Finch finding

I mentioned recently that the Hawfinch invasion was in danger of passing me by - I finally caught up with one last weekend on a visit to friends in Kent but had still yet to see one at home in Dorset, so I set out this morning with the aim of doing just that. Several sites seem to be holding Hawfinch since they arrived but Bonsley Wood near Blandford Forum sounded like one of the most reliable so I headed there. I bumped into one of these chunky, short-tailed birds before I got to the main wood, a few more whilst there, and even more on the way back, confirming the impression formed from recent reports that they can be seen just about anywhere in suitable habitat at the moment. Brambling, Redpoll and Bullfinch were also in the wood, an enjoyable couple of hours in a location I hadn't checked out before.

Hawfinch, Bonsley Wood

This head-on view shows the bulk of a Hawfinch bill

Side view of the impressive bill

The best flight shot I could manage - note the curled tips to the primaries can just be seen on the edge of the folded wing

A few Brambling were in with the Chaffinch flock in Bonsley Wood

Grey Wagtail, Bonsley Wood

Bullfinch last weekend at Sissinghurst in Kent

Fieldfare, Sissinghurst, Kent

Fieldfare, Sissinghurst

Mistle Thrush in Yew at Igtham Mote, Kent

Redwing, Sissinghurst

Nuthatch, Sissinghurst

Moores on moors

This year's summer family holiday was spent on Dartmoor - in an idyllic holiday cottage with no phone signal or wifi, a million miles from the heaving metropolis of Wareham. OK it's nearer 80 miles and we have precious little in the way of a phone signal or wifi in Wareham either, but you get my drift.

Spotted Flycatcher, Dartmoor

One of two or three birds present in a short stretch of hedgerow

Always an entertaining bird to watch

Wildlife photography was not a top priority on this trip, taking a poor fifth place to sleeping, dozing, loafing, and pigging out - not things I do readily or easily, and it took me the best part of a week to get the hang of it. Fortunately I have a patient family who taught me well in the ways of relaxation, sloth and gluttony.

Female Redstart in the same hedgerow

A male Redstart - there were three in total

Another male Redstart in conifers near Bellever Tor

When we did hit the great outdoors, riverside walks and scrambling up tors were the order of the day, but a good selection of wildlife was encountered on the way, most memorably along a hedgerow of a high moorland road which seemed to be dripping with migrant birds, even though we weren't really looking for them. Love it when that happens.

Coal Tit, Yarner Woods

Marsh Tit, Yarner Woods

Nuthatch, Yarner Woods

It wasn't really the best time of year to be visiting nearby Yarner Woods, but as we had never been before, we went anyway, and found that well-stocked feeders were attracting a fine selection of woodland birds to entertain the children and their parents alike.


We disturbed this Jersey Tiger moth from roadside vegetation

It took a shine to Geroge's shirt

A view of the colourful underside

Claire now works in the tourist trade so we were almost professionally obliged to review all sorts of attractions on our travels from that perspective, rather than just visit them like normal punters. The verdict on highly touted Becky Falls wasn't kind: a bit over-priced and over-sold, I felt, with an inexplicably random selection of petting zoo creatures littered around the place.


The Golden-ringed Dragonfly was on the wing in Dartmoor - an impressive green-eyed monster

Male Wheatear near Haytor

Photographed from the car window

If you must shell out your hard-earned dollars visiting a waterfall, better value can be obtained, IMHO, at Canonteign Falls - a man made folly of a cascade, but still impressive, with classier catering and a slightly less random, though still inexplicable, selection of petting zoo creatures.

Beautiful Demoiselle at Dartmeet, Dartmoor

Female Goosander on the river at Dartmeet

This is one of three offspring in a family party - note the stripy face compared to mum above

Better still, save your money and go to the ethereal Devon Wildlife Trust reserve at Dartmeet instead: more tranquil, beautiful and blessed with an entirely appropriate and not remotely random selection of creatures including Dippers, Goosanders, Silver-washed Fritillaries and Beautiful Demoiselles. All looking much more at home than the giant rabbits and miniature ponies at the pay-per-view waterfall freak-shows. For the price of a family ticket to the other two watery attractions, you could get yourself membership of your local Wildlife Trust for a year. And a much warmer feeling in your stomach.

