Terrible poor shots (particularly compared to those from John and James) but at least I got an image of one of the Wendover critters this evening. Second shot is someone else, presumably glis glis spotting. Thanks for the advice guys. Phil
They're obviously taking advantage of the warm weather, some years the woods are silent by 20 Sept. Glad you scored, and got lucky with one of the many Tawnies there as well!
I was out in Dorset yesterday having taken the day off with Marion to celebrate our thirteenth wedding anniversary. Not a terribly strenuous day: Durlston in the morning where a Peregrine was best bird but a horde of Chiffchaffs provided some entertainment and a cream tea combined well with a potter round the castle.
Some people see Stoats and Weasels at Durlston but I have never been among them. Our only mammal there was a Grey Squirrel.
We moved on to Arne, and walked down to Shipstal and the hide after Sikas to find them unusually difficult. However, the 31 Spoonbills (UK personal best!) on the sand bar were fairly obvious, and more so when they were flushed by a passing Chinook. Curiously, soon after I rang them in to RBA, a message suddenly came out that the previous day there had been 39 on Brownsea Island. I can only assume that some local decided that once this foreign b*****d (i.e. someone not from Dorset) had revealed the secret he might as well make sure of the high count. Otherwise, why not put the message out yesterday? Most peculiar.
Eventually we found a few Sikas, including one stag that was enjoying a wallow - something I've never seen before. He rolled about and thrashed his antlers through the mud and moss for about ten minutes, then stood up, gave me the eye and finally wandered off towards presumably his hind and her this year's calf who were grazing nearby.
We made a run for the Hampshire border before the suppression guards could be alerted and had a very nice meal safely back in the New Forest at The Fighting Cocks at Godshill to pass the time rather than fight the rush hour traffic.
John
Chiffchaff
Peregrine
Cheers!
Most of a flock of 31 Spoonbills
Sika stag in wallow
