Bony's back

An afternoon walk around Swineham on Saturday produced not much to write home about, apart from the removal of yet more vegetation which used to be beloved of the local Cetti's Warblers. So, slightly disillusioned with this and the absence of waterbirds, I headed over the border to Blashford Lakes in Hampshire on Sunday morning. A Long-tailed Duck present all week had departed, but a pair of Goosander, a Black-necked Grebe and a small flock of Egyptian Geese kept me interested, and the hides sheltered me from the rain. The weather kept threatening to improve but never quite delivered, so having checked the forecast for Weymouth I headed there in the afternoon for another hour with the returning Bonaparte's Gull, Dorset's first for around three decades. Many photos were taken.

Bonaparte's Gull, Radipole Lake

The Gull's feeding pattern would vary between dip-feeding...

...plucking morsels from the surface of the water...

...like this...

...or flycatching in mid-air...

...like this.

From the smallest gull at Radipole to the largest: Great Black-backed Gull in the car park...

...and the Hooded Merganser. Still there, still untickable.

Egyptian Geese from earlier in the day at Blashford Lakes

Goosander at Blashford was my only photo year-tick of the weekend (#134)

A confiding Little Grebe on Ibsley Water

This Lesser Black-backed Gull at Blashford appears to have been ringed in Guernsey

The Bonaparte's Gull showing its pink legs...

...and the distinctive upperwing pattern.

Bunting hat-trick

After twitching a Bonaparte's Gull before work on Wednesday, I ended the week with another successful local twitch on Friday night at nearby Maiden Castle, a short detour on my way home from work. A Snow Bunting had been present for a couple of days and I soon relocated it on the cycle path and later in the same field where a large flock of Golden Plover spent the winter. As well as the Snow Bunting, by Friday night these had been replaced by a few Wheatears, my first of the year. Singing Corn Buntings completed a nice evening jaunt.

Snow Bunting, Maiden Castle (#129th species photographed in 2015)

A well marked bird

It was finding plenty of seeds to eat in this field

Corn Bunting, Maiden Castle (#130)

Any why should Buntings get all the attention? Here's a Linnet at Maiden Castle...

...a Lark: Skylark, Maiden Castle...

...and finally from Maiden Castle, the first Wheatear of the year (#131)

One more for the finches: Siskin, near Wareham last weekend (#132)

OK, Buntings, have the last word: Yellowhammer, nr Wareham last weekend (#133)

Waiting for a gull like you...

I spent most of the weekend before last chasing around Chesil Beach trying to get a decent view of a Bonaparte's Gull. I saw it briefly but not getting a photo left me very frustrated. These feelings returned when news of its reappearance at Radipole Lake reached me last night but only after I got home from work and it was too late to head back out for another attempt. It seemed like I was destined not to see this bird up close and I had very low expectations of it being still present this morning. As I was heading to Weymouth to pick up a work colleague en route to a meeting in Exeter, however, I left sufficiently early to have a quick look at Radipole. There were a few gulls loafing in the car park but no Bonaparte's, so I headed to the Buddleia Loop where it was last seen and to my amazement it was still there. I only had 15 minutes to take photos but that was enough to get some decent shots in perfect morning light.

 

Springy

I'm suffering a bit with what I hope is the last cold of the winter, but forced myself out for an hour this morning to Longham Lakes (conveniently en route to the Mother's Day present emporium known as Haskins Garden Centre). It's definitely starting to feel like Spring there with my first Sand Martins of the year and a beautiful pair of breeding plumage Black-necked Grebes on passage. Certainly more spring-like than last weekend, most of which I spent chasing around Chesil Beach after a Bonparte's Gull, a real Dorset rarity. I did manage to catch up with it in Portland Harbour but it flew over Chesil Beach before I could get close enough for a photo - very frustrating in this, my photo yearlist year. Still, I was able to add a few more easy species to the list during those long hours in the field.

Black-necked Grebe, Longham Lakes, Dorset

The best pictures I have managed of this species in breeding plumage

The golden ear-tufts explain the American name for this species, Eared Grebe

Sitting lower in the water in this view...

...but more typically showing a puffed up rear end

Several Med Gulls also at Longham...

...along with the first Sand Martins of the year (#124)...

...and a long-staying female Scaup (#125)

Tufted Duck, Longham Lakes

Believe it or not, we haven't had a Great Crested Grebe this year yet (#126)

...or a Turnstone (Portland Harbour, #127)

This littoralis Rock Pipit was hanging around near the Bonaparte's Gull close to Chesil Centre last weekend - unfortunately the Gull had gone by the time I got there

 

Starcross lover

As February turned into March, I too felt like a change. And so to Devon on Sunday, and Darts Farm, where a trio of Penduline Tits has been entertaining the locals since last December. I have written before about the fancy retail park to which this tiny RSPB reserve is attached. None of the facilities were open when I arrived shortly after 0800, and although I was first on site, there was no sign of the birds for almost an hour. Then a thinly whistled call gave one away and I quickly located it in the small reedbed in front of the hide. It performed royally feeding on reedmace and was eventually joined by a second bird. By now a small group had gathered and the Pendulines flew towards us and into a small tree at the edge of the reedbed. They proceeded to call, preen, pick insects from the blossom and generally show off unexpectedly well.

Having filled a memory card, I decided to leave them to it and push my luck for a few more photo ticks for the year, heading around the Exe Estuary, one of my favourite areas for birding, through Starcross and Cockwood down to Dawlish Warren. I should probably have quit while I was ahead: there was no Bonaparte's Gull at Dawlish despite taking a really posh Darts Farm freshly baked loaf of bread to tempt it in; there were no Cirl Buntings at Exminster, admittedly in a half-hearted search; and I even dipped on Dippers in Lyme Regis on the way home. So only a Linnet and a Greenshank were added to the photo list - but after the show put on by the Pendulines there can be no complaints.

Penduline Tit, Darts Farm RSPB, Devon (species #121 photographed in 2015)

This bird was being described my some on site as 'the male' but I'm not so sure. From what I've read, males ought to have a larger mask, more grey on the nape (this has a grey forehead which changes to grey brown just behind the eye), and often show rufous markings on the breast which are absent here...

..but then they are said to be difficult to sex

The bird then flew towards me into a tree - it looked almost out of place

Never quite got a perfect side profile but this came pretty close

The bird above was then joined by this one - not quite as well marked, and with a stronger wingbar - but still, I think, a female for the same reasons given above.

This one did a fair bit of preening

This is the first bird again

A small flock of Black-tailed Godwits were also at Darts Farm...

...along with Curlew and Wigeon

Linnet for the photo year list (#122)

This colour-ringed Brent Goose was one of a large flock near Starcross. I bet they call it 'Arfur' (R-4)

Greenshank in the tidal creek at Cockwood - often good for waders (#123)

Penduline Tit

Penduline Tit