Wednesday 2 December 2015

Storm-blown- Farmoor Reservoir

Following the success of the previous day's trip to see the Hoopoe, we travelled down to Oxfordshire's Farmoor Reservoir, to see the 1st Winter Grey Phalarope, which had arrived 2 days before.  It was the second time we'd been there this year, having got the Red-Necked Grebe back in April there as well.  When reading my bird guide, I was informed that the species in question is only blown in by autumn gales to inland lakes, and is used to rough seas.  Well, if ever there was an inland sight that mimicked the sea, this was certainly it.  After applying dozens of layers, we got out of the car and headed for the reservoir wall.  Once there, the wind was so strong, it was difficult to stand up, with many people being blown around themselves.  Not knowing where the bird was, we decided to check the area where the Grebe had frequented.  Coot, Mallard and Little Grebe were all present.  I then spotted a way off, a man with a large camera lens at ground level, taking shots of a patch of water.  Upon scanning the patch, I raised the alarm- Grey Phalarope!  We made our way to where the man was, the water lapping at our feet.  I was struck by how small the bird was, feeding and preening about 10 metres from the shoreline.

Grey Phalarope preening

Grey Phalarope feeding

Grey Phalarope in flight

After 5 minutes the bird struck up, and flew a way down the shore, and landed even closer to it.  All of us there hurriedly made our way to the spot, and with the bird now only several metres away it was hard not to get a good shot.  You must excuse the number of shots taken, but with such a close model, I couldn't refuse!
Grey Phalarope

Head-on

Grey Phalarope

Calling

Riding a nearby wave crest

In the frothing waters

Grey Phalarope

With the wind magnified, so were the waves.  The poor little bird was flung around from side to side with each oncoming wave, yet still seemed unfazed, often flying back to the more sheltered right hand side before returning to feed in more open water.  It often shared the surf with leaves that had been blown in from the nearby trees.

Riding the waves!

Struggling to stay upright!

Most of the time, I ended up with shots like this!

With an oncoming wave looming...

Hopping over a smaller wave

I crouched down with my camera to get level with the bird, but in doing so, lost all blood circulation in my legs, and had to wait several minutes before I could stand up and walk properly.  Before we left, a look over the other side of the reservoir produced the commoner Gull species, Great Crested Grebe and small numbers of Pied Wagtail.  But this was only brief- it was too cold a day to be out in!

Sunday 15 November 2015

Unseasonal Hirundines- 'The Crooked Spire'

For a while, we had noticed that a 'twitchable' Crag Martin had been present in Chesterfield, Derbyshire for some time, so come this morning, we set off on an hour and forty minute joinery in order to try and see him.  It had been seen at 8 o'clock this morning, so we were quietly hopeful, as we arrived at around 10:40AM.  The bird had took a fancy to the Church of St. Mary and All Saints, renown for its crooked lead spire.  Instead of joining the already large crowd of birders, we parked in a nearby car park and sat in the comfort of the car, waiting for the bird to show.

The view of the Church from the car park

The tower the bird frequents

I have seen photos of the bird flying past this clock

For a period, no Martin showed.  Carrion Crow, Magpie, Jackdaw and Woodpigeon all flew over, and once or twice a Sparrowhawk flushed the Feral Pigeons sitting on the tower.  Yet suddenly, I noticed a small bird flying just like a Martin, and the binoculars of the distant birders had been raised too!  So here he was, a small, acrobatic Crag Martin.

Crag Martin flying over the weathervane

We all knew it was the bird, as all other hirundines would have already set off if not arrived at Africa.  It was so unusual seeing a Martin so late in the year, and the cold, blustery conditions were a contrast to the normal calm and sunny weather associated with the arrival of Swallows and Martins.  It was extremely fast and agile, making it hard to photograph.  However, it often paused in mid flight amidst the strong gusts, and stayed long enough for a decent shot.  It didn't spend all its time around the church either, and scoured most of the town for insects too.  It often flew over our car park, and even once our car!  Though the sun had come out and the bird was so close, its speed meant that a shot more than a silhouette eluded me.

Streamline Crag Martin!

