Three Counties Birding

BANK HOLIDAY WEEKEND

The Tramuntana, or is it the Mistral, seems to have been blowing for the whole of August, and on Bank Holiday Monday shows no sign of abating. Digiscoping, and photographing butterflies has, with one or two exceptions, been frustrating.

We had a New Forest start to the weekend, on Friday afternoon we walked from Godshill cricket ground out to Pitts Wood and back, and on Saturday we joined the masses at Bolderwood and walked a large anti-clockwise circuit of Highland Water Inclosure.

The feature of both walks was the numbers of Grayling butterflies, dozens of them, and talking of butterflies, we had a Wall in the garden on Friday. We saw some decent birds on our walks as well, Redstart, Dartford Warbler, Crossbill and Firecrest among them.

We ran the moth trap on Friday night and our second Striped Hawk Moth of the summer was among the catch, and Hummingbird Hawk Moths have been in the garden most days.

Skeleton Tree in Highland Water Inclosure

Grayling, one of many

Digger Wasp

Striped Hawk Moth

Hummingbird Hawk Moth

There has been at least one Hummingbird Hawk Mothin the garden all summer, but this was the first chance I've had of taking any photographs.

LOCAL WALKS

We've had a couple of evening walks up over the fields this week, we've seen nothing out of the ordinary, but the feel is distinctly autumnal.

Rest Harrow

Sloes

Scabious

Toadflax

Small White
Dozens of them roosting in hedges

Starlings and Jackdaw

GRAYLING

A big surprise was a butterfly which settled on the fascia board of our porch while we were eating our dinner. I took a photograph of it intending to ID it later on. It turned out to be a Grayling, which according to Bill Shreeves from the Dorset Branch of Butterfly Conservation is probably a throw back to the old local chalk colonies. Thanks to Bill for confirmation of the ID and his comments.

Sunday 13th August

KEYHAVEN

Today was very windy, decidedly chilly and with the threat of rain in the air. A typical March day in fact, the trouble is that it's August. What a wonderful country we live in - not.

We went to Keyhaven where as usual we parked opposite the Gun Inn, walked the sea wall as far as Pennington, returning along the inland path. Digiscoping was out of the question, it was much too windy, and looking through the scope was difficult.

There were large numbers of Black-tailed Godwits on the flooded field next to Avon Water, Redshanks galore on the mud fringing Avon Water itself, where a Sedge Warbler picked its way along the base of the reeds. A Whimbrel was feeding out on the marsh and further out there were Common and Little Terns, but on the whole it was very quiet apart from Snipe on Fishtail Lagoon, and two Wood Sandpipers on Butts.

At the furthest point from the car, the rain started, a persistent drizzle which made the walk back to the car thoroughly miserable.

Saturday 12th August

GREAT WHITE EGRET

After lunch we visited the Blashford Lakes complex to see if the recently returned Great White Egret was about. It was showing very well on Ivy Lake from one of the viewing screens on the eastern side. I managed to digiscope both still and video with reasonable success. The bird was eventually bombed off by a Grey Heron and flipped over the trees to the west. Other birds on Ivy Lake included three Green Sandpipers, three Greenshank and a Little Egret.

Monday 7th August

LOCAL WALK

As it was a fine evening, after dinner we walked over the top fields. Harvest is in full swing with Combines and Balers working full tilt. A Painted Lady was on a Buddleia in our front garden as we set off for the walk, a Hummingbird Hawk Moth was resting at the base of a hedge, and a Holly Blue was flitting, appropriately, around a Holly bush.

Holly Blue

Hummingbird Hawk Moth

Painted Lady

Harvest

Sunday 6th August

STOCKBRIDGE DOWN

The Blog has been quiet lately, mainly because there has been little to report, and I haven't taken many photographs either. Oh and there has been a spate of DIY at home as well.

However after lunch on Sunday we went to Stockbridge Down to see what butterflies were around. We were not disappointed, the whole down was carpeted with Chalkhill Blues, thousands of them. They're a little worn now, but still an impressive sight. There were Clouded Yellows as well, and double figure Silver-spotted Skippers, which were what we really came to see.

On the way back to Dorset we stopped at Shipton Bellinger where we walked due west from the village hoping to see Brown Hairstreaks, but in spite of what seemed the right habitat, we didn't see any.

Brimstone

Brown Argus

Chalkhill Blue

Clouded Yellow

Silver-spotted Skipper