Island hopping

Spent the last two days of the long Easter weekend enjoying the dry weather on two of Dorset's finest pieces of birding real estate - Brownsea and Portland - and bulking up the photo list for the year which had been reduced to a slow crawl in recent weeks. Highlights from the trip with the family to Brownsea below, Portland to follow.

Avocets enjoying a private moment on the lagoon

Bar-tailed Godwit close in front of the hide

Here a winter plumaged Black-tailed Godwit for comparison

And a breeding plumaged Blackwit

Greenshank

Distant flock of Grey Plover (#138)

Three species of shank in this photo - (L to R) red, green and spotted red - believe it or not, we haven't had Redshank yet this year (#139)

Spotshank moulting to breeding plumage

The Black-tailed Godwit flock against Poole's urban backdrop

Many twitchers spent the weekend in Bedfordshire looking for what may be the last Lady Amherst's Pheasant surviving in the wild in Britain following their introduction in the 1900s. So if that's tickable, why aren't the Brownsea peacocks? 

Peacocks doing their bit to get themselves added to Cat C

Sandwich Terns are returning but not yet settled on the tern islands (#140)

Shelduck are also pairing up - this a male

This young colour-ringed Spoonbill was the only one on Brownsea on Sunday

Spoonbill

No visit to Brownsea would be complete without Red Squirrels

They seemed to be everywhere on Sunday

Spotted Redshank

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



The privations of island life

I've written before about how one of the more miserable aspects of life in Dorset is the thankless chore of visiting Brownsea Island at least once a year. After the endless, gut-churning 5 minute boat ride, comes the relentless slog across at least 100 yards of boardwalk to the nature reserve where you are forced to sit and wait in annoyingly well-appointed hides for literally seconds before seeing waders and breeding terns at point blank range. Honestly, I don't know why I bother, I should just go seawatching at Branksome or something for some proper close-up action. As if all the quality birds on the lagoon weren't enough, during this weekend's visit with the family an impudent Hobby almost took my head off in a low stoop after a dragonfly. The cheek! And as for those squirrels, well don't get me started...

Black-tailed Godwit

Black-tailed Godwits

Common Tern in front of the houses on Brownsea Quay

Common Tern

Drake Gadwall on the lagoon

Hobby

Did a couple of passes and then it was gone

Stunning birds

Red Squirrel near the Church

Red Squirrel

Sandwich Tern

The colony is doing well thanks to netting erected to keep out Sika Deer

Yellow-legged Gull with chick

Common Heath

Shelduck