This is more like it…drizzle with a gentle south easterly breeze, great for migrants. Sightings over the last few days have really picked up and it looks like spring migration has FINALLY taken off?
Sunday the 7th April was sunny but still a bit chilly, however some lovely birds about. Starting with Studland area where at Greenlands Farm there were 5 Snipe, 1 Woodcock, 9 Wheatear, 6 Fieldfare, 12 Redwing and 1 Chiffchaff. At Brands Bay only 103 Black-tailed Godwit, 52 Dunlin and 1 Chiffchaff. There were two very nice sightings from Swineham GP of an adult winter Little Gull and winter plumaged Red-throated Diver. A surveyor was out on Arne Moors and recorded 2 Spoonbill flying over the Frome Valley, 1 ringtail Hen Harrier and 1 Barn Owl. A sea watch from Branksome produced a stunning Black-throated Diver, 6 Common Scoter and 4 Common Terns. Along Shore Road at least 22 Sanderling and 30 Bar-tailed Godwit. The Yellow Wagtail remains on the little pond at Lytchett Bay, also there Green Sandpiper and White Wagtail. A Snipe was heard drumming over Hartland Moor and a Red-legged Partridge was spooked of a road there. There was also a mouth watering report of a summer plumage Red-necked Grebe of Canford Cliffs car park.
Monday 8th April still saw some decent reports. At Lytchett Bay there was 1 Spoonbill, 2 Spotted Redshank, 2 Greenshank, 1 Green Sandpiper, 1 Yellow Wagtail, 2 Red-breasted Merganser, 8 Chiffchaff, 18 Redwing, 20+ Song Thrush, 1 Peregrine Falcon and 7 Little Egrets. An Osprey was reported sat in a dead tree on Pergins Island, Holes Bay. A female Marsh Harrier, ringtail Hen Harrier and Barn Owl were around Swineham.
Tuesday 9th April saw drizzle and low cloud…excellent for dropping migrants on to our coastline. A successful survey at Lytchett Bay saw 1 male Redstart, 1 Willow Warbler, 2 Sand Martin, 1 Blackcap, 1 Yellow Wagtail, 2 Gadwall, 2 Green Sandpiper, 2 Spotted Redshank, 1 Cetti’s Warbler, 1 Greenshank, 68 Black-tailed Godwit on the pools. Another mini fall of migrants occurred around Holes Bay where more Chiffchaff and Willow Warbler were seen along with a Common Sandpiper, Blackcap and a good number of migrant Robins, Blackbirds and Song Thrush. A Red Kite drifted over Corfe mid afternoon.
This morning heralded the first ‘semi-decent’ winter thrush arrival of the season with Redwing, Blackbird and Song Thrush…
Find out moreBlimey, the temperature certainly ‘dipped’ today. It felt like we were all needing to moult into our own…
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