Dorset birding (1 Viewer)

[Paul Corfield]

Hopefully they will police the dog walkers once things are up and running. None of them seem to take notice of the 'No Dogs Allowed' signs. Really annoys me when they are chucking big sticks into the lake for their dogs to swim after.

Paul.

 

[Flemingo]

I hope they don't just flood the new section as this would reduce the range of habitat.

 

[scary-canary]

It'll only be good for ducks if they don't leave nice muddy edges. But if they've gone to the trouble of building a visitor centre then I'm pretty sure they will sort out other habitat - reedbed etc.

 

[stevetb]

Went to Blashford lakes with my 2 year old son today. Have to say he behaved quite well until he fell off the bench in the tern hide. ouch! As he did this while unclipping the legs of my tripod while wearing my glasses and holding a pair of my binoculars he managed to maximize my distress. All glassware and son survived intact! I later failed to clip up the window in the woodland hide which then fell on my head. That window is heavy!!! Still did some birds including the long-tailed duck. Still failing to get the great white egret. Why did they decide to put one way, non opening glass in one of the ivy lake hides?? It gets steamed up and there is no way to see out! Probably a health and safety ploy to stop people dropping the things on their heads!

It's probably partly to do with the fact that the woodland and ivy north hide are newer, and are near the education centre - they allow close up views for kids without disturbance. Last year there was a bittern very close in the reeds just below the hide, and the GWE has sat on the perches outside before. I think that the ivy lake side is geared towards families a bit more than the ibsley/mockbeggar side.

 

[Flemingo]

I can see how that would be but it's still a shame as the glass does reduce the clarity of viewing distant birds. On a good day its excellent at the woodland hide but on a bad day you can hardly see out. Can't have everything I suppose.

 

[Flemingo]

Morning trip to hengisbury head with the family and some friends. Not a huge amount about today. Highlight was a short view of a water rail. Other birds included cormorant, little egret, heron, black-tailed godwit, curlew, ringed plover, redshank, mute, wigeon, mallard, pochard, little grebe, coot, GBB gull, herring gull, BH gull, Kestrel, magpie, jay, crow, meadow pipit, starling, house sparrow but still no nutcracker!

I don't know if anyone has wandered over ferndown heath recently but it seems their scrub clearance has frightened off just about everything apart from the dartford warblers

 

[Flemingo]

V cold today. Lunchtime walk over Ferndown common confirmed that the bush clearance is chasing away all the birds. Only stonechat, 2 dartfords and a snipe. Latter a new spp for me at this site

 

[zacatzooba]

Hi everyone in Dorset,
I'm visiting the area around Poole/Wimborne over x-mas and wondered if anyone has any suggestions as to where I can sneak off to when the inlaws begin to grate to do a bit of birding? a good seawatch site or anywhere with possibility of winter waders/ducks/grebes would be fab.

many thanks in advance for any suggestions.

rob

 

[John P]

I'd probably try Brands Bay, not really what you'd call seawatching but plenty of ducks, waders and divers. There's a hide at SZ023851 if it's raining.

Blashford lakes just North of Ringwood is usually worth a look too. Entrance at SU154072.

 

[B Bray]

Hi everyone in Dorset,
I'm visiting the area around Poole/Wimborne over x-mas and wondered if anyone has any suggestions as to where I can sneak off to when the inlaws begin to grate to do a bit of birding? a good seawatch site or anywhere with possibility of winter waders/ducks/grebes would be fab.

many thanks in advance for any suggestions.

rob

I'd certainly visit Blashford Lakes, it's only 20 minutes or so from Wimborne, I'd also look over Studland Bay from the Middle car park at Studland for Grebes and Divers, also Hatch Pond, on the road from Wimborne to Poole, where a Bittern has taken up residence for the winter.

Good luck.

