A distinct lack of wax

A small flock of Waxwings graced Poole on Thursday and Friday - so desirable they even persuaded Ian Ballam to part company with Lytchett Bay for a while. I headed around the harbour at the first opportunity on Saturday morning to look for them but despite checking out every supermarket car park within five square miles, they could not be found. After several hours I conceded defeat and cruised around some more familiar hotspots in Poole Park and Holes Bay.

A Kingfisher on the railings of the model boat pond at the partially drained Poole Park Lake relieved an otherwise grey day

Note the chipped bill tip - if it was a Blue Rock Thrush, people would say it was an escape :-)

Drake Goldeneye displaying

Female Goldeneye

Little Egret fishing in the shallows of Holes Bay - lovely plumes

The redhead Smew was a bit closer than on my last visit...

 

 

...but not as close as this Spotted Redshank

The outflow from the PC World drain into Holes Bay is a reliable site for them in winter

One was loosely associating with a large flock of Blackwits

Spotted Redshank

Brownsea through a variety of lenses

Both my sons have been showing an interest in photography lately so I've been digging out old camera bodies and lenses in the hope of encouraging them. I am thinking that if I can get them hooked now, I will have someone to drive me round in my old age while I sit in the back barking directions. The novelty of having their own cameras helped persuade them that a day trip to Brownsea yesterday would be a good idea, as opposed to their normal Saturday morning routine of slaying elf-lizards on Skyrim.

Taking the slightly complex but more scenic route from Wareham around the south side of Poole Harbour, over on the Studland ferry as foot passengers and to Brownsea via the famous yellow boat from Sandbanks, we got the first one of the morning and were in the hides overlooking the lagoon shortly before 1030. Large numbers of waders were present, the most numerous being Oystercathcer, Black-tailed Godwit and Avocet, flocks of which are building up for the winter.

Two Curlew Sandpipers close in to the Low Hide with a Dunlin behind

Juvenile Curlew Sandpiper on the right with characteristic peachy wash on the breast - with Dunlin for comparison

A very smart wader

Another juvenile Curlew Sand - the peach colouration has faded on this one

Much scarcer among the waders were a few each of Ruff and Curlew Sandpiper, both of which eventually came in close to the hides having initially been viewable only distantly through the telescope. A dozen Spotted Redshank were also hanging out with the Redshank flock.

Spotted Redshank - one of a dozen present

Avocet - part of a flock of almost 200

Black-tailed Godwit - a scaly-backed juvenile

A couple of Ruff were secreted amongst the Godwits

In truth, despite my efforts to tool them up with half-decent camera gear, the boys didn't take many photos of birds - they spent most of the time at opposite ends of the generously appointed hides photographing each other, or spraying imaginary bullets around using the camera's high speed burst mode to simulate semi-automatic assault rifles. Charming. But they did seem to appreciate the compelling nature of wildlife photography eventually when a tame Red Squirrel allowed a close approach near the Villa. A kindly soul had left a few nuts out and it kept returning to eat a few and bury the rest.

A flock of at least 25 Spoonbill was present - looking unusually awake here...

...and even more lively here

Red Squirrel

A slightly messy eater

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

Eat your heart out, Minsmere

When I started buying books about 'where to watch birds', the authors always recommended Minsmere or Titchwell as great places to go to see Bitterns, Marsh Harriers, Bearded Tits, Avocets, Spoonbills and the like. True, but not as satisfying as seeing them all a short distance from home, as is now possible for me on a good day in Poole Harbour. Today was one such day: it started at a beautifully frosty Swineham, which, goaded by my recent slating of it no doubt, delivered handsomely with a Bittern, a Marsh Harrier, a pair of Beardies and a bonus couple of Jack Snipe. We ended the day with a family stroll around a bird-filled Holes Bay, and a dramatic sun setting behind Avocets, Spotted Redshanks and a pair of young Spoonbills very close to the footpath. One of my best birding days of 2014 (others to be reviewed shortly in the barely-awaited 'review of the year' post).

Male Bearded Tit on a frosty reed head at Swineham. Wow.

Female Bearded Tit. This pair fed just yards from the path for about 20 minutes.

I was insufficiently quick on the draw to catch a Bittern dropping into the reeds in front of me on arrival at Swineham but managed a record shot as it flew away into the light when disturbed by a dog later in the morning.

Two Jack Snipe flushed as I walked out to Swineham Point - contrary to textbook form, rather than plopping down after a short flight, this one did a wide circle around me allowing for a few flight shots.

Compare to this Common Snipe, which has a more prominent white trailing edge to the secondaries, a longer bill and longer wings.

Mute Swan in the frosted fields of Bestwall

Female Stonechat on an icy fence at Bestwall

And a male on the same

Avocet in Holes Bay

Curlew, Holes Bay

Little Egret, Holes Bay

Pintail viewed from the concrete bench at Upton Country Park

To the blog-reading couple who hadn't seen Spoonbill when we met at the concrete bench - I hope you saw them as well as I did on the way back. And Happy New Year!

Both immature birds, told by their pink bills and black in the flight feathers.

The Spoonies were just yards form the path by the PC World drain outflow - a good day for close encounters.

Spotted Redshank - one of 2 in Holes Bay

Teal, Holes Bay

Other normally camera-shy wildlife was also spotted around Holes Bay



Sun setting on waders and ducks in Holes Bay

Oh, and a Black-necked Grebe from yesterday at Studland. Yet more quality birds from the Poole Harbour collection.