Broadwater Gravel Pit

An afternoon visit in warm sunshine provided the following species:-
Great-crested Grebe, Great Cormorant, Grey Heron, Mute Swan (5), Greylag Goose (10), Canada Goose (15), Egyptian Goose (5), Gadwall (4), Mallard, Northern Shoveler (4), Common Pochard, Tufted Duck, Red Kite (3), Common Moorhen, Eurasian Coot, Northern Lapwing (4), Black-headed Gull (42), Lesser Black-backed Gull (7), Herring Gull (10), Stock Dove (2), Woodpigeon (11), Great-spotted Woodpecker (1), Wren, Dunnock, European Robin, Song Thrush (1), Chiffchaff (6), Blackcap (3), Goldcrest (2), Long-tailed Tit, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Eurasian Jay (2), Common Magpie (2), Western Jackdaw (1 over), Rook (1 over), Carrion Crow, Common Chaffinch.
Butterflies:-
Small White, Comma, Peacock, Speckled Wood, Holly Blue.
Dragonflies and Damselflies:- 
Common Blue Damselfly, Banded Demoiselle, Migrant Hawker, Emperor Dragonfly.

                                          Peacock.

   

Stockers Farm

A brief early afternoon visit to the farm before heavy rain set in produced a stunning Hobby and 5 Barn Swallow.

 

Stockers Farm and Stockers Lake

I conducted an afternoon visit with conditions hot and humid and a very light wind.
Making my way from the pumping station at Stockers Farm Road I headed along the farm track to Stockers Lake, species of interest encountered as follows:-
Stockers Farm
Canada Goose (106), Little Owl (1), Green Woodpecker (1), Ring-necked Parakeet (2), Barn Swallow (10). 
Stockers Lake
Little Egret (5), Common Kingfisher (1), Lesser Black-backed Gull (adult and juv), Chiffchaff (5), European Goldfinch (4 feeding on thistle seeds).
Butterflies:-
Meadow Brown, Gatekeeper, Brimstone, Small White, Large White, Speckled Wood, Comma.
Dragonflies and Damselflies:-
Migrant Hawker, Brown Hawker, Black-tailed Skimmer, Banded Demoiselle, Common Blue Damselfly, Red-eyed Damselfly.

                                                       Migrant Hawker.


 
   

11-08-12 Woodoaks Farm

A late afternoon visit in mild but breezy conditions provided the following species:-
Red Kite (2), Sparrowhawk (1), Common Buzzard (1), Feral Rock Dove (4), Stock Dove (2), Woodpigeon (17), Collared Dove (10), Little Owl (1), Blackbird (female collecting food), Common Whitethroat (1), Chiffchaff (1), Goldcrest (2), Long-tailed Tit (2), Common Magpie (2), Western Jackdaw (1), Carrion Crow (5), Common Chaffinch (1), European Greenfinch (1), Eurasian Bullfinch (1), European Goldfinch (2), Yellowhammer (3).
Butterflies:-
Holly Blue (3), Gatekeeper (2), Small White (1), Large White (1), Small Tortoiseshell (2), Peacock (1).
Moths:-
Magpie (1).

                                         Little Owl at the old orchard.

                                          Magpie Moth.

  

  

Woodoaks Farm

A brief late afternoon visit to the farm produced 2 juvenile Little Owl in the old orchard and a single Chiffchaff below Ladywalk Wood.

03-08-12 Durlston Country Park

Another morning walk around the park via Townsend Nature Reserve & Jack Baiss Meadow provided the following species:-
Northern Gannet, Northern Fulmar, European Shag, Peregrine (3), Common Kestrel (2), Herring Gull, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Great Black-backed Gull, Feral Rock Dove, Woodpigeon, Green Woodpecker (juv), Barn Swallow, Black Redstart, Wren, Dunnock, European Robin, Blackbird, Common Whitethroat (2), Chiffchaff (4), Long-tailed Tit, BLue Tit, Great Tit, Eurasian Jay, Common Magpie, Western Jackdaw, Rook, Carrion Crow, Common Chaffinch, European Greenfinch, European Goldfinch, Eurasian Bullfinch.
Mammals:-
Bottle-nosed Dolphin - 2 small pods of 2 and 4 moving north with the latter including a calf all viewed from the hide at 06:55.  
Later at Swanage I noted a single Ring-necked Parakeet briefly over Sandpit Field.

                                         Bottle-nosed Dolphin (adult and calf).

                                         Bottle-nosed Dolphin (adult). 

02-08-12 Chesil Beach & Isle of Portland, Dorset

Chesil Beach
Ringed Plover (24), Dunlin (7).
Portland Bill
Northern Gannet, European Shag, Great Cormorant, Common Kestrel, Herring Gull, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Great Black-backed Gull, Stock Dove (1), Woodpigeon, Barn Swallow, Common House Martin, Common Skylark, Northern Wheatear (2), Common Starling, House Sparrow, Common Linnet.

                                                       Portland Bill Lighthouse.

                                          Great Cormorant.

                                          European Shag.

Durlston Country Park, Dorset

An early morning walk to Durlston Country Park via Townsend Nature Reserve and Jack Baiss  Meadow provided the following species:- 

Northern Gannet (c20), Northern Fulmar (2), European Shag, Peregrine (3), Common Kestrel (1), Kittiwake (juv), Black-headed Gull, Herring Gull, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Sandwich Tern (3), Woodpigeon, Common Swift (10), Green Woodpecker (juv), Sand Martin (4), Common House Martin, Pied Wagtail, Wren, Dunnock, European Robin, Rock Pipit (pair with fledged young), Blackbird, Common Whitethroat, Chiffchaff,  Blue Tit, Great Tit, Eurasian Jay, Common Magpie, Western Jackdaw, Rook, Carrion Crow, Raven (4), Common Starling, House Sparrow,

Common Chaffinch, European Greenfinch, Linnet, European Goldfinch.
Butterflies:-
Marbled White, Gatekeeper, Meadow Brown.

                                                       The Durlston coastline.

                                          Herring Gull (adult).

                                         Herring Gull (juvenile).

                                         Great Black-backed Gull.

                                         Peregrine (adult and juvenile at kill).

                                          Marbled White.