Firstly, I’d like to thank everyone who entered our competition that was set at the beginning of the week, many of you entered and a good range of species were guessed, but in the end, after todays random draw we’re pleased to announce that the winner is John Keates from Poole who correctly guessed Black-headed Gull, Med Gull, Shelduck, Turnstone and Black-tailed Godwit.
Spring stepped up a notch today with an obvious movement of migrants. This included a large movement of Meadow Pipits right across the county with groups ranging in size from 2-20 as they passed overhead. At Lytchett Fields today there was another Little Ringed Plover plus 3 Spoonbill, 4 Gadwall, 2 Greenshank and 12 Pied Wagtail were present. At Studland a few Sand Martin came in off the sea as did a single Swallow and the Great Grey Shrike was still at Godlingston.
After analysing some more garden night time recordings, I was thrilled to discover (thanks to some help from Magnus Robb at the Sound Approach) that a sound that I originally thought was a Barn Owl was in fact a Water Rail flying over. Interestingly this call came less than an hour after the Moorhen call in the same night, so maybe there was a small concentrated movement of rails/crakes that night in the area…who knows???
Water Rail – Flight calls of a night time migrant – Lytchett Matravers
This morning’s Winter Safari Cruise was brisk to say the least, but that didn’t stop us from seeing…
Find out moreWith the wind easing off today it made for easier birding, so much so that the first rarity…
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