Andy Bond & myself went up to Dorset & Hampshire today to do some birding with our first stop being at Portland Bill where we saw 2 SHORT-EARED OWL over the fields just after daylight , we then went to the Radipole Lake In Weymouth & had a look at the HOODED MERGANSER it is in superb plumage now & worth seeing ! also there were 2 CETTI`S WARBLER , we then headed inland to the Tarrant Rushton Airfield to look for CORN BUNTING & we saw 20+ birds & also 9 Brown Hare .
Over the border into Hampshire to the Blashford Lakes & we had great views of a BITTERN there but it was in the reedbed & hard to see sometimes , also seen were LESSER REDPOLL , SISKIN , GREEN WOODPECKER , 2 male & 2 female RUDDY DUCK & 2 female GOOSANDER , we then went up to the Ibsley Bridge & while we were having a bite to eat we were watching 6 BEWICK`S SWAN , after we had finished we went to Whiteley & saw 23 WAXWING sat in the trees , to finish the day off we headed back to the Blashford Lakes for the gull roost & saw 2 YELLOW-LEGGED GULL & a BLACK-NECKED GREBE .