Crag Martin over the car

Showing just how long its wings are

We spent many happy hours watching and attempting to photograph it.  It would often disappear for 5 or 10 minutes at a time before returning, and sweeping past the church, almost touching the tower.  As early afternoon came, we decided to leave, very pleased with our newest and overall rarest t date lifer.  Just as we pulled away, the Crag Martin came into sight one last time and signalled a heartfelt farewell.  Well…..almost!

Sunday 18 October 2015

Starling Fest

It was on last Sunday that we went looking for the juvenile Rose-Coloured Starling that had been seen around some roads on the outskirts of Tewkesbury amongst a Starling flock.  I thought that being so very different to a Common Starling, it would be easy to spot.  How wrong I was!

We arrived about mid-morning at a council estate next to some open parkland and fields.  But it was the concrete jungle that we would be focussed upon.  It is an understatement to say that there were Starlings everywhere.  On every house, tree, aerial.  The roofs were also littered with House Sparrows, mixed in amongst them.  What was worse was that the sun was behind the birds, so only silhouettes could be seen at the time.  From talking to a huddled group of birders, we learnt that the bird in question had been seen but only briefly that morning, and many left empty handed.  So, we started driving around its main haunts, Margaret, Dispenser and Wenlock Roads (along with some others around them), scrutinising every Starling flock we came to.  But still no Rose-Coloured.  We then entered a dream-like state.  We scoured the same roads again and again, doing different routes of them at the next opportunity.  Locals watched our continuous revolutions with interest.  As we drove round, we met the same people about three or four times, whether they be the general public or birders.

We then parked just outside the estate and enjoyed a break with a banana and a KitKat.  Whilst we sat there, watching a small streams progress, we saw Mallard, Collared Dove, an assortment of Crows and again the dreaded Starlings.  After a while, we drove back and parked in the centre of the roads.  We overhead a local man talking to some birds about how the Starling had come and sat opposite his house on many occasions.  Therefore, we drove into his road and parked at the corner.  The sun was in the right position and there was an abundance of Starling around.  We looked at the gentleman's neighbours house, whose roof held mainly Sparrows.  Suddenly a flock appeared on his aerial and I caught sight of a bird who wasn't Sparrow like in shape nor dark enough for a Starling.  Hurriedly reaching for my camera, I took a few shots, which revealed the bird to be the much paler and unique juvenile Rose-Coloured Starling!

Starlings on the opposite rooftop

The juvenile Rose-Coloured Starling (the far left bird)

Even though it was a juvenile, it had such lovely colour to it.  We managed to alert other birder in the road to it, before it flew off with the rest of the flock.  I believe that the day we saw it was the last day it was seen, so we were lucky enough to get it just in time.  Congratulating ourselves, we then headed off back home for some bird seed from Webbs as well as some well served lunch.

Wednesday 30 September 2015

The Highlands- Scotland Holiday

I have been thinking that, as I did not write a comprehensive account of our wonderful and fruitful trip to Scotland earlier this year in the April Easter break, I shall finally record all the details of the holiday now.  I was greatly aided by my trusty copy of 'Best Birdwatching Sites: Scottish Highlands' and before we left, I had noted down the best places to see rare species, such as the Cairngorms and Findhorn Valley.
Before I begin, here was my main target species for the Highlands, as follows:

Golden Eagle
White-Tailed Eagle
Ptarmigan
Capercaillie
Red-Throated Diver
Black-Throated Diver
Hooded Crow
Crested Tit
Parrot Crossbill
Scottish Crossbill

When I went up here, my life list was at 197, having got the Red-Necked Grebe at Farmoor Reservoir only 3 days previous.  We all decided to guess what our 200th bird would be, which we would hopefully get while we were up here- my Dad guessed Golden Eagle, my Mom guessed Capercaillie and I guessed Ptarmigan.  I shall reveal later who won!


Friday 3rd April 2015- The Journey Up
We woke up reasonably early for what would be our longest journey to a holiday destination- with the Highlands situated at least 7 hours north of our house in the Midlands.  When we reached Cumbria, we stopped off at a nearby Toby Carvery in Carlisle to have a very welcome full English Breakfast before we climbed north once more.  When we entered Scotland, I was surprised at how similar it was to English countryside but nevertheless, began to list my Scottish species, which inevitably, were those that hung about adjacent to the road.  It was not long however, before we were greeted by stunning and dramatic mountains that completely dwarfed the road beside them.  Then we entered the Cairngorm National Park, and snow-covered hills were now encountered, with ones high summit covered in a thick blanket of mist.

Part of the Cairngorm National Park

We then came across the House of Bruar, what seemed to be the largest shopping centre for miles, so we popped in for a browse.  Inside were an antiques shop and a collection of very fine gentleman's clothing such as smoking jackets and deer stalkers!  Through the sound of the rain in the outside courtyard and garden section, a small group of House Sparrows and Pied Wagtails called and flew around the shoppers.  It was upon leaving that I noticed 3 Grouse, feeding in a field opposite the entrance.  So, having parked the car up the road, we walked back and to our delight, saw 3 male Black Grouse standing there, who subsequently flew off into the forest.  How they were not scared of the noises of the road I'm not sure!

2 of 3 Male Black Grouse in flight

After around another hour, we were in the Victorian-looking Grantown-On-Spey, and pulling up beside the Grant Arms Hotel (the "Wildlife Hotel"), home of the Bird Watching & Wildlife Club.  We were greeted in our room by prints of both Curlew and a pair of Sandwich Tern!  Once we were settled, we decided to go for a walk around the local Anagach Woods, pine woodland on the edge of the river Spey.  Whilst walking, we had a flyover Common Crossbill and our first ever Red Squirrel, jumping amongst the top of the trees- I noticed it when I remembered that only Red Squirrels inhabit the Highlands!  Back at the hotel that evening, we won a themed quiz and received a bottle of wine for it!  Not a bad days work, and with an already substantial list, I was extremely excited for what tomorrow might bring.


Saturday 4th April 2015- Abernethy Forest & Findhorn Valley
We woke up reasonably early and were greeted at breakfast, as everyday, by the extremely helpful and useful "Daily Chirp".  About mid morning, we decided to go on one of the guided walks around Abernethy Forest, close to Loch Garten, in order to look for Crested Tit and Crossbills.  On the way there, the road runs by sheep fields close to the Speyside Railway and the river Spey.  It was here that I had a shock when I saw a large flock of Geese grazing in the field, which happened to be Pink-Footed Goose, a bird I have tried to see many times before but to no avail.


Showing the size of the Pink-Footed Goose flock

Pink-Footed Goose grazing with sheep

After enjoying a good 5 minutes watching and photographing them, conscience of the time we made our way to the designated car park deep in the heart of Abernethy Forest for our walk.  Along with our enthusiastic guide John Picton, we made our way into the forest.  We stopped by at the sandy shores of Loch Garten, where Goldeneye were sat on the mirrored surface.  Great Spotted Woodpecker, Long-Tailed Tit, Goldcrest and Treecreeper sang from and fed up in the high pines around us.  Once or twice, Crested Tits were heard but not seen due to their shy nature.  The final part of the walk was when we reached the shores of Loch Mallachie, where both male and female Goosanders were found.  Back at the cars, John thought we could go and have a look at the feeders beside the Loch Garten RSPB visitor centre, where Crested Tits can also be found.  Once there, to our delight, 2 Crested Tits were feeding around the feeders with other common Tits, on Peanut Butter spread out for them.  An odd food source but one that the birds thoroughly enjoyed so I'll have to invest in some for our own garden!

A Crested Tit feeding in close proximity to a nearby parked car!

Crested Tit feeding on Peanut Butter

After a lunch of Scottish Fish and Chips, we went for another walk around Anagach Woods, having been informed as to where the feeders are.  To our surprise, apart from the numerous Coal Tits up here, Red Squirrels were abundant, lifting up nest boxes where food had been placed inside.

Red Squirrel feeding in Anagach Woods

Afterwards, we set off for Findhorn Valley, aptly named Raptor valley.  It took a long drive up the valley to reach the car park, on winding roads beside some of the most desolate and barren scenery I've seen.  When we reached it, the large river Findhorn next to us produced Common Gull, as well as Grey Wagtail.  We had apparently just missed a juvenile White-Tailed Eagle over and unfortunately did not see any Eagles in all the time we were there.  We did however see many Raptors, including Peregrine, Buzzard and Kestrel.  On the highest peaks, Wild Mountain Goats stood precariously on rocky outcrops and a large herd of Red Deer hinds sat high up on a hillside in snow.  We then retraced our steps and made our way over the river and up to a section of heather.  Here, we immediately spotted Mountain Hares, another new mammal for me, Red Grouse and a calling Siskin who flew into nearby woodland.  So all in all a great start to our holiday, 2 new birds and 1 new mammal species.

