Since our last blog we have visited a number of locations Wareham Forest, Blashford, Pennington & Keyhaven, Longham Lakes and Lodmoor, in what has been mostly moist weather to say the least. Though the visits have produced some good birds and migrants.
Our Blashford visit gave us many of the usual species we would expect with the added bonus of an adult Little Gull on Ibsley Water along with our first Swallow and Sand Martin. From the Woodland hide we had at least four Brambling a species that has been pretty scarce locally this last winter.
Jackie and I made a quick visit to Keyhaven and were successful in seeing the Green-winged Teal though when we took the group a couple days later it wasn't to be seen anywhere. Though we did manage to find the two summer plumaged Little Gulls at Pennington and we saw many more Swallow, Sand Martin. Blackcap, Willow Warbler and plenty of Chiffchaff were also present.
Jackie and I on the off chance called into Longham Lakes one day in the hope the Bonaparte's Gull would be present. On our arrival we couldn't find it, though a Common Tern was patrolling the lakes. We ran into George Green who had found the bird a few days previous but he said that he'd walked around the lakes and hadn't seen it either. We were thinking we'd move on when I turned around and there behind us on an almost deserted north lake was the bird. Over the next thirty minutes or so it gave us excellent views. Well worth the stop.
Lodmoor was our most recent visit which started in the dry but before we were half way around the rain started but not before we had picked up a few migrants. Our first was a singing Reed Warbler we came across at least three on our walk. The next was a small flock of Swallow and Martins and Fran managed to find our first spring House Martin amongst them in fact there may have been three. A Little further on we had Blackcap and a couple each of Willow Warbler and Chiffchaff. As we walked along the west path heading towards the bay I heard a bird calling overhead and immediately realised it was a Serin, a few of us managed to see the small finch flying over towards the north-west, unfortunately it kept going. Both the male and female Marsh Harrier put in separate appearances, also what was obvious since our last visit here was the lack of wildfowl numbers where birds had left for breeding grounds in northern Europe.