This bat - Pipistrelle, we think - took up temporary residence in the bedroom of our holiday cottage

Spotted Flycather

Juvenile Great Spotted Woodpecker, Yarner Woods

The verdict on southern Dartmoor overall then: a great destination which met our needs perfectly - not too busy, not too far to travel, rich in wildlife, plenty to do, all set in a stunning landscape. Also, if you are in the area, superb food and ale at the Cridmoor Inn in Trusham, dating back to 852AD.

George at Dartmeet

The whole gang on the clapper bridge at Postbridge

The Moores on the moors at Bellever

Welsh rare bits and bobs

Not really a birding trip, our family holiday in Snowdonia this week, but the garden list - including Peregrine, Raven and Redstart - offered quality over quantity, and I did manage a couple of excursions to see local specialities, and even a couple of photo year-ticks.

Black Grouse in the Denbighshire hills - a stronghold of this species. Not in its finest plumage, but good to see a male nonetheless (#204)

The brown and white blob on top of the nest is an Osprey, seen from the Glaslyn watchpoint. Good enough for a photo year tick? Well, yes, it's getting desperate (#205)

We took the Welsh Highland railway from Pont Croesor to Beddgelert, which goes much closer to the Osprey nest. Unfortunately, the female which was on the nest just before we left and just after was not there when we passed either way on the train! As is traditional for British nesting Osprey, breeding birds take care to erect high-res nest cameras to keep a video record of their offspring as they grow.

A very distant Goshawk over Beddgelert was a bonus

Nuthatches at the Glaslyn watchpoint feeders were a bit closer

George tries birding at Great Orme's Head. It's behind you, George.

Chough, Great Orme's Head

Painted Lady, Great Orme's Head

Small Heath, Great Orme's Head

Male Stonechat, Great Orme's Head

And finally, Redstart in the garden of our holiday home

Bang

Migrant warblers hit Swineham yesterday like one of those planes hitting the ocean that you see on Youtube. Or perhaps they had been landing more gracefully and I just haven't been there to notice. Either way, 15 singing Sedgies was quite impressive. They won't all stay, but it was a great way to see my first of the year. Chiffcaffs weren't far behind, then Reed Warblers back on territory; Blackcaps and Willow Warblers joined the chorus but in smaller numbers.

Sedge Warbler at Swineham - my first of the year

Reed Warbler at Swineham - another year tick

A promising sunrise gave way to cloud for the next couple of hours, but I wasn't complaining. It was still and mild, and we haven't had a lot of that lately.

 

Dawn breaks over Bestwall

One of a couple of dozen Med Gulls heading south over Holton Lee on Saturday

The afternoon was earmarked for family time, and a trip to nearby Holton Lee. As well as the boring stuff there is a bird hide there with well stocked feeders which is popular with photographers. I'd never been, but Claire was happy to drop me off in this Dad-crèche while she and the kids checked out labyrinths, plant sales and the endlessly fascinating home made jam stall.

Female Great Spotted Woodpecker at Holton Lee

Nuthatch at Holton Lee

The hide was pretty good, despite the presence of large numbers of civilians, with a selection of garden birds coming to the feeders plus a few of the bigger beasts which tend to hang out at these wildlife diners. A Kingfisher on the pond was a bonus for me and many punters who had never seen one before.

The feeding station at Holton Lee attracts a Pheasant...

...and other visitors like this Brown Rat.

A quick look at the heath was quiet at first but then an Osprey soared over some trees nearby. I say nearby, but as the autofocus struggled and I switched to manual I realised that it was quite distant, just a very big bird!

Kingfisher at Holton Lee

Just as good at fishing, but bigger: Osprey over Holton Lee

Which reminds me, another one was fishing in the mouth of the River Piddle at Swineham last weekend, and I didn't even blog about it. That's the trouble with Dorset birding sometimes: just too good to write it all down.


Another Osprey over Swineham last weekend

 Just after this the Osprey plunged into the mouth of the River Piddle and headed off with a decent-sized fish