecker
Lesser Whitethroat
Merlin
Marsh Harrier
Redstart
Ring Ouzel
Spotted Flycatcher
Tree Pipit
Whinchat
Willow Tit
Woodcock
Woodlark
Wood Warbler
Yellow Wagtail

I am fully aware of the protection that the less common species have and I would never dream of trespassing or breaking the codes of conduct in attempting to approach, view or photograph anything in the field. Please let me stress, that I'm not into twitching, just in seeing and recording the birds of the UK that stumble in front of me on "film" and any assistance I can get in knocking a few of the summer migrants off my list would be very gratefully appreciated. If you do feel you can help out but want to preserve your locations then please send me a private message. Of course, I would never share sensitive location information for any higher category species.

Thanks in advance,

I think I've put all the links in...
I'll try and provide more links and details in a while.

Any species of owl- Nonsuch Park, Surrey (Little and Tawny), Elmley Marshes, Kent (Long-eared and Short-eared in winter, Little is resident). Rye harbour, East Sussex, is good for Barn Owl.
Any species of tern other than Common- [URL="http://www.wildrye.info/reserve/"]Rye Harbour East Sussex **
Any species of gamebirds, other than Pheasant...- Red-legged Partridge can be found easily at Dungeness RSPB, Kent, Elmley Marshes, Kent and any other sites.
Bearded Tit- Kent- Stodmarsh, Oare Marshes
Cetti’s Warbler - Easy to hear...- Stodmarsh, Oare Marshes, Dungeness
Cuckoo- Stodmarsh, Kent- Elmley Marshes, Kent
Crossbill
Grasshopper Warbler
Hawfinch
Hobby- Stodmarsh, Kent,Oare Marshes, Kent
Lesser Spotted Woodpecker
Lesser Whitethroat- Banstead Downs- PM me for details if your interested
Merlin
Marsh Harrier- Kent- Dungeness RSPB, Stodmarsh NNR**, Oare Marshes*, Elmley Marshes, Kent
Redstart- Thursley Common, Ashdown Forest
Ring Ouzel
Spotted Flycatcher
Tree Pipit- Surrey commons, Thursley
Whinchat
Willow Tit
Woodcock- Any of the Surrey commons- Thursley Common
Woodlark- Surrey commons- Thursley Common
Wood Warbler
Yellow Wagtail- Kent- Dungeness RSPB, Elmley Marshes**, Oare Marshes, Kent
*/**= highly recommended

Hi, I do know sites for a few of the above species in south east england. I do not know whether, if you stay in Dorset, you will be able to travel to some of my suggested sites but I will provide them anyway in case you can stay further east or can travel further east from Dorset. I'm sure someone with more experience of the west will suggest some sites. I am putting site details and some web links next to your list of wanted species.

For Cetti's Warbler you can't really beat Radipole RSPB, although they're never easy to get a photo of. Some of these, like Grasshopper Warbler, Wood Warbler, Redstart, Spotted Fly are going to be much more numerous in mid-Wales than round here (Surrey) but still might not be easy to photograph. The tern colony at Cemlyn bay is good for close views of terns flying back and forth but the colony itself is a bit distant.

Little tern - Normandy Lagoon (Lymington), three there today and lots more to come hopefully - or Hayling Island Oyster Beds

Bearded Tit & Cettis - Keyhaven Harbour reedbed, early morning on a calm sunny day, but you'll need some luck, I've not managed it yet, - Radipole would be easier.

Cuckoo - there's normally at least one mooching around Pennington Marshes in early summer.

Hobby - SSW of Beaulieu Road Stn. - the boggy area in late summer.

Redstart & Spotted Flycatcher - Mark Ash Wood or anywhere else off Bolderwood Drive - or try for Redstart in the same area as for Hobby, but earlier in the summer.

radipole is far the best place for Cettie's Warbler I will add a pic later!

birder of the south said:

radipole is far the best place for Cettie's Warbler I will add a pic later!

Click to expand...

Not only is Radipole the best place but this is the best time of year. Males singing will often be more accommodating than later in the season. With a bit of effort on the Buddleia Loop you should get your pix.

John

You might consider a trip to brownsea island for tern pictures (Sandwich, little, common) They can be quite close to the hides.

Can you get to Brownsea Island normally? I went there for the Western Sand and I thought that was a bit of a one-off, I thought access was normally restricted.

Hawfinches can be seen fairly easily in winter at Blackwater arboretum in the New Forest (roost site, afternoons best) and are around the area the rest of the year but elusive. Lesser Spotted Woodpeckers can also be found there and are also elusive on occasion!

Hobbies are all over the New Forest in summer and Thursley Common in Surrey is also good for this species.

For Wood Warbler I would suggest the woods below Acres Down (Hawfinch there sometimes as well).

Crossbills are usually in one or other of the pine plantations in the New Forest: Slufter's Inclosure is one place I have seen them a few times.

Good hunting!

John

I think Brownsea island is open to the public once you've paid the National Trust fee to enter. There is an extra permit needed to use the DWT hides but that's available from reception and only a couple of quid.

Thanks for all the replies so far folks! I really appreciate it. Looks like I'll be spending quite a bit of time with the in-laws :eek!:

Hi Ceeege.

I can help you out in the New Forest a bit.
These are the areas where I see these birds, but that doesn't mean they'll be showing when & if you get down or you'll be able to get a good pic of them! Most of these birds will also be in other areas of the Forest aswell, but these are good starting points.

Cuckoo - Birds on the heaths are easiest to locate.

Crossbills - In most of the Inclosures. I see & hear them just about everytime I go up the Forest, though most of the time its only a fly over.

Hawfinch - At the moment they're at their easiest to locate & see (apart from the Arboretum in the winter) singing & calling at the tops of the trees, though once the trees leaf out they obviously become more difficult.
At the moment I regularly see them in Mark Ash Wood, Denny Wood, Anses Wood, Pinnick Wood, Anderwood Inclosure, Brinken Wood & Great Huntley Bank, & Bratley Wood. Most of the Ancient Pasture Woods will have them.

Hobby - As has been said, SSW of Beaulieu Road Station is good over the Mire. Other places will be Black Gutter, Holmhill Bog, Crockford, & Warwickslade.

Lesser Spotted Wodpecker - Ancient Pasture Woods & some Inclosures. This is where I see them: Brinken Wood, Great Huntley Bank, Gritnam Wood, Denny Wood, Mark Ash Wood, Frame Wood, Anses Wood, Red Shoot Wood, Bratley Wood, Wooton Coppice Inclosure, Anderwood Inclosure, Holmsley Inclosure.

Redstart - Pretty much every Wood & Inclosure with Broad-leaf trees.

Spotted Flycatcher - Mainly in the Pasture Woods - Mark Ash, Denny, Bratley, Brinken, Frame, the strip of wood along the Avon Water as it runs down the side of Wooton Coppice Inclosure are a few places.

Tree Pipit - On the edges of most of the Woods & Inclosures & on the clear-fell areas inside the inclosures.

Woodcock - heard roding all over the Forest woods in the spring & summer evenings. Not so easy to find in the day. Have seen them in Wooton Coppice Inclosure, Parkhill Inclosure & Holmsley Inclosure.

Woodlark - Most of the heaths have them & some of the clear-fells in the Inclosures - Woodfidley Passage, Thorney Hill Holms, Acres Down, Ashley Cross, Cockley Plain, Dur Hill Inclosure, Knightwood Inclosure, Wooton Coppice Inclosure, Poundhill Inclosure & Poundhill Heath.

Wood Warbler - Mark Ash Wood, Denny Wood, Denny Lodge Inclosure, Highland Water Inclosure, Bolderwood Grounds & North Oakley Inclosure, Anderwood Inclosure.

Hope this helps

Just an update on this and a thanks to all those who have posted here.

I've managed to knock a few off the list and had some great luck with Grasshopper Wabler, Cetti's, Lesser Whitethroat, Whinchat and a few dingy pics of Bearded Tit too. I'm still on the lookout for any on the list at the top but thought I'd share the fruits of my labours so far! :t:

wow! that was quick. And your images are superb, very well done to you.:clap::clap::clap: