Winter highlights: the waterbirds

As the early spring migrants start to trickle in, it's time to look back at a few highlights of the winter. First up, some waterbirds and waders from around Dorset over the last few weeks.

Purple Sandpiper, Shell Bay Ferry Terminal

One of two Purple Sandpiper feeding on the ferry slipway at Studland yesterday

An engaging species to watch up close as it dodges the incoming waves

Much earlier in the winter a flock of Goosander spent some time fishing close in to Hamm Beach in Portland Harbour

Nine birds in the flock the day I was there

Red-breasted Merganser, also in Portland Harbour

Male Red-breasted Merganser

Also that day a trio of Pale-bellied Brent Geese were with their Dark-bellied cousins at Ferrybridge

Quite easy to pick out among the Dark-bellied Brents

Closer to home a Black Brant (far right) was at Middlebere with the Dark-bellied Brent flock

Again, easy to pick out when on its own; not so easy in with a flock of several hundred birds

Two of the eleven Barnacle Geese which spent much of the winter at Swineham

This Black-necked Grebe was in Shell Bay earlier in the winter...

...same species, same place, just a few weeks later



Sanderling dwarfed by a wave about to break on Studland beach

Purple Sandpiper

Binge birding continued...

This post is the final hangover from a weekend of binge birding around Poole Harbour. Holes Bay certainly provided the highlights on Sunday - as well as the Spoonbill, waiting patiently by the PC World drain outflow provided ample opportunity to get up close and personal with a variety of other good birds.

This Buzzard was one of two scanning for prey from lampposts on the dual carriageway around Holes Bay. Buzzard has already appeared on my blog this year but the photo was taken in 2014 so this is officially an addition to the photo year list (#79). I know, mad isn't it!

This Common Sandpiper was one of two present. I walked most of the length of the bay without seeing one but when I sat by the outflow both dropped in.

Another addition to the photo year list (#80). Bang it in!



Cormorant also graced the outflow (#81)...

...while I had to walk further up the drain to find Grey Wagtail (#82)...

...and Kingfisher (#83)

Spotted Redshank, one of my favourite birds, can give close views around the edge of the Bay

Spotted Redshank

On Sunday morning I also paid what felt like my first visit of the year to Swineham. Yes, my allegiance to patch has become that degenerate. I was rewarded for my efforts: as in, not much effort, not much reward. It did at least add a few ropey ticks to the photo year list:


Goldfinch, making its first appearance this year (#84)

Great Tit (#85) - singing like it was spring

Redwing in the shadows in Lady St Mary Churchyard, Wareham

Male Reed Bunting at Swineham

Robin at Swineham

Shelduck at Swineham (#86)

Several Common Snipe flushed from the wet grass around Swineham (#87)

Stock Dove (#88) with Lapwing in the paddocks at North Bestwall

Snowdrops added a spring-like feel to Sunday morning

My last photo year tick of the weekend was a Coal Tit seen on a family walk around Wareham Forest (#89)

The Fellowship of the Ging, Wareham Forest



Little Egret showing off its plumes in Holes Bay



You wait for ages...

I've been back and forth to Portland this week like a quarry lorry. Blame the triple helping of Bluethroats. I did go specifically for the first one, but on my last two visits the damned things just kept turning up, each one more brightly marked than the last.

Wheatear, Chesil Beach

Wheatear, Portland Bill

First stop yesterday was at Ferrybridge, where a Kentish Plover present the day before could not be relocated. Then to an unpromising looking grassy patch at the south end of Chesil Beach which held at least 5 photogenic Wheatears. Onwards to Avalanche Road, where a pair of Ring Ouzels showed even better than at the weekend, though I had to lie down amid the horse dung on the edge of their chosen paddock to get the light behind me. Fortunately, like my fingers, most of it was frozen solid so didn't stick.

Ring Ouzel, Avalanche Road

Ring Ouzel, Avalanche Road

A not very thorough twirl around a windswept Portland Bill added nothing of note to the day's sightings, and the third male Bluethroat of recent weeks had by then been relocated so I headed back to Chesil Cove for a look. As I approached a small group of waiting birders the Bluethroat flew past me and into cover. So I'd seen it, but not a great view.

Sandwich Tern, Chesil Cove

Cormorant, Chesil Cove

Sandwich Terns fishing in the Cove provided a welcome distraction while we waited and eventually the Bluethroat reappeared to feed on the shoreline rocks. Chesil Cove was sheltered from the worst of the cold winds, so it was good to thaw out in the presence of such a photogenic bird.

Bluethroat, Chesil Cove

Bluethroat, Chesil Cove

This was a very flighty individual, and while it came briefly onto the path at our level it was soon flushed by some dog walkers back down to the beach below. When it comes to lying down in excrement for a photo, horse is one thing, but I draw the line at dog, and there was plenty of it to avoid it along this stretch of the West Weares footpath.

This bird showed a broader red breast band than the two previous males on Portland.

The white spot on the throat was also more obvious than the other two males

Nick Hopper and I were just leaving the main crowd behind and heading for our cars when the Bluethroat sat up in front of us on a rock. Portland stone has been used to builds citadels, castles and cathedrals, so it's good for many things, but making exposures easy for the photographer is not one of them, especially if the subject is a small brown bird on its sun-bleached surface. Churlish to complain though given how many opportunities the famous rock has presented to see this species lately.

Struggled a bit with the exposure on this one

A flash of yellow gape, as if red, white and blue weren't enough.

A New Year in Poole Harbour

New Year's Day in Dorset means a boat trip around Poole Harbour laid on for the locals courtesy of Mark and Mo Constantine. Birders may know Mark as the driving force behind the Sound Approach. Normal people who tend to have a greater interest in personal hygiene may know the couple as the founders of the Lush cosmetics empire.

 A typically distant view of a diver in Poole Harbour, but any view of Black-throated Diver is a good view - the white flank patch helped identify this bird

Yesterday's boat was one of the best yet with a rare combination of dry weather, good company, fine food and, most important, excellent birds. The boat headed out of Poole Quay towards Brownsea and one of the first birds of note was a distant diver. We all assumed this to be a Great Northern before it gradually materialised into a Black-Throated - a very good bird for the area. Great Northern is the more likely diver in the Harbour and at least four more were indeed seen, 2 or 3 of which were unusually close to the boat.


Great Northern Diver - a scaly juvenile - the commonest diver within Poole Harbour

A sail-past of Brownsea Lagoon revealed it to be well-stocked with waders, mostly Black-tailed Godwits and Avocets but also good numbers of Barwits, Oystercatchers, Grey Plover, Dunlin and Redshanks. Heading south around Brownsea brought us into the wintering grounds of several Black-necked Grebes, many Red-breasted Mergansers and, although in smaller numbers than usual, a few Goldeneye. I was pleased to pick up a distant Red-necked Grebe as we rounded Brownsea which everyone eventually managed to see. Upwards of a dozen Spoonbill were on Shipstal Point and Razorbill and Guillemot were also seen.

Red-breasted Merganser - surely one of the most attractive plumages of any British bird

The trip proved to be excellent reconnaissance for a forthcoming Dorset bird race in which I will be participating for the first time. As it approaches, the local news grapevine becomes strangely withered as competing teams try to keep news of potentially tricky day-ticks to themselves. Even yesterday amid the bonhomie of the boat trip I overheard an out of place Mandarin Duck being discussed as furtively as would be a breeding pair of Golden Oriole! And, no, I'm not telling you where it is...

Black-necked Grebe - this one was west of Brownsea