It was a ‘good bird day’ today with the discovery of a Dowitcher species at Lytchett Fields, found by Ian Ballam. The photos seem to show a Long-billed Dowitcher but without a call being heard (diagnostic between Long-billed and Shorted-billed Dowitcher, listen to two excellent examples on the Sound Approach to Birding web-book HERE) or the tertial pattern being fully assessed then we guess there’s always a remote outside chance it could still be a Short-billed….or is that too much wishful thinking? Possibly not, with the UK’s first Short-billed Dowitcher occurring on exactly this date at Cleveland in 1999, there’s still a chance. Sadly it stayed distant and then disappeared after about 40 minutes of observation but hopefully any other photos that emerge from this morning can confirm it as a Long-billed Dowitcher and there’s always the chance it will pop up again at Lytchett Fields again tomorrow. The fields were looking incredible with 468 Dunlