Three Counties Birding

Saturday 27th

NEW FOREST

It was a gloriously sunny morning, so we decided to try to catch up with the long staying Great Grey Shrike at Holm Hill in the New Forest. After some searching we found it, and in the end it showed very well.

We went on to Sowley Pond where there's been a Black-throated Diver for the last few days. We saw it fishing out in the middle of the pond. Unfortunately neither the Shrike or Diver were close enough for a decent photograph, both are distant and digiscoped.

Great Grey Shrike

Black-throated Diver

Pied Wagtail

Sunday 21st

WEYMOUTH

This indecision is catching, we were late getting out again today because we hadn't a clue where to go. We decided on Weymouth for no reason whatsoever. We had a walk around the RSPB Reserves at both Radipole and Lodmoor. I took some photographs, mainly to add to the 2007 project of recognisable bird photos, which now stands at 41 species.

I thought I'd include a picture of a Feral Pigeon, there are loads of them around Weymouth, and we were saved the chore of looking through the Gull flock for the Ring Billed by a helpful young man from RSPB at Radipole who pointed it out to us, so thank you whoever you are. Unfortunately the photo is only a record shot.

Cormorant

Feral Pigeon

Magpie

Ring Billed Gull
Digital slr scoped

Saturday 20th

LYMINGTON

We were undecided where to go today, as a result we were late getting out and about. In the end we decided to go to Lymington. From the Yacht Club car park we walked the lanes towards Pennington, short of where we crossed Oxey marsh to the sea wall, returning along the sea wall to Lymington. It was a tad windy, and apart from a storm while we were on the sea wall it was sunny. here are some photographs I took on the walk.

Black Necked Grebe

Little Egret

Lapwing

Pintails

Sunday 14th

THE NEW FOREST

Last weekend and yesterday were complete wash outs, so it was a relief to wake up to a bright and sunny morning at last.

We headed yet again down to the New Forest, calling in at Ibsley water meadows, where we caught up with the Bewicks Swans. We then drove down through the Forest to the Whitefield Moor car park just south of Rhinefield House. From the car park we walked a circuit of Holm Hill and Wilverley. we didn't see the Great Grey Shrike, but Dartford Warblers were showing well.

After lunch we walked on the opposite side of the road alongside Ober Water. We saw good numbers of woodland species, but the best was our third Red Admiral butterfly of the year. We ended the day just up the road at Blackwater, where as well as the Hawfinches coming in to roost we also saw Crossbill, Siskins and a Sparrowhawk.

Bewicks Swans
Digital slr scoped

Crow

The unmistakeable profile of a Hawfinch

Red Admiral

LICHENS AND BARK

Photographed in the New Forest at the weekend.

Tuesday 2nd

KEYHAVEN AND DENNY WOOD

The last of the overnight rain cleared just as we surfaced this morning, and we had the day off, so we went to Keyhaven. From the car park opposite the Gun Inn we walked the sea wall as far as Pennington, returning along the inland path. It was a lovely sunny morning, but spoilt by a strong wind.

An added complication, for the second day running, I couldn't decide whether to just go birding; to digiscope, or to carry the digital slr camera. In the end I did neither very well, and as yesterday I missed a lot of photos by not having the slr ready. Will I ever learn? Probably not.

Anyway in spite of the handicaps we saw some birds, including Wigeon, Teal, Brent Geese, Pintail, Black-tailed Godwits, Eider, Grey and Golden Plovers, Red-breasted Mergansers, Reed Bunting, Shoveler, and Redshank. At Milford on Sea, a Mediterranean Gull was in the sea front car park.

On the way home we stopped at Denny Wood to photograph birds coming to seed which we placed on a gate post, these included Marsh, Coal, Blue and Great Tits, Chaffinch, and Robin. There were Nuthatches and a Greater-spotted Woodpecker as well. The Goosanders and Mandarins were on Eyeworth Pond this afternoon, with far fewer people, and no dogs or kids! On our way across the Forest a ringtail Hen Harrier came to roost below Leaden Hall, and a Barn Owl hunted a rough field at Cripplestyle, between Alderholt and Cranborne.

Robin

Great Tit

Mediterranean Gull

Goosanders

Monday 1st

BLASHFORD LAKES

A new year's birding, and with the weather forecasters predicting rain and wind to move in by early afternoon - wrong again - Plan A was to get as many birds as we could around the Blashford Lakes complex, and come home when the rain started. Unfortunately as it turned out, we didn't have a Plan B!

There were lots of new year birders out and about at Blashford, and we spent the whole morning walking around Ivy and the adjacent lakes, and looking over Ibsley Water. We saw a good selection of birds, firstly woodland birds such as Nuthatch, Goldfinch, Treecreeper, Blue, Great, Long-tailed and Coal Tits, Goldcrest, Bullfinch and a Chiffchaff. Water birds included Tufted and Ruddy Ducks, Teal, Pochard, Gadwall, Wigeon, Shoveler, Pintail, Goldeneye, and Little and Great-crested Grebes. Twenty or so Black-tailed Godwits also flew over.

The rain hadn't arrived by lunch time, but not having Plan B we faffed around in the New Forest until it was time to go to Blackwater Arboretum to wait for the Hawfinches to come in to roost. The Forest was very wet, but also full of New Years day trippers complete with their unruly kids and dogs. We had a go at looking for Goosander and Mandarin, but the disturbance at Cadmans Pool and Eyeworth meant that there was no chance, the undoubted highlight was a Red Admiral butterfly at Cadmans Pool. We also had a half-hearted, and unsuccessful, look for the Great-grey Shrike near Burley.

We just managed to park at Blackwater, neatly sidestepped dogs, kids, barbecues on our way to the Arboretum, and saw half a dozen Hawfinches in the tops of the conifers, there were Siskins there as well. On the way home, and by now it was gloomy and beginning to rain, we had a look over Mockbeggar Lake, where the Great White Egret flew past.

No bird pictures today, but here are a few winter images.