TwO Owls Birding Blog  Your answer to Birdwatching in Dorset & Hampshire

Bentley Wood

Wed, 16 May 2012 22:20:58 +0100

A day with a difference today with a change from birding to Butterfly watching. A number of our regulars, with a more general interest in nature, joined us in search of two of Britain scarcer species of butterfly, Pearl-bordered Fritillary and the Duke of Burgundy. One of the sites we have found both species is Bentley Wood on the border of Wiltshire and Hampshire, most famous as a site for Purple Emperor which can be seen here in July.

When we started out the sun was shinning and the prospect of a warm sunny day beckoned. By the time we had arrived the clouds had rolled in and at times it was a cool, though sometimes this can be an advantage as the butterflies will sit and allow you to photograph them.

We hadn’t walked far, in fact only fifty metres along the track and a Pearl-bordered Fritillary was seen flitting by us. Soon after Orange-tip and Speckled Yellow a day flying moth was seen. Searching on more fritillaries were seen and photographed. Walking one of the glades I found a Grizzled Skipper which behaved impeccably posing well for the photographers.

Though our target today were butterflies we did observe a few birds, Song Thrush, Willow Warbler, Blackcap, Chiffchaff, Robin, Coal, Great and Blue Tits. One of our next finds was a dead rotten tree stump that was home to a number of Common Lizards, which lay in the encroaching moss trying to warm themselves up.

We spread out in this superb woodland meadow to try and find any other species of butterfly or day flying moths. With some success which Peacock, Speckled Wood and a couple more moths were found with Garden Carpet and an Argent and Sable.

We were beginning to think we weren’t going to get our other target species and even thinking of having a break for lunch and hope the sun would come out for a while and warm things up. When to my surprise a small dark moth flew past me and settled on a leaf of grass and there was a delightful Duke of Burgundy and after some exhaustive following around I managed to get a good upper-side as well as a underside shot of this beautiful small butterfly.

A terrific way to finish a morning.

Hartland Moor

Sun, 13 May 2012 14:44:00 +0100

What an excellent morning to go birding, though the wind was cool it wasn’t uncomfortable, and to be dry, sunny and warm for a change was even better.

We walked where the narrow gauged railway once ran across the moor carrying the china clay for processing. We started well with a pair of Dartford Warblers, the male singing wonderfully well. Stonechat, Skylark, Meadow Pipits, Chiffchaffs were also in good voice. Several Buzzards were in thermal circling overhead with one or two Herring Gulls.

The tramway also produced a few butterflies our first was a Wall Brown, then Green Hairstreak which was followed shortly after by a female Brimstone which added to the feeling that summer was actually arriving at last. Our next find was a ground beetle which I believe is Calocoma nemoralis, see photo.

A large raptor was then spotted coming across the moor from a south westerly direction, a very purposeful flight and fairly low. It soon showed itself to be a ring-tail harrier and we scrutinised it thoroughly as we did hope it may be a Montagu’s. However it definitely was a Hen Harrier but still a very splendid bird and we watched it fly on towards the Arne Moors.

As we approached the end of the tramway for us and taking a footpath back to the road we stopped to scan the area. A bird started singing from the scrub and gorse next to us, a beautiful song of the Lesser Whitethroat. It did not show itself easily and we had to be contented with flight views. A male Blackcap then flew over to the same area but did show well. Joe managed to find the Willow Warbler that was singing, while one or two Swallows fly over. A little further on we came upon a newly fledged family of Stonechats.

Along this boggy area of woodland we also had Green Woodpecker and Great Spotted Woodpecker and we could just make out the song of a Reed Warbler and a Reed Bunting from the small phragmites bed.

Crossing over the road and heading towards the Middlebere farm track Nick found three Spotted Flycatchers and a single Common Whitethroat. A Cetti’s Warbler sang out so loudly next to us but remained out of sight.

Our walk finished with a pair of Mistle Thrush and Kestrels, and to add to our butterfly list a few Orange-tips which covers the highlights of our walk.

Sherford Bridge & Morden Bog

Sat, 28 Apr 2012 17:23:28 +0100

We had a quality day in the rain today, starting at Sherford Bridge in what promised to be a very wet morning for a walk round part of Morden Bog.