In the evening, we had a very informative and enjoyable talk from Dawn Balmer of the BTO named "Unraveling the Mysteries of Movement and Migration".


Sunday 5th April 2015- The Cairngorms & Lochindorb
It was an early start for us to arrive at Loch Garten for 5:30AM in order for Caperwatch, probably the best chance of seeing a Capercaillie in the Highlands.  A flyover bird had apparently been seen the day before and today the birds were equally shy, with none seen through the whole of the next 2 hours.  What relieved the boredom of waiting however was seeing the first of the returning Opsrey pair to Loch Garten, the female bird, who casually sat on the usual nest tree as the mist cleared, waiting for the male to arrive.  On the way back through Abernethy Forest, we stopped off at the same car park as yesterday in order to get a shot of Loch Garten and the forest in the mist.

Loch Garten in mist

The banks of Loch Garten

Pines in Abernethy Forest

After a well deserved breakfast, we travelled up to Cairn Gorm, where we would hopefully see Ptarmigan.  When we got just out of Grantown-On-Spey, a Red Squirrel ran across the road with a nut in its mouth, showing how up here, Red Squirrels are as common as Greys are down south.  It was a warm day, in fact the Highlands were the warmest part of the country and the UK as surprising as it sounds!  But this did not stop skiers wanting to ski the slopes.  We had to drive on winding roads going high up the mountain even before you could get to the car park.  We went up on the funicular railway, crammed in tight together amongst skiers and some birdwatchers.  We had great views on the way up, and saw a pair of Red Grouse, curiously watching our ascent.  When we reached the top, we got out and made our way to the Ptarmigan Cafe to go out on the viewing platform.  The views from up there were spectacular, with miles and miles of fabulous mountains and lochs.  

View of the Cairngorms from the Ptarmigan Cafe

The platform was treacherous to walk upon, with thick ice that had not been melted as it lay in the shade.  I immediately lent my scope on the nearby wall and scanned the opposite hillside and boulder field.  To my surprise and joy, it took me only a matter of minutes to find what I'd been looking for- a Ptarmigan!  It was a male bird, who started feeding on the only shoots visible and then sheltered itself from the wind by sitting close to a boulder.  I'm sorry for the quality of the next few photos but the bird was a long way away!

Adult Male Ptarmigan

Ptarmigan feeding on shoots

Ptarmigan sitting sheltered beneath a boulder

It was then that it dawned on me that I had spotted my 200th bird, with what was a pretty good find considering how far it was away from us (if I do say so myself!).  Whats more, I had predicted right as to what our 200th lifer would be, so I was fairly elated with the find.  The male stayed on show all the time we were there, and also a female came into view for a few minutes.  Still feeling extremely happy, we boarded the now less crowded funicular for the descent.  The first part of it was a tunnel which opened out onto open mountainside.  It was like something out of a James Bond film, with only the nearby mountains being viewable from the ever-growing opening, which then revealed a steep section of track which would grow in speed.  On the way down, we managed to see Meadow Pipit and even small flock of Snow Bunting.  

We then went back to the hotel and after a quick lunch, made our way at leisure to Lochindorb.  Lochindorb is without doubt a beautiful spot, with the water lapping at your feet, surrounded by heather , and Lochindorb Castle- the "Wolfs Lair"- sitting solely in the middle.  What added to the shimmering of the water was the fact that is was t-shirt weather!  We had come to hopefully see the local Black-Throated Divers who breed here.  When we parked up beside the loch, two Divers were seen far out, which happened to be Red-Throated Divers, another new and unexpected bird.  We were then told that the Black-Throated Divers were around the other part of the loch, obscured by the Castle.  We did however make a detour on the way round, to stop and watch the very tame and numerous local Red Grouse.

1 of 2 Red-Throated Diver far out on the Loch

One of the tame Red Grouse

We then reached the other side, and after about 5 minutes scanning saw both of the Black-Throated Diver pair, their colours and underbellies showing off well in the afternoon sun.  Meadow Pipits flew and sung above us, and Curlew and Redshank sat on the shores calling.

1 of 2 Black-Throated Diver

On the way back, we noticed 2 close up Oystercatchers in a nearby field (Oystercatchers seem to be in every field in Scotland!) and another great view of the Cairngorms, where we had been earlier that day.  Another fabulous days birding, with 3 lifers, taking my personal list up to 202 birds and breathtaking scenery too.

Oystercatcher in a field

Views of the Cairngorms from Lochindorb


Monday 6th April 2015- The Moray Firth
At breakfast this morning, we were shocked to hear that a male Capercaillie had been seen during Caperwatch due to it being flushed by a herd of deer.  I had wanted to go to Caperwatch every morning but today we had enjoyed a lie in.  Today, we decided to go to the seaside, in particular, the Moray Firth and the towns/coast around it, in order to get some good seabirds.  Around mid-morning, we made it to Burghead, where we walked down to the rocky shore to scan the sea.  As we arrived, a medium sized flock of Pink-Footed Goose flew in overhead.  From the shoreline, we managed to see an unexpected small flock of Common Eider along with many small flocks of Long-Tailed Duck.  Furthermore, Red-Breasted Mergansers, Common Guillemot, Gannet, Cormorant, Shag and Great Black-Backed Gull all flew past our viewpoint.  I then noticed a large flock of Gulls feeding out in the bay, and when I got my binoculars on them, In noticed an unexpected joy- a few Bottlenose Dolphin feeding amongst the birds!  When we got back to the car, we were greeted by a very vocal and friendly Yellowhammer!

Male Long-Tailed Duck

Singing Yellowhammer

We then made our way to Findhorn (the mouth of the river Findhorn) and Nairn, which produced Rock Pipit, House Sparrow, Dunnock, Starling, Linnet, Greenfinch, Reed Bunting, Kestrel, Pheasant, Blackbird, Curlew, Oystercatcher, Turnstone and Mute Swan.  When we stopped at one of the beaches. the dunes nearby provided us with an abundance of Hooded Crow.

Hooded Crow

We then went to Inverness and had a look around the shops, which were mainly targeted at tourists and sold everything from Scottie Dog pictures and clan names to Kilts!  We then enjoyed a pleasant drive back through the picturesque Scottish Countryside.

This evening, we had a talk by Ralph and Brenda Todd, who used to be volunteer wardens at the RSPB reserve of Loch Garten, called "Operation Osprey".  During the talk, they recalled how they used to protect the Ospreys and flush Capercaillie on the walk to work!

Summary
So, overall we have had probably some of our best birding outings and some most memorable species, including 7 bird lifers and 3 mammal lifers.  My list for Scotland, having never been before, stands at 79 birds and here is a list of them:

Mute Swan, Pink-Footed Goose, Greylag Goose, Canada Goose, Mallard, Teal, Tufted Duck, Eider, Long-Tailed Duck, Goldeneye, Red-Breasted Merganser, Goosander, Red Grouse, Black Grouse, Ptarmigan, Pheasant, Red-Throated Diver, Black-Throated Diver, Gannet, Cormorant, Shag, Sparrowhawk, Buzzard, Osprey, Kestrel, Peregrine, Coot, Oystercatcher, Lapwing, Curlew, Redshank, Turnstone, Black-Headed Gull, Common Gull, Herring Gull, Lesser Black-Backed Gull, Great Black-Backed Gull, Guillemot, Stock Dove, Woodpigeon, Collared Dove, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Skylark, Meadow Pipit, Rock Pipit, Grey Wagtail, Pied Wagtail, Wren, Dunnock, Robin, Blackbird, Song Thrush, Redwing, Mistle Thrush, Goldcrest, Long-Tailed Tit, Crested Tit, Coal Tit, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Treecreeper, Magpie, Jackdaw, Rook, Carrion Crow, Hooded Crow, Raven, Starling, House Sparrow, Chaffinch, Greenfinch, Goldfinch, Siskin, Linnet, Common Crossbill, Snow Bunting, Yellowhammer and Reed Bunting.

My Mammal list is as follows:
Red Deer, Roe Deer, Mountain Goat, Red Squirrel, Mountain Hare, Brown Hare and Bottlenose Dolphin.

My life list is now on 204 and we have got 3/4 British Grouse, which I'm more than happy with.  On Tuesday 7th April 2015, it was time to leave but in the morning we had one last shot at the Capercaillie, sadly to no avail, but I was pleased that the male Osprey had finally returned!  However, I suppose thats the thrill of the chase.  We've had an excellent time and hope to come back to the Grant Arms some day and if I am lucky enough to come up here again then hopefully I will be able to see even more of Scotland's natural wonders.  I think the Shetlands are on the cards!

Sunday 23 August 2015

Fun Of The Fair- Birdfair

Waking up in the early hours of this morning (Sunday), we made our way to Rutland, Leicestershire for  a 9 o'clock start at the 27th annual Birdfair since 1989.  This was my second, as I had visited the fair once before in 2011.  The theme for this year is protecting migratory birds in the eastern Mediterranean, which is especially appropriate due to uncontrolled hunting in countries such as Malta and Cyprus.  Within minutes of arrival, we were all milling around the many marquees, being handed information on birding tours from just about every country in the world, from Malaysia to Iceland, from the Solomon Islands to the Falklands.  We were particularly interested in the Shetland Islands and a very helpful and friendly young gentleman, who apparently lived on Unst for a time, happily told us about the islands, showing his evident passion for them.  A good 2 weeks was suggested to tour the islands properly, allowing a few days spare incase of bad weather.  That is a large part of what makes Birdfair most inviting- the enthusiasm and delight of many of the exhibitors, who relish talking about their own unique subject.  It is a birding event like no other, with like-minded individuals creating a warm and friendly atmosphere.

Front Cover of the Birdfair 2015 Catalogue

All the large Optics companies like Zeiss and Swarovski were present along with main Camera makes such as Canon and Nikon, who allowed the public to test out a wide ranged of their products on the surrounding reed beds outside.  The Art Marquee showcased probably some of the best UK based artists and photographers, my particular favourite being the works of Alison Ingram, whose abstract feel reminded myself of Art Deco paintings, which strongly rely on the feature of geometrics and shapes.  I must also give a mention to the many gifted sculptors, such as Steve Toher and David Askew, whose wood carvings were truly exquisite and which I'm sure took an awfully long time and much skill to complete to that standard.  The Mural outside was brilliantly achieved, composing the styles and traits of many different artists.

Walking between the marquees, we had to step aside for a great crowd of children led by none other than Nick Baker, the eminent naturalist who hosted Springwatch Unsprung for a time.  Also, 'The Urban Birder' David Lindo stood next to his car, which showed the candidates for the Britains National Bird Poll.  At noon, we made our way to the Events tent in order to have a lecture from former producer turned presenter of Springwatch and Autumnwatch Martin Hughes-Games.  Martin described in worrying detail his encounters with man-eaters, falling glaciers and extremely painful Centipedes.  This was his first year at Birdfair, and due to his extremely warm reception, I'm sure he'll come again.  Bill Oddie was said to make an appearance at the Leica stand but due to the unpredictability of the afore mentioned species, he didn't show!

A good variety of natural history books were also for sale, along with holiday firms such as 'Heatherlea', 'Ornitholidays' and 'Bed & Birding'.  All the main nature organisations were present such as RSPB, Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust and the Wildlife Trust.  Live Ringing from the BTO was also being shown, with a Sparrowhawk being caught earlier that day.  From the 'gardenature' stand we bought a camera for the garden so that we can both view the feeders close up live and see the Wrens if they hopefully nest again next year in our shed.  From the RSPB we purchased an 'Insect Palace' and from CJ Wildlife, a camouflaged Photographers tent!  This year too, we met up with three people who had been at the Grant Arms in Scotland when we went up there earlier this year.  I highly recommend a visit to anyone interested in wildlife, and it is great, if nothing else, for meeting up with old acquaintances!  After a good 5 hours (and a few ice-creams!) we made our way back home, having had a wonderful day here in Rutland.

Friday 31 July 2015

Dorset Summers

Friday 24th July 2015
Our main holiday this summer was one that would take us to Dorset, in particular Worth Matravers and a quaint bungalow called Seafield (which more than achieved its name).  It was my goal this holiday to finally see a Spoonbill, a bird which I have longed to see since one eluded me at Newport Wetlands back in May 2014.  It was on a dreary afternoon that we set off down south.  After driving for around 2/3 hours we entered the county of Dorset, and were immediately greeted by 2 Grey Partridge sheltering in a paddock from the constant drizzle.  We passed through quaint villages with names such as Fontmell Magna and Compton Abbas.  We drove next to Corfe Castle, a lonely silhouette on a steep hill.  Even though we arrived around 9:30pm, we still managed to get a great view of the sea before the light faded.

The view from the house

Saturday 25th July 2015
The day dawned bright with clear skies and immediately after I got up, I decided to go into the garden.  A household book informed me that there were a family of Adders in the garden but it was unlikely for us to see them.  My reasoning was that they could not have done any basking the previous day due to the weather.  I went down to the bottom of the garden to the stones where they mainly appear and to my amazement saw one basking (or even sun-bathing!) next to a bush at the edge of the property.  He stayed there for around an hour, disappeared, then reappeared again- this time coiled up and with a flick of its tongue slithered away into the hedge and was not seen again.

Adder

Adder sunbathing

That evening was truly magical as we travelled to Arne (RSPB) at 8:30pm and then onto Coombe Heath in order to see what is the most unusual summer breeder- the Nightjar.  On the journey we saw a lone Brown Hare lying low in a field, a single Song Thrush and a small herd of Red Deer.  Walking to the heath, we managed to see 2 Sika Deer does both with the most cutest and proudest fawns!  As dusk came and the light began to dim the first males began to churr and about 10/15 minutes later a lone bird started hawking the heath for insects.  I was amazed at how dainty and moth-like it was.  The churring then seemed to come from very direction and then 3/4 birds flew up into the sky together.  There are apparently 33 breeding pairs across the reserve and it was without doubt a privilege to see a few of them.  We also had a possible Dartford Warbler, heard a flock of Canada and Greylag Goose and had a small bat species flying around.

Tuesday 28th July 2017

At around mid morning we arrived at the Studland ferry to Sandbanks in order to then take the ferry to Scout capital- Brownsea Island.  The journey across the harbour to the island was so quick that it made the duration to the Farne Islands look like forever!  On arrival at the island we quickly made our way to the Public Hide in order to get in some early waders.  Redshank, Greenshank, Black-Tailed Godwit and  Oystercatcher were all present along with numerous broods of young Shelduck, Cormorant and the largest numbers of Little Egret I've ever seen.  On the way to the hide, our first Red Squirrel of the day scrambled under the boardwalk ahead of us and then sat in a tree next to us, eyeing us closely.  We then walked into the Dorset Wildlife Trust Reserve and headed to the Low Hide.  Here we had additions of Common Tern, Mallard, Gadwall and Canada Goose with Herring, Black-Headed, Lesser Black-Backed and Great Black-Backed Gulls.  Next, it was the Mac Hide, which gave exceptionally clear views of both Sandwich Tern and Mediterranean Gull broods.  One male Tern in particular successfully fished then came back with its catch but was confused with what to do with it even though his chick was calling for it- lets hope he comes round to his senses soon!

Mediterranean Gull with begging chicks

Sandwich Tern with chick


Here, Moorhen paddled around too whilst a Pied Wagtail frequented both the shingle and the hide roof. But still no Spoonbill.  So we decided to have another visit here later on but for now we made our way to the Villa.  Situated near the house itself, was a feeder where Chaffinch, Greenfinch, Blue Tit and Great Tit were feeding on one of the two feeders.  The other was entirely occupied by a rather tame Red Squirrel.

A friendly and inquisitive Red Squirrel

Red Squirrel feeding on feeder

On one wild attempt to jump on to the feeder, he fell off and in an attempt to retain his pride, ran up to a nearby post and sat there watching us as if it was entirely planned!

Red Squirrel trespassing!

We then walked along a boardwalk adjacent to bog and marshy ground to get to the Reed Hide.  Through the reed bed, the only things visible were 2 Grey Heron and a Mute Swan head which disappeared from view for minutes at a time.  A Water Rail was also heard from this area.  A further 5 minute walk uphill brought us to the Lake Hide, where we had our well deserved lunch.  It was a most beautiful spot, reminding me of the Lake District with its vast waters and dense woodland surrounding the hide.  The only bird seen here however was a Shelduck who left after a minute because no other bird was around!  The area apparently holds Nightjar in summer, which is perhaps the greatest reason to come to this hide.  After we had our fill, we made our way slowly back to the Mac Hide to see if anything new had dropped in.  On the way, the feeder now seemed overrun with Squirrels, with some chasing each other on the floor and others jostling for dominance on the feeder.  Once at the hide, an overhead Swallow and a lone Turnstone on a nearby island comprised of the only other species which hadn't been recorded.

Synchronised Redshank

The new birds for the County list today were Water Rail, Sandwich Tern, Black-Tailed Godwit, Greenshank, Turnstone and Pied Wagtail- taking it up to 72/73 species.  We had without doubt had a great day with some good species (still no Spoonbill).  Waiting for the ferry to go back, we had a nice piece of homemade Victoria Sponge and a warm cup of tea (how decedent!) and saw a new bird altogether, picking up scraps, posing and nearly entering someones house.

Peacock- a rather unusual bird for the area

Wednesday 29th July 2015
This morning we celebrated my Grandmothers birthday with Fish and Chips in Swanage before returning to the house once more.  I had noticed this morning on 'The Birds Of Poole Harbour' website that an immature Spoonbill had been at Middlebere Lake the afternoon before, which was also posted on 'Birdguides'.  So for what was the last proper search of a reserve, we travelled down to Arne once more, in a last ditch attempt to see a the bird I have been longing to see.  The path to Middlebere took us again across Coombe Heath, which produced a couple of Stonechat and gave us more good views of Poole Harbour.

View of the Harbour form the top of Coombe Heath
Finally after following the path for about 10 minutes we caught a view of the lake and a distant white bird.  I raised by binoculars in hope but alas, it was just a Little Egret.  Undeterred, we went on and soon afterwards I saw another white bird out of the corner of my eye and my dad pressed me to see what it was.  Distant though it was, I could make out the bird feeding by sifting its beak around in the water- a habit unlike an Egret and a habit used by a Spoonbill.  Taking my camera I took a few shots of the bird when its head was raised.  To my delight the bird showed off the most spoon-like bill you could ever encounter.  We quickly jogged to the hide and sitting on the far right seat got even better views of the bird who was working its way towards us along the mudflats.  As it came nearer I got some shots of the bird feeding beside both a Curlew and a Black-Headed Gull.

Spoonbill feeding alongside a Curlew and a Black-Headed Gull
It then flew in remarkably close and allowed us to get some fantastic shots with the bird displaying his bill majestically.

Immature Spoonbill

Spoonbill between feeding

Spoonbill walking away across the mudflats
Something unknown then spooked the bird and even the nearby Shelduck became extremely agitated. Whether it was an Otter or Fox I don't know, but in flight, the Spoonbill revealed its black wing tips which showed it was an immature bird, although to me it looked like a near adult.

Spoonbill in flight

Spoonbill settling down after flight
After that, the Spoonbill went further down and showed well near the Avocet Hide before flying back up the lake next to us and then further up to where it stopped and fed, though more cautiously then last time.  Other wildlife not mentioned were Canada Goose, Great Black-Backed Gull, Jackdaw, Magpie and a herd of Deer.  We left extremely happy with ourselves because at last we had got the special bird that is the Spoonbill.  As we were walking to our car I noticed something only metres away from a family having lunch.  It was what looked like a scraggly dog, who was considerably thin.  But as we got closer, I realised it was a Red Fox, and was very obliging to the family who started to feed him.  The individual must have got used to being fed by humans but all the same it was a most unique sight!  A new species for the list was Spoonbill so the list now stands at 73/74 birds.

Very tame Red Fox

Red Fox having been fed
Thursday 30th July 2015
As we would be leaving Dorset for home later in the day, I spent the morning sitting out in the garden.  There was a large influx of Swallows, House Martins and Sand Martins in the skies and a Stock Dove sat on a nearby roof of a house.  House Sparrow, Carrion Crow and Herring Gull were also noted but I was most charmed by 3/4 Willow Warbler who appeared and fed in the trees in the garden and I got extremely close to them as they moved in the branches next to me and above my head.  These birds could be the result of early Autumn migration back to Africa and have stopped off for a last feed before they go.

One of the 3/4 Willow Warblers