Woodoaks Farm

A brief afternoon visit provided the following species of note:-
Red Kite (3), Common Buzzard (3), Green Woodpecker (2), Common House Martin (10), Meadow Pipit (2), Common Skylark (1).

                                                    Red Kite

Raptor delight at Woodoaks Farm

A brief mid-afternoon visit to the farm provided the following species of note:-
Red Kite (7), Common Buzzard (2), Common Kestrel (2), Green Woodpecker (1), Chiffchaff (1), Eurasian Jay (1).

                                          Red Kite

                                          Common Buzzard

                                         Common Kestrel

Maple Lodge Nature Reserve

I conducted a morning visit to the reserve with fellow birder and pal Steve Carter where we noted the following species :-
Little Grebe (4 immature on clubhouse lake), Great Cormorant (1), Grey Heron (3), Red Kite (2), Common Buzzard (1), Eurasian Sparrowhawk (1), Green Sandpiper (1), Ring-necked Parakeet (1), Cetti's Warbler (male singing briefly from phragmites), Chiffchaff (1), Eurasian Jay (2),

Dragonflies & Damselflies:-
Migrant Hawker, Common Darter, Common Blue Damselfly.

Butterflies:-
Small White, Comma, Speckled Wood. 
 

                                                    Ring-necked Parakeet at feeding station

                                          Eurasian Jay at feeding station

                                         Chiffchaff at Long Hedge.

                                                        Migrant Hawker at Long Hedge

                                                        Common Darter at Long Hedge

                                                         Comma at Long Hedge

                                          Speckled Wood at Long Hedge




   

Woodoaks Farm

An afternoon visit provided the following species of note:-
Common Buzzard (1), Eurasian Sparrowhawk (1), Common Kestrel (male), Collared Dove (40), Little Owl (1), Green Woodpecker (1), Barn Swallow (1), Yellow Wagtail (1), Meadow Pipit (1), Chiffchaff (2), European Goldfinch (40).

Lodmoor RSPB Nature Reserve, Weymouth

After spending a weekend away with my family at Swanage, Dorset the opportunity arose to make an early morning visit to RSPB Lodmoor where a delightful Short-billed Dowitcher had been performing well.
I arrived at 07:00 and shortly after was viewing the bird from the west side of the reserve as it fed among Black-tailed Godwits and a lone Common Snipe. Extraordinarily back in April 2011 I had observed a Long-billed Dowithcer from this same site.
A full list of species encountered as follows:-
Great-crested Grebe, Great Cormorant, Grey Heron, Mute Swan, Canada Goose (49), Domestic Greylag Goose (3), Gadwall, Common Teal, Mallard, Northern Shoveler, Common Pochard, Tufted Duck, Common Buzzard (1), Common Moorhen, Eurasian Coot, Little-ringed Plover (1), Ringed Plover (4), Northern Lapwing (6), Dunlin (4), Common Snipe (1), Short-billed Dowitcher, Black-tailed Godwit (4), Black-headed Gull, Herring Gull, Feral Rock Dove, Woodpigeon, Collared Dove, Green Woodpecker, Sand Martin, Barn Swallow, Meadow Pipit (4), Pied Wagtail, Wren, Dunnock, European Robin, Common Blackbird, Cetti's Warbler (several singing male), Chiffchaff (dozens feeding on flying insects), Great Tit, Common Magpie, Carrion Crow, House Sparrow, European Greenfinch, European Goldfinch, Linnet (3), Common Reed Bunting (2).   

                                         Poor record shot of Short-billed Dowitcher.



 

Stockers Lake & Farm

A late morning visit provided the following species of note:-
Stockers Lake
Little Egret (4), Common Kingfisher (2), Barn Swallow (2), Chiffchaff (1).
Stockers Farm
Yellow Wagtail (2), Pied Wagtail (3).

                                         Yellow Wagtail.

                                         Pied Wagtail (just coming into winter plumage)

 

11-09-12 Maple Lodge, Stockers Farm & Lake

A morning visit to Maple Lodge Nature Reserve produced the following species of note:-
Little Grebe (4), Common Teal (11), Northern Shoveler (17), Red Kite (1), Green Sandpiper (1), Ring-necked Parakeet (2), Great-spotted Woodpecker (1), Common House Martin (15), Common Treecreeper (1).

                                         Northern Shoveler (eclipse male).

I then conducted an early afternoon visit to Stockers Farm & Lake where the following species were encountered :-

Stockers Farm
Common Kestrel (male), Ring-necked Parakeet (2), Barn Swallow (8), Pied Wagtail (3).  