Walking to the old Boathouse Lake produced most of all the common species we usually expect along the path. Surprising how many birds were still singing in the rain, Chaffinch, Blackbird, Mistle Thrush, Blackcap, Chiffchaff and Goldcrest were all heard. If fact it was really good for tuning in to the songs and sounds of the birds this morning. The Boathouse lake had nesting Great Crested Grebe, Tufted Duck, Gadwall and whinnying Little Grebes and of course Mallard.

Back on the path Jackie pointed out a Tree Pipit sat at the top of a small pine singing its characteristic song. Just a little further on we had views of Stonechat and a brief view of a Dartford. Walking towards the old decoy cottage we had a fly over Swift picked up by Joe. After passing the ruined cottage we could hear another Tree pipit singing, then I noticed a Woodlark lift from the side of the path. It flew up to a pine tree giving its ‘talula’ call, where it gave excellent scope views. Just after a Green Woodpecker put in a brief appearance, followed shortly after with Joe finding a group of Crossbill feeding in the mature pine next to where we were standing. It was good to see males, females and juveniles for comparison.

Walking back across the heath we saw the Woodlark again but only briefly this time. As we exited the tree-line a superb male Stonechat flew across and perch atop a gorse bush, and our second Dartford decided to get in on the act and performed for several minutes, enabling everyone to get excellent views of this delightful Sylvia warbler. Halfway across a flight of chunky finches flew over, three landing in the top of a Scots Pine the others flew on. I already knew from their calls what they were Crossbill and scoping a male bird perched on the pine certainly added some brightness to a drab day, he was absolutely superb. A male Peregrine that had cruised by earlier was found sitting on one of the arms of the power-line pylon and looked just a little subdued in the rain. It was really nice as throughout our walk this morning we had Linnets everywhere it appears they are doing well on this little piece of heath, if not so on our farmland.

It just goes to prove that you shouldn’t alway give in to the weather as we all had a really excellent walk and still saw some really outstanding birds.

April Round-up

Thu, 26 Apr 2012 11:30:27 +0100

Due to other commitments we have been unable to get out birding this week. We did visit Middlebere on Saturday afternoon (21st April) for a couple of hours.

We had our picnic lunch first and listened to a Dartford Warbler and actually saw a pair and a Kestrel hovered over the moor. As we walked down the track we saw and heard many Linnets and Meadow Pipits. There was just a trickle of Swallows overhead.

We counted five singing Chiffchaffs and a few Blackcaps, with one particularly showy male singing his heart out at the top of a tree in blossom. We also had the common birds we see here all year round with Blackbirds, Song Thrush, Robins, Dunnock and the humble House Sparrow. A Green Woodpecker gave it’s distinctive yaffle as did the loud song of the Wren. As we looked over the reed bed we heard a short burst of song from a Reed Warbler.

Walking the path from the cottages to the hide we had several Goldfinch and a couple of Jays. Once in the hide, we could see Black-tailed Godwits feeding in the channel and we had a count of 98, just three Redshank and 14 Teal. No counts made of the following but of interest we also had Shelduck, Lapwing, Gadwall and the usual Yellow-legged Gull.

Best of all was a Marsh Harrier that came across the channel to the right of the hide, it must have flown to the back of us as we then saw it drift back over the channel to the left of us. We ended our walk here with a calling Cuckoo.

The weather we have been experiencing has been very unpleasant for us and the birds, which has no doubt affected the migration and the cause of numbers of migrants being thin on the ground. But for those who like to sea watch, it was certainly a been worth while now the winds have changed from the northerlies. It was such a shame that we were unable to take advantage.

Reports from Portland Bill, Hengistbury in Dorset and Milford along the Hampshire coast to Selsey in West Sussex have produced some good sea watching. Portland has seen good numbers of Manx Shearwaters with a thousand passing in the last couple of days (24th/25th). Great Skua’s or Bonxies giving them their Shetland name, have also been passing in good numbers with sixty moving towards their northern breeding ground. The spring passage of Pomarine Skuas have also begun with birds being recorded from Portland, Hengistbury, Milford and Selsey Bill. Whimbrel, Common Sandpipers, Whitethroats, Garden Warblers, Nightingales, Yellow Wagtails and Arctic and Common Terns have all started moving through the area showing spring in really upon us now.

