Dorset birding (2 Viewers)

[James Lowther]

Out on the heath? or along the track by the car park entrance?

I've only been a couple of times, both specifically (and successfully) to look for woodcock so i'm not all that familiar with the local topography. You walk along the main track away from the car park through the woods through a couple of gates until you come out onto open heathland (grazed by horses). If you walk out onto the heath for a bit and look back towards the car park the woodcock patrol along the edge of the woods at dusk (listen out for the grunting and sneezing call). Both times i've been were in summer (june or july) but i'm not sure how early in the year it all starts, probably quite a bit earlier than that,

cheers,

James

 

[Nina P]

I've only been a couple of times, both specifically (and successfully) to look for woodcock so i'm not all that familiar with the local topography. You walk along the main track away from the car park through the woods through a couple of gates until you come out onto open heathland (grazed by horses). If you walk out onto the heath for a bit and look back towards the car park the woodcock patrol along the edge of the woods at dusk (listen out for the grunting and sneezing call). Both times i've been were in summer (june or july) but i'm not sure how early in the year it all starts, probably quite a bit earlier than that,

cheers,

James

Have you seen the Dartfords there, and the yellowhammers, get there before the end of April and then you can see Curlew, Woodlark, Linnet and many others, not to mention the more unusual flora such as lousewort, (bit orchid like just emerging flowers from the heather scrub) or if you cross the main road, re bill oddie goes wild last night, there are also nightjars and SEO and LEO very close to this area, just a fascinating place to be. My favourite birding place.

 

[Nina P]

Again on the way to Shaftesbury, I was given the most amazing view of a Red Tailed Kite, it swooped so low over the bonnet of my car I could see every detail, it then flew up into the tree by the roadside! WOW! WOW! WOW!o
What a delightful sight. I just wish I hadn't been alone, although I did have another vehicle behind me, I wonder what that driver thought!:t:

 

[Nina P]

I daren't say where I saw this, but I was not driving, hubby was, so I had the delight of following this birds flight pattern, from one wooded copse to another outside Blandford, showing this georgeous sinuous S, long tail fairly heavy, raptor, chasing a corvid! What a delight, I hadn't seen one in this area before, but wow what a delight. Georgeous Gossie!

 

[scary-canary]

You're a raptor magnet!

 

[cwpbirder]

Ferrybridge/Portland

Excellent views of 41 Mediterranean Gulls at Ferrybridge on Sat, a mixture of adults and immatures. Also 4 Black-throated Divers in Portland Harbour, with a Great Northern Diver and a Black-necked Grebe, but I couldn't find the Long-tailed Ducks. Whereabouts in the harbour are they usually seen? Plenty of Red-breasted Mergansers as well.

 

[scary-canary]

Longham lakes

Lakes were like glass today. Had to park near the bridge hotel and walk in that way. Saw a chiffchaff behind the houses and a stock dove over the quarry. Lots of wigeon and teal on the quarry and easier to see from a gap in the fence too. At least three buzzards present today.
Green woodpecker and kestrel teasing me by flying away as i got the camera out.

 

[bob hastie]

First posting on this thread for me
spent the morning at Arne yesterday, nothing much to report from here.
Then popped to Radipole on the way home to Somerset just in case the bearded tits stuck their heads up for a couple of seconds.
Stopped at the visitor center for a cup of coffee, sat down outside when the other half looked up and said "they're here"
One male and one female beardy then proceeded to feed right in front of us for the next 2 1/2 hours, views to within a few feet.





All i can say is yesterday afternoon took several months off the life of my camera shutter, when we left I had 28 shots left on my 9 gigs of memory cards.

 

[Paul Corfield]

Seen something interesting here in Poole in the last few weeks. Every Monday morning my wife and I do the weekly food shopping at the big Asda superstore at Poole Harbour. The store is on the edge of Holes Bay and that particular corner has a small reed bed. At low tide there is a wooden post that sticks out of the mud flats and three weeks ago as we left the store I was driving up the road and saw a large bird of prey sat on the wooden post. I was already on the main road so couldn't stop for a look. Last Monday the tide was in so the post was submerged but today the tide was out and the bird was there again. It's about the size of a Buzzard and possibly is a Buzzard but I've not had a chance to stop and get a good look yet. Seems a strange place for a Buzzard to perch though as it's a busy built up area. When my wife and I left the store today I pulled over but by then the bird had gone. I'll start taking the camera and scope from next week and see if I can digiscope it, it's only about 30 or so metres away so it's within easy range.

