The non-motorised year-list got off to a flying start in August with a post-work twitch for a Black Tern at Blashford Lakes over the border into Hampshire on the 1st of the month. It was a good job I took the scope for this dainty bird as it hawked insects distantly over Ibsley Water. I dipped the same species at the same site in 2021 which made it a particularly satisfying evening.
 |
| Aquatic Warbler, Lytchett Bay |
 |
| Aquatic Warbler, Lytchett Bay |
A few days later on the 5th I was again taking advantage of the light evenings to head in the opposite direction to Ferrybridge for a White-rumped Sandpiper. I was very lucky to arrive just in time for Julian Thomas to get me on to the bird shortly before some thoughtless kayakers beached their boats nearby and flushed it, never to be seen again. The Sandpiper was an addition to the non-motorised life-list as well as the year-list.
 |
| Aquatic Warbler, Lytchett Bay |
 |
| Aquatic Warbler, Lytchett Bay |
Pied Flycatcher had eluded me in the Spring, so I resolved to find my own amid a flurry of local reports in the second week of August. An early morning ride to Greenlands Farm near Studland on 11th seemed like a good option where virtually the first bird I set eyes on was a Pied Fly! I was joined by Steve Smith who promptly found a second among the other migrants which included Willow Warbler, Redstart and Spotted Flycatcher.
 |
| White-rumped Sandpiper, Ferrybridge |
 |
| White-rumped Sandpiper (left-hand bird) |
The Lytchett Bay ringers caught an Aquatic Warbler on Saturday 12th and with others of this species being seen elsewhere and the weather being as it was, they felt there was a good chance they might catch another the following day. Being less than 30 minutes away I decided to head over early anyway just in case and sure enough
en route news came through that they had done just that.
 |
| Pied Flycatcher, Greenlands Farm |
 |
| Spotted Flycatcher, Arne |
I quickened my pace and arrived shortly after for a high-quality Dorset, bike and year tick. As I was catching my breath scanning the fields for waders the ringers caught another - not every day you get to see two Aquatic Warblers in the hand! I vacillated about whether to tick 'in the hand' birds last year but it was an academic problem as the situation never arose - but was ultimately persuaded by birding friends that I should have no qualms - so onto the list it went as no.196.
 |
| Willow Warbler, Greenlands Farm |
 |
| Distant Wood Sandpiper, Swineham |
Waders offered my best change of building the list for the remainder of August and Swineham again delivered when I located a Wood Sandpiper during an evening stroll on the 19th. My next year tick required a bit more effort - another marsh tern, this time a White-winged, on Rockford Lake, back over the border into Hampshire, a 50 mile round trip. Dave Bishop was on site to kindly give directions and I was soon enjoying views of the bird from a pub beer garden! Closer to home were a pair of Little Stints at Lytchett Bay on 23rd, and 200 for the year was finally brought up with a Whinchat on a local heath having flogged around several evenings looking for one.
 |
| White-winged Tern, Rockford Lake, Hants |
 |
| White-winged Tern, Rockford Lake |
I always plan a big day out on the bike on a Bank Holiday weekend these days, and with a few 'easy' waders left to see, a return to Hampshire and the complex of coastal lagoons at Keyhaven/Pennington seemed like a good plan. Heading off early, a call from Shaun Robson at Lytchett Heath required barely a detour to see a couple of Grasshopper Warblers which he had trapped and ringed at Lytchett Heath - a great start to the day.
 |
| Grasshopper Warbler, Lytchett Bay |
The Pec was simple enough to see as several people were already watching it when I arrived, but Curlew Sandpiper proved more of a challenge. One had been reported on Normandy Lagoon, a few miles east of the Pec, and I headed there, enjoying close views of Ruff on the way, but could not locate it. Time was pressing on so I retraced my steps and on reaching the lagoon where the Pec had been found not one but two Curlew Sandpipers to add to the yearlist.
 |
| Little Stint, Keyhaven/Pennington |
 |
| Curlew Sandpiper (right), Keyhaven/Pennington |
It was a gruelling ride home and 71 miles one of my longest of the year to date - but a productive one which brought the year list at the end of the month to 204, compared to 202 at the same stage last year. 12 species had been added to the list during the month, three times the tally added in August 2021.
 |
| Spotted Flycatcher, Greenlands Farm |
 |
| Redstart, Greenlands Farm |
 |
| Whinchat - species no.200 for the 2022 year list |
 |
| Spotted Flycatcher, Middlebere |
No comments:
Post a Comment