Dorset birding (14 Viewers)

[Ceeege]

I'm next door to Dorset at the moment and would love to see a Woodlark and have a free morning tomorrow. Any ideas?

 

[scary-canary]

beaulieu road station in the new forest, south of Lyndhurst is probably your best bet. depends on which side of dorset you're on.
I haven't seen any in Dorset recently near me.

 

[Ceeege]

beaulieu road station in the new forest, south of Lyndhurst is probably your best bet. depends on which side of dorset you're on.
I haven't seen any in Dorset recently near me.

I went there are few weeks back but without much luck in a 2 hour search. Any specific place there or tips on which way to head from the car park? I'm only 25 mins away from there currently so could pop over weather permitting tomorrow.

 

[scary-canary]

From reading all the reports on the hoslist site i assumed they were easy! Sorry. I don't have any extra advice. Might be worth asking on the hampshire site
http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=78349

 

[Ceeege]

I think it's going to turn into my bogey bird! Thanks anyway, I was also under the impression that they were relatively easy to find at the right locations though I'm often not the luckiest birder. I guess perseverence is the key though but with the weather out there this morning I think I might just stay in the dry and warm and leave them for another day!

 

[John Bullfinch]

Canford heath is great for heathland species

http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/390566

Many thanks for your ideas, we may be stopping for the night near here. Been off-line for over a week so hence the belated thanks.

John

 

[Wendy Morris]

Red Kite over the A37 at Wardon Hill by Southern Counties Shooting Ground. Seen Friday 11th at 09.20 for approx 10 minutes.

 

[scary-canary]

missing birds

Anyone offer sites near Wimborne for corn bunting, grey partridge or turtle dove for my year list?
Thanks
Chris

 

[B Bray]

Anyone offer sites near Wimborne for corn bunting, grey partridge or turtle dove for my year list?
Thanks
Chris

It depends on what you mean by "near" Wimborne, but you should get them on Martin Down, we've had all three of them there this year. From the Sillens Lane car park (the one along the lane from Martin village) head south and walk a large clockwise circle going as far as the earthwork on the western boundary of the down should get you Grey Partridge and Turtle Dove, but you may have to walk south from the A354 car park for a CB. Listen out for Quail too.

In the summer Corn Buntings can also be found all along the A354 Blandford to Salisbury road between Collingwood Corner (the entrance to Blandford Camp) and Handley roundabout. The wires around the Great Dorset Steam Fair fields, and the small Ash? sapling just Salisbury side of the Toll House beyond Tarrant Hinton are good places to start. They were there on Sunday.

In the winter they tend to flock near the GDSF site, when there are 30+ on the wires near the barns on South Down.

If you want to look for all three species nearer Wimborne, I'd suggest trying between the back of Badbury Rings and Tarrant Rushton Airfield, there are miles of footpaths and bridleways. There also used to be Turtle Doves in the Manswood area, but we haven't been up there for some time.

Good luck.

 

[Paul Corfield]

I've often seen flocks of Corn Bunting from the car park at Badbury Rings. That was last year, not been up there much this year yet. I usually start going up there with the kids through the school summer holidays, late July through August.

Paul.

 

[scary-canary]

Good ideas - thanks. I tried some of the farm lanes near Badbury Rings on Sunday but got nothing. And missed everything at Martin Down earlier in the month too - too windy when i was there. I'll give your ideas a try.
Chris

 

[scary-canary]

Thanks Paul - you been to langham Lakes lately? There have been some very visible foxes there in the afternoons lately, but not many unusual birds apart from stock doves.

 

[B Bray]

I've often seen flocks of Corn Bunting from the car park at Badbury Rings. That was last year, not been up there much this year yet. I usually start going up there with the kids through the school summer holidays, late July through August.

Paul.

A Corn Bunting was singing, and showing well, in the corn across the racecourse from the car park at Badbury Rings this afternoon.

Brian

 

[Paul Corfield]

Thanks Paul - you been to langham Lakes lately? There have been some very visible foxes there in the afternoons lately, but not many unusual birds apart from stock doves.

Sorry Chris, only just seen your message. For some reason even though I'm subscribed to this thread I don't seem to be getting emails to say when someone replies.

Not been to Longham lakes yet this year. Come to think of it I've not been to many places at all this year as I'm always in the studio painting, it's good to be busy though, a victim of my own success lol . The kids are off school now for their summer holidays so starting next week I'm going to be taking quite a few days off when the weathers good and visit all the local haunts, plus it gets the kids out and seeing some nature etc.

Paul.

 

[Wendy Morris]

Red Kite to west of Abbotsbury, above the ridge inland from the viewpoint on the B3167 at approx 13.50.

 

[Dominic Couzens]

Two Black Terns at Longham Lakes today

 

[scary-canary]

black terns

Dammit I nearly went this morning but the weather was so poor... will try to get there at lunch!

 

[scary-canary]

Black terns still there at 1.30pm! Phew! my 78th tick for the site - thanks Dominic!

 

[scary-canary]

No sign of black terns at Longham lake at 4pm today. flock of 40+ goldfinches worth noting and still many house and sand martins

 

[scary-canary]

Longham lake

Beautiful day at the lake - water as still as glass. Good numbers of tufted duck and coots and a couple of shovelers. No sand martins today, must have all gone this week. Highlights of a walk round, apart from it being sunny and warm for the first time in months were three grey wagtails and a kingfisher, my first of the year at the site.