Lovely Bearded Tit photos Bob. :t:

Paul.

 

[Buzzard1905]

i saw that raptor sat on the post a couple of weeks back when i was going in to work,but couldnt tell what it was,only thing i could see was the front of it was white.

 

[John P]

Seems a strange place for a Buzzard to perch though as it's a busy built up area.

I saw one a few weeks ago sat on the grass three foot from the kerb in the middle of the Bakers Arms roundabout, in the evening rush hour.

 

[Nina P]

Beautiful Bearded Tits, I have yet to ever see them, heard but never seen so far!
I have been noting the number of Buzzards in more densely built areas, and how many of them have white fronts! Most have a band of brown midway down their front, otherwise white breasted.
Buzzards are often circling overhead in Cardiff so I would not be surprised that the bird in Holes Bay is one of them, but if it looks like the old fashioned Camel Coat flapping over the water then you can reasonably count it as Marsh Harrier. I happened to see a Buzzard Sitting in the edge of a field just outside Wimborne Town Centre this morning, looking as though it had just lost its breakfast!

 

[Nina P]

Took mt friends to the Airport (Hurn) and got a sighting of a good group of redwings sitting all around the fields that surround the airport, I nearly missed them as I originally thought they were thrushes, until I thought thrushes don't have red underwings, what a dozy old fool I am becoming! The brain has aged too much me thinks!
At home there are clusters of LTT's and goldfinches, stripping the feeders daily, I am struggling to keep up with their voracious appetites, the Blackthorn is now in flower, and I notice the hawthorn by the house has leaf greening showing, I think this is way too early, but the birds are certainly paired up and sparrows fighting each other while flying low and fast, I remember being hit in the head by them when I was small, got a nasty gash from their beaks, so now I am very wary of their moods. Plenty of drumming from the woodpeckers, but my hearing is not good enough now to distinguish their rhythm. I used to be able to tell the difference from the beat, but now I find it frustrating not hearing properly, well so much for having time when you can no longer hear what is going on around you. I have great respect for those who have been born deaf, as life must be strange to have nothing to listen to.

 

[scary-canary]

Adult med gull feeding on Bournemouth beach at lunchtime today and then calling from roof of Harry Ramsden's Nice bird and quite confiding.

 

[scary-canary]

First sign of spring at Longham Lakes yesterday - three sand martins over the quarry. Also lots of wagtails and meadow pipits and at least 10 reed buntings.
Skylark singing and a kestrel too.
Two shelducks on the quarry

 

[scary-canary]

Longham Lakes

Pretty quiet at the lae today - a few reed buntins and pied wagtails, two shelducks on the quarry, one male pochard and the usual tufted (which i ought to count but i'd guess about 30.). Several chiffchaffs, which i guess are migrants rather than wintering birds. I've got high hopes for the spring - hoping for something special! It's a beautiful and relaxing walk even when the birds are few and far between.

 

[scary-canary]

Longham lake today

Male and female wheatear and three little ringed plover on the old quarry side of the lake today plus several sandmartins (30+) and a willow warbler.

 

[teamsaint]

I was driving past Langford on Monday (7th) and spotted a very large white bird (?) on one of the lakes. I think it may well have been a Great White Egret, far far too big for a Little, and I guess Great White is more likely than Spoonbill. Might be worth keeping a look out in the area.
Tom

 

[B Bray]

Corn Buntings

If any one is interested, there were still thirty odd Corn Buntings this evening on wires at South Down on the Blandford to Salisbury road between Pimperne and Tarrant Hinton.

 

[Ceeege]

I'm looking for a bit of assistance from a few local birders including those from Dorset. I have some free time coming up and was looking for assistance in finding a few locations to photograph some nice shiny summer migrants. My original post is ---> this one here <--- but basically I'd be grateful to find a few local spots in and around Dorset to get a few new species over the next month or so. (I can stay with the in-laws on the Dorset/Hampshire border!) Check out the post above for a more in depth view of what I'm trying to achieve. (I don't want to spam too many threads!)

Thanks in advance :t: