January Challenge Waxwings

Just a quick blog, Jackie and I went to Carey Road in Wareham today after news of a handful of Waxwing were seen feeding on Rose-hips near the Wessex Oval.  We arrived to find a few friends already watching them. 

Can I request that any photographers going for them not to get to close to the Rose hip bush, they are pretty happy with about 3m-4m, but closer then they fly up into the Oak and do not come down to feed. I've only a 400mm lens and I have some nice shots.

This bring the January Challenge to 132 species with one day to go.

Four of the five Bohemian Waxwing - Carey Road, Wareham © Nick Hull

Bohemian Waxwing © Nick Hull

January Challenge continues

Since our last blog Jackie and I have continued to add to our list and help our groups to add to theirs.  So we have had walks at Hengistbury Head, a day's birding around Poole Harbour and a walk round Radipole Lake RSPB.

Hengistbury Head walk was on a sunny but cold morning birds seemed to be keeping a low profile with little visible out in Christchurch Harbour just a few Wigeon, Teal and three Little Grebe could be found.  Then we spotted a Marsh Harrier a nice sub adult male which performed well for us, giving great views.

Sub/adult male Marsh Harrier Hengistbury Head © Nick Hull

Another of the highlights was a good number of Snipe and a single Water Rail in one of the marshy areas near to the pond behind the beach huts and a small group of eight Common Scoter resting on the sea.

Poole Harbour

We started at South Haven looking out across Poole Bay and quickly picked up a small group of Black-necked Grebes, a handful of Shag and the usual comings and going of the commoner species of gulls.  What was a little odd we had a Great Spotted Woodpecker which lifted off the Alder and head high towards Sandbanks.  We then moved to look over the inner harbour and found our first Red-breasted Merganser, Goldeneye and a Great Northern Diver.  We also added a nice flock of Dark-bellied Brent Geese and a flock of 21 Sanderling which ran about the shoreline right in front of us. We also added Turnstone, Meadow Pipit and a male Kestrel which headed out over the harbour towards Brownsea Island.

Sanderling- Bramble Bush Bay- Poole Harbour © Jon Mercer

Ring-neccked Parakeet - Studland © Nick Hull

We called into Middle Beach and walked on to South Beach we added little other than the commoner species though we found more Black-necked Grebe and of course Ring-necked Parakeets.

After a well earned lunch we continued our tour next was a small sewage works which always produces something for a day list and it didn't disappoint, we had a number of Chiffchaff feeding on the filter beds along with Pied Wagtails, a couple of Goldcrest and Grey Wagtails and Jackie found a Siskin in an Alder.

Grey Wagtail - Norden Sewage works © Jon Mercer

We soon moved on driving across Scotland Heath to Middlebere we had a Merlin flash across in front of the cars.  At Middlebere hide we added the usual wader and an immature Marsh Harrier and a single Spoonbill.  We finished our day still in the western harbour area waiting for Hen Harrier to come into roost unfortunately we only heard Dartford Warbler, Raven and had a distant Buzzard obviously the weather condition weren't correct and the birds had used a different roost, you can't always get it right but we had a good day in good company.

Radipole Lake

Our visit to Radipole RSPB this Sunday gave us a good morning's birding at this Weymouth reserve and saw a good selection of what the reserve could produce.  Starting at the Centre I was able to take the group through ageing of Mediterranean Gull as there were first and second winter birds mixed in with the adults some of which were already showing some quite dark heads.  We continued on around the reserve around the Buddleia loop to the concrete bridge then on to the North screens and then back to the car park.

We saw a good number of waterfowl with Teal and Shoveler, Tufted Duck, Pochard, Mallard, Little Grebe, Moorhen and Coots all being seen in good numbers.  From the concrete bridge I could hear the pinging of Bearded Tits and after a patient wait a male bird came out of hiding and showed well for us.  From the North screen we had good views of the male Marsh Harrier, lots of Teal and our only pair of Shelduck and Wigeon. We ended the day looking for the Ring-necked Duck which was seen briefly though it was playing hard to see, keeping in to the edge of the reeds in the water channel opposite the Aldi supermarket.

Male Bearded Tit - Radipole Lake RSPB © Nick Hull

Jackie, Margaret and I continued birding after lunch which we had at Sandsfoot Castle overlooking Portland Harbour.  Here we added Red-necked Grebe to the year list which we had missed twice before and then headed across to Abbotsbury in an attempt to try for the Long-tailed Duck and Whooper Swan again, but we failed to find either mainly because we were looking into the late afternoon sun.  Though we did get a reward for our effort. We were just about to leave when I spotted a largish bird glide across the road and dip behind the hedge, I recognised it immediately it was a Short-eared Owl and shortly after we saw a second bird further up the hill to our right.  As we watched patiently one of the owls came along the road edge towards us and them perched on top of the hedge, though the light wasn't good but I managed a couple of shots.  We ended the day with two Cattle Egret in with Little Egrets near home at Lytchett Minster, finishing a pretty good days birding.

This brings "Two Owls" January new year list up to 123 species not at all bad for county birding and there is still a few species still to get.

Short-eared Owl - Abbotsbury © Nick Hull

Chasing 100 species in 7 days of January

As with most birders come the 1st of January Jackie and I are out to start the new year list, we like to try and score a hundred species in the first seven days of January and this year is no different.  

Though with Jackie still using crutches it made planning a little harder than usual.  We picked Liz Woodford up and headed to Swineham Point.  Though we hunted through all the geese we couldn't find the White-fronted Goose though a couple of Egyptian Geese were more unusual otherwise we checked off all the usual common species seen here. The highlight here was a flock of Redwings by the Rugby field and a Starling singing and looking stunning in the sun.

Starling reflecting the sun at Bestwall © Nick Hull

We continued on visiting Holme Lane, South Haven, Knoll, Middle Beaches, Norden Sewage Works, Arne and back to Bestwall where we managed to find the White-fronted Goose second time around before finishing at Hartland Moor.  Other highlights of the day were Cattle Egrets, Great Northern Divers, Black-necked Grebes, Sanderlings and a adult female Hen Harrier to finish with sixty-two species.

Next day we were out with a Two Owls group at Upton Country Park and our few hours here were amazing for waterfowl which were lacking on the 1st Jan and we added another twenty species best was probably the Kingfisher we saw by the new path bridge.

Yesterday on 4th January Jackie and I had a free day so after delivering our grandson Ben's birthday present we headed towards Weymouth.  Our first stop was Lodmoor for the Lesser Yellowlegs as Jackie had missed it in 2018.  When we arrived at the west scrape we were told it had flown into the middle of the reserve but then a few minutes later it arrived back and pitched in almost in front of us giving fantastic views.

Lesser Yellowlegs - Lodmoor RSPB © Nick Hull

After having our fill of this gorgeous American wader we headed to Beachdown Way ticking off Ruff on the way and within minutes on arriving by the bench we were viewing a little gem of a Yellow-browed Warbler, two ticked off our list for the day.

Yellow-browed Warbler - Lodmoor RSPB © Nick Hull

Radipole was next and parked by the tennis courts had lunch and then checked through the Tufted Duck and Pochard, then a little walk down the road we found our next target the 1st/winter drake Ring-necked Duck which spent more time under the water than it did above.

Ring-necked Duck - Radipole Lake RSPB

This bird has started to look good as since we had seen it in 2018, it has moulted considerably and I guess by the time I see it again it will be looking like a full adult bird.

Our next target was seen from Sandsfoot Castle but it took some finding but I managed to pick up the white breast right out near the harbour middle arm, then it moved and really gave us good scope views Black-throated Diver in the bag, a species we both missed in 2018.

On the way back towards home we stopped and checked out Bowleaze Cove for the Red-necked Grebes but unfortunately our luck ran out but for consolation we had two Eider, two Great Northern Diver and a Common Guillemot not a bad finish for the day and a quick count up we ended the 4th January on ninty-six species. 

Today 5th January Jackie and I decided to go to west again, as we headed towards Abbotsbury near to Winterborne Steepleton we came across a covey of seventeen Red-legged Partridge our first tick for the day.  At Abbotsbury beach we viewed from the top of the Chesil Bank and quickly checked off our first Razorbill of the year but no Red-troated Diver, our target bird.  Fifteen were seen yesterday between Abbotsbury and West Bexington so we figured a couple at least should be still around.  We headed for West Bexington but missed the turning so thought we'd try Hive Beach then backtrack to Bexington for lunch.  From Hive Beach looking out on the almost flat sea there didn't appear to be anything, then we found two Great Crested Grebe another then four and scoping further out several Great Black-backed and Herring Gulls.  I then picked up a Fulmar heading west, continuing to scope the sea I then found one then two and then a third Red-throated Diver.  We had a late lunch at West Bexington but the sea here was almost empty accept for a small group of Razorbill.

Our next location was Abbotsbury Swannery where we added Green Woodpecker but dipped on Whooper Swan and Long-tailed Duck and couldn't find the Scaup either so we wondered if our luck was now running low.   Our next target was Black Redstart so it was to Chesil Cove, Portland and by the time we had arrived there was quite a chill in the air and the sky was very grey. We walked out past Quiddles Cafe to the end of the promenade and scanned the rocks here Jackie caught up with Rock Pipit but no sign of the Black Redstart.  We headed back towards the cafe and as we drew near Jackie said "whats that on the fence up there" I took a look and there it was a female/immature Black Redstart number "One Hundred".

As the light was going we decided to head to Maiden Castle on our way home, on arriving the field looked devoid of birds so we moved half way down the road by the footpath.  I could hear calls of Golden Plover then saw a small flock and called Jackie and after scanning we estimated approximately a thousand birds were scattered all over the field and it was a delight to hear their calls. We also added Meadow Pipit before we left ending our challenge on One Hundred and Four species.