As for those scarce and rare species that sometimes occur April has brought a handful to Dorset with Glossy Ibis at Radipole. The wintering Hume’s Warbler remained near the Littlesea holiday camp as did the Richard’s Pipit by the Bridging Camp on the Fleet. A scattering of Red Kites have been reported from all around the county from east to west. A pair of Serin appeared in a garden at Swanage for a couple of days before moving on. Cattle Egret, Great White Egret were recorded at and over Lytchett Bay. A Black-winged Stilt appeared at Radipole Lake on the 11th and moved to Abbotsbury for a few days. A Hoopoe was seen at Durlston on the 13th, Glaucous Gulls were reported from Abbotsbury and Mudeford Quay on the 19th and 20th respectively and a White Stork in fields near Bindon Farm near Wool on 23rd rounds thing off nicely to date.

High Drama at Keyhaven Marshes

Tue, 17 Apr 2012 15:14:20 +0100

Mixed day today with the wind blowing and the morning rain we were very lucky that our walk coincided with a break in the weather. As we walked the shoreline path our first birds were Chaffinch, Reed Bunting and Meadow Pipits plus a Dunnock or two. Out over the marsh there was very little just a Little Egret and a few Black-headed Gulls. In the first gorse patch we had several Linnet, the males looking particularly fetching with their scarlet breasts.

Over the marsh a few of us saw a medium sized wader fly in, Jackie thought it was a Curlew but I remarked it looked too small and could be a Whimbrel. A little further on keeping my eye on the spot where it landed it took off again and flying back across the marsh I was able to confirm it was a Whimbrel.

There seemed to be few waders today it appears that most had left in front of the rain, but there were still a few local Redshank a single Snipe, the odd Black-tailed Godwit and a handful of Curlew. On reaching Keyhaven lagoon it was becoming more obvious that there was little around, a couple of Little Terns, our first sighting of this species for this year, a drake Pintail, a few Mallard and Teal, also a dozen Shelduck was all that could be seen.

Then steaming in from behind us a Black-tailed Godwit being chased by not one but a pair of Peregrines swooping and diving at the godwit. The godwit put up a good effort but as the female stooped at it for the fourth maybe fifth time it crash dived into the water. Both Peregrine whooped in turn to try and take it from the water, sometimes almost hovering over what was a godwit in double trouble. They gave the bird a brief reprieve and landed on the edge of the lagoon. It was though they were thinking how they could get this bird out of the water. I say brief respite as the male or Tercel took off and swooped in low, striking with one set of talons, wheeled around and went in again, then on the third pass grabbed the Godwit by the head and lifted it from the water. The godwit fought back and was released, but as it struggled to the bank the next attack ended the dual and the Peregrine won, lifting the bird off the water and out into the marsh behind, the female joined him. Both birds were out of sight from us for a short time then the female took off with the godwit and flew out on to the saltmarsh, landed on a post and started plucking the unfortunate bird.

The high drama over we moved on around the sea wall to Fishtail Lagoon, we found a few more waders with Spotted Redshank, Lapwing, Ringed Plover, singles of Dunlin and Knot, two Ruff and three Reeves, one of the a Ruff was getting his ruff feathers coming through. Oystercatchers, one or two Black-tailed Godwits looking good in their summer plumage. Along the dyke at the end of the Fishtail a Common Tern was feeding, working up and down the dyke catching small fish fry from the water, and giving great views and the opportunity to discuss features of this beautiful summer visitor.

The walk back via the ancient highway produced the usual species, but what a morning we'd had, certainly one we shall remember.

TwO Owls Birding Blog Your answer to Birdwatching in Dorset & Hampshire

Bentley Wood

Hartland Moor

Sherford Bridge & Morden Bog

April Round-up

High Drama at Keyhaven Marshes

TwO Owls Birding Blog  Your answer to Birdwatching in Dorset & Hampshire