Stockers Lake :-
Little Egret (1), Green Sandpiper (1 calling but not seen), Stock Dove (4), Common Kingfisher (1), Great-spotted Woodpecker (1), Eurasian Nuthatch (1), Carrion Crow (leucistic bird showing white primaries).

                                          Common Darter at Stockers Lake.

                                                       Mole (dead) at Stockers Lake.

                                          Common Blue (male) at Stockers Lake.

                                              Common Blue showing underwing.

Woodoaks Farm

A late afternoon visit provided the following species of note:-
Red Kite (3), Common Kestrel (2), Green Woodpecker (1), Common Whitethroat (1), Chiffchaff (1), Eurasian Jay (2).
Butterflies:-
Small White, Peacock, Speckled Wood.

                                          Speckled Wood.

Woodoaks Farm

After an enjoyable evening out I awoke early feeling a little groggy so decided to visit the farm to clear my head. What a beautiful morning it was with the rising sun warming the air and a blanket of mist briefly covering the pasture before burning away. On the fields adjacent the old orchard hundreds of geese fed amongst the stubble with 3 species noted. At the old orchard a single Little Owl was flushed and on passing Ladywalk Wood I noted a Common Buzzard being mobbed by a noisy Ring-necked Parakeet.  
A full list of species encountered as follows:-
Greylag Goose (74), Domestic Greylag Goose (2), Hybrid Canada/Greylag Goose (2), Canada Goose (200+), Egyptian Goose (16), Mallard (15), Common Buzzard (1), Feral Rock Dove (1), Woodpigeon (7), Collared Dove (2), Ring-necked Parakeet (9), Little Owl (1), Green Woodpecker (1), Great-spotted Woodpecker (1), Dunnock, European Robin, Blackcap (1), Chiffchaff (3), Goldcrest (1), Long-tailed Tit, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Common Magpie (2), Western Jackdaw (26), Carrion Crow (2), House Sparrow (3), Common Chaffinch, European Goldfinch (1).
Mammals:-
Grey Squirrel (2), Wood Mouse (1 dead at ladywalk wood).
Butterflies:-
Small Tortoiseshell (1).

                                          Wood Mouse (dead) at Ladywalk Wood.

                                            

07-09-12 Maple Lodge Nature Reserve

A late morning visit bathed in glorious sunshine provided the following species:-
Little Grebe (8 plus 3 immature), Little Egret (1), Mute Swan (2), Greylag Goose (1 plus 6 over), Gadwall (13), Common Teal (5), Mallard (7), Northern Shoveler (3), Tufted Duck (9 plus duck with young), Common Moorhen (4 plus pair with young), Eurasian Coot (18 inc 3 pairs with young), Black-headed Gull (5), Stock Dove (1), Woodpigeon, Green Woodpecker (1), Common Kingfisher (1), European Robin, Common Blackbird, Song Thrush, Blackcap (2), Chiffchaff (2), Long-tailed Tit, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Eurasian Jay (2), Common Magpie, Carrion Crow, Rook (3 over), Common Chaffinch, European Goldfinch (1).
Butterflies:-
Small White, Speckled Wood, Comma.
Dragonflies & Damselflies:-
Common Darter (30+ above clubhouse lake), Migrant Hawker.

A message to anyone visiting the reserve over the weekend and the early part of next week.
Tree Surgeons will be present lopping off a few of the hybrid Black Poplars near the Sluice Hide.
The reserve will be open as usual with limited access in certain areas.   

Woodoaks Farm

I conducted a mid afternoon circuit of the farm following the track past the cow sheds and up along the Old Orchard before passing through Ladywalk Wood. At the orchard 22 Goldfinch fed hungrily on thistle heads while overhead several Swallow passed by. At the wood 2 Chiffchaff were heard while in the undergrowth a Field Vole was observed briefly. Returning back to the farm passing the manure pile I noted c100 Woodpigeon and 6 Stock Dove feeding among the stubble while 3 Ring-necked Parakeet passed overhead on their way to the wood.
A full list of species observed as follows:-
Red Kite (1), Feral Rock Dove (6), Stock Dove (6), Woodpigeon (c100), Collared Dove (21), Green Woodpecker (1), Ring-necked Parakeet (3), Barn Swallow (11), Wren (2), Chiffchaff (2), Goldcrest (2), Great Tit (1), Eurasian Jay (1), Common Magpie (2), Carrion Crow (3), Common Starling (1), House Sparrow (5), Common Chaffinch (1), European Goldfinch (22).
Mammals:-
Grey Squirrel (2), Field Vole (1).
Butterflies:-
Small White (1), Speckled Wood (1).