 

[scary-canary]

I'd certainly visit Blashford Lakes, it's only 20 minutes or so from Wimborne, I'd also look over Studland Bay from the Middle car park at Studland for Grebes and Divers, also Hatch Pond, on the road from Wimborne to Poole, where a Bittern has taken up residence for the winter.

Good luck.

Holt heath, about 10 minutes from Wimborne has a healthy population of dartford warblers. park in whitesheet plantation car park and walk along the tracks and you will soon hear one. Chance of hen harrier here too.
Tarrant Rushden old airfield, north of wimborne just off the wimborne-Blandford road has corn buntings, golden plover and a decent gathering of ravens at the minute. The river through wimborne has kingfishers and grey wagtail.

 

[Paul Corfield]

I was at Poole Park this evening at around 4pm to take the kids to see Santa. Circling over the cricket pitch there was a flock of around 300 Starlings all flying in unison like they do. Great to watch the swirling mass of birds and at around 4.20pm they all shot down into the reed beds by the small lake where the railway bridge is for the miniature train. There was a hawk, probably a Sparrowhak that kept flying into the flock but didn't catch anything.

Paul.

 

[scary-canary]

Longham lake

Lots of ducks at Longham lake today in a brief visit - shoveller, pochard, tufted, mallard, gadwall and 10 little grebes too.
I'm informed by the water authority that the building is a visitor centre, and there will be platforms built soon for disabled fishermen and there will be toilets too! the plans sound very encouraging for both leisure anfd wildlife habitat development at this stage.
Chris

 

[scary-canary]

Boxing day - at least 10 male pochard with the ducks. And lots of wigeon on the big workings plus many gulls - i didn't have my scope so only saw black heads, herring and great black backs.

One black tailed godwit at hatch pond but no sign on bitterns (my fifth attempt this winter and still no success, even though it was beautiful and sunny)

 

[James Lowther]

s-c

are you going to hatch pond at dusk??

they are being seen very regularly about 4pm every day at the very top of the pond

i had amazing views of one bird plus a second in flight a few weeks ago

follow the path virtually as far as you can go and watch from a gap in the pines - there will probably be other birders there

cheers,

James

 

[scary-canary]

i haven't been at dusk - in previous years time of day wasn't important. Are you saying they are in the small pond at the top or still in the reeds on the main pond? No doubti I'll try again, later.

 

[James Lowther]

they are in the main pond but best seen at the very top, there is a channel cut in the reeds on the opposite side where one tends to appear then it roosts in the reeds in plain view.

I saw them on the 22nd November

this month one or two have been seen late afternoon on at least the following dates
1st, 5th, 6th, 8th, 13th, 17th, 18th, 20th, 25th, 26th

you should definitely try again!!

cheers,

James

 

[scary-canary]

Got the bittern tonight, although it was nearly dark. Unusual views of it with head extended in the middle of the rushes.
Also a spectacular magpie roost here, I counted more than 120 birds, and was told 175 seen on Friday.

Attached is a photo of part of the roost, plus a nice grebe shot from earlier in the week

 

[Stevie babe]

Mangerton River, Bridport Boxing day morning.

Beuatifully clear with bright low sunshine. I walked the footpath towards town to get a paper for my Dad - together with camera and bins. Blue & Great Tits every where as were blackbirds and song thrushes. Occasional robins singing. There was a misplaced Dunnock at the top of a hawthorn bush rather than the lower branches.

There was a Grey wagtail rummaging in the dead reeds and grasses by the side of the stream. On the route back, with paper under my arm, I saw a bird flying low away from me, then saw it again but once more it flew on away from me. Then I saw a bright red patch on a tree over the river, my first thoughts were bullfinch but then once I had the bins on it it ws a full frontal Kingfisher. It was positively glowing in the sunlight, then it turned round and the azure blue back was blindingly bright. Fabulous view but no chance of a photo as a passing Jay disturbed it. Brilliant start to Boxing Day

 

[Stevie babe]

Forgot to mention the pair of stonechats