A Dorset Bird Saturday - Sep 12

After promising myself to be more frequent in my blogs again I find myself a month behind|! Apologies to all.

Other than the Short-Billed Dowitcher Dorset didn't overly have alot to offer in the exciting bird stakes. Radipole Lakes, House Sparrow population thrives on the discarded bread that the kids chuck off the bridge for the Ducks, however getting on the right side of the light to capture a picture of the extremely close Sparrows proved a little bit of a problem, the walkways in late september as well as being adorned by the buzzing of Dragonflies were aloud with the call of Cetti's Warblers, all the way along the reed beds they could be heard although I didn't see one of the illusive little Brown Jobs.

Large skeins of Canada Geese kept coming in to land on the water around the reserve and the sounds of honks in the sky would get me looking skyward to see another skein incoming above the surrounding chimney pots.

With the path to the hide closed due to flooding we made a slow walk back to the car, pausing to watch a Mute Swan swiftly hurtle up the water to intercept an interloper.

Cormorants 

House Sparrow 

Mute Swan on Patrol

After a grabbing a quick bite to eat and a paying for an extortionate car parking ticket we headed around RSPB Lodmoor, the Car Park already delivering a couple of birds, Black-Headed Gulls swooped low looking for discarded lunch, unsuccessfully returning to the nearby telegraph poles looking for the next target. More surprisingly a couple of Carrion Crows hobbled around on the ground, youngsters I presumed, but not a bird you see up close that often as there countryside cousins are rather crafty and cautious.

All the way around the Marshy ground and scrapes of the Lodmoor reserve, Grey Herons along with the odd Little Egret poised motionless waiting for fish, a couple fairly close to the pathways and seemingly not a bit bothered by the passer byes. The main scrapes seemed empty of many wading birds except quite a few Lapwing, either in summer plumage or juveniles they stalked slowly around in the shallow water, enabling quite a few nice reflections. 

The only other bird seemingly enjoying the shallow water was Teal, lots of odd pairs popped up all the way around the reserve. We did get a brief glimpse of a Marsh Harrier as it lifted up from the middle of the reed bed, doing a quick circuit and disrupting the majority of the gulls before returning back out of sight.

Black Headed Gull

Carrion Crow

Grey Heron

Lapwing

Drake Teal

By the time we had left Lodmoor and taken the scenic route around to RSPB Arne the light was starting to fade and the weather changing for the worse, not a lot showing close up, but Advocet, 
Bar-Tailed Godwit, Curlew, Oystercatcher, Teal & Mallard all showing out on the Middlebere Chanel.

I did manage a new tick on the species list for 2012, when we made it round to the hide overlooking the salt marsh and distant Poole Harbour beyond, a juvenile Spoonbill could be spotted stood amongst a group of 13 Little Egrets.

http://www.facebook.com/MartinClayPhotography Up to date pictures and sightings, prior to me getting around to writing these blog posts, Look out for a free give away soon as well.

I would be more than grateful for any 'Likes' or Comments on my FB Photography Page too so feel free to comment or criticise about anything.

Sika Sunday

A beautiful crisp morning, bathed in Golden Winter Sunlight, Spot on! Sat Nav set,  3 x Memory Cards packed just in case!! The destination the RSPB's flagship Heathland reserve at Arne overlooking Poole Harbour and the distant Brownsea Island. After a short sunday morning layin and a steady drive down the 70 odd miles from home to Dorset, We ( the Girlfriend and I ) arrived around 11.35am grabbed a quick bite to eat and off we set.

Pretty much instantly distracted by the bird feeders next to the new Information Kiosk (I say new, but then I haven't been for 3 Years). Teeming with life, Chaffinch, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Coal Tit, Robin & a pair of Nuthatch all visiting on some kind of chain line. Also strutting his stuff beneath the feeders a male Peacock, not your average bird table sighting.

Male Chaffinch

Male Chaffinch

We headed first out on the Shipstal Point trail towards the Salt marshes and Poole Harbour beyond. First sighting a rather large herd of Sika Deer grazing on a paddock field in the middle of the reserve. 

Grazing Sika Herd

The first birdlife encountered as we headed towards the shoreline, the haunting call of a Curlew, another 100 yards through to the edge of the Salt marsh and the culprit could be seen, joining a passing group of Avocet heading towards the Middlebere Channel. Now I'm not sure what it was that flushed the birds as it moved so fast, falcon-like low over the crests of the waves as it disappeared around the corner of the headland. But if I had to take an educated guess I'd say a Merlin however I can neither confirm nor deny.

Further on around the path whilst trying to get a picture of a small flock of birds dropping in and out of the heather, to which im 99.9% sure were Meadow Pipits, The arrival of 2 Sika Bucks on the path below rather whisked me away. We got so close that I slowly moved to the other side of them in the end, walking straight past, as the light was better for a picture. Bit disappointing as its supposed to be a Wild beast but Im not complaining about the pictures. The path ended in about 30 yards right on the edge of the large area of Salt marsh overlooking Poole Harbour and the distant town of Poole. About 50-60 yards out was the remaining Sika herd, probably 40-45 deer.

Sika Buck 

Sika Buck 

My Fave I Think - Sika Buck 

Sika Buck

Sika Buck  

Sika Hinds

Being on ground level spotting Birds on the marshland proved a little tricky, with just the large bank of Oystercatchers visible on the waters edge a few Hundred present I would think. We took the boardwalk path around to the Double-Decked hide over looking the marsh, bringing a slightly different viewing angle and some slightly different birds than im used too. Curlew, Brent Goose, Shelduck, Wigeon, Teal & Little Egret all feeding out on the marsh. Lots of small groups of Teal, rising from hidden channels and joining other smallish groups. Hard to say the kind of numbers present really. The peaceful sound of the water lapping against the peaty edge with the odd Duck call was broken by the hoarse cacophony of a circling Raven.

Oystercatchers

Brent Geese

With the wind battering the open hide windows, we headed back towards the Car for a drink and the path out towards the other hide overlooking the eastern end of the Middlebere Channel. Whilst watching the procession of Sika crossing the path, slightly reminiscent of the wagon trains from the western films, We were rewarded by 6 Goldcrest fluttering about in the Silver birch tree above our heads. The walk back to the car also brought a slightly more wild sighting of the big Sika Buck.

The Big Boy

After taking the winter finch walk back to the visitor kiosk and only being rewarded with a small flock of 15-20 Starling, we headed out on to the Coombe Trail, on good authority from the RSPB staff that its about this time of day the Short Eared Owls come in. Spending a good 45 mins scanning the surrounding Heathland with no reward not even a Stonechat on the odd Gorse bushes, We headed down to the hide, briefly taking in 2 Black-tailed Godwits fighting on the waters edge.

Now the Middlebere Channel at this time of the day (3pm) looks quite an impressive stretch of river, but quite deceiving really as the tide was heading out, more and more small groups of Avocet headed down to the where the rapidly retreating water left and increasing expanse of mudflat. Numbers ranging into the thousands traveling westerly down the channel. Brilliant stuff having not seen the graceful Avocet before in the wild. In front of the hide large numbers covered the width of the river, the water appearing quite deep coming no further up than the tops of there stilt like legs. Also sifting through the shallow mud more Black-tailed Godwits, Redshank, Teal & Snipe. A large flock of Lapwing circled in the distant fields. 

Avocet

Avocet

The walk back across the Heath still resulted in no Short Eared's but the time was going fast, traffic all the way home was pretty heavy, but didn't spoil a great day out! Even home, just in time for Mum's Sunday roast! Apologies for the rather descriptive account, I hope all that got this far are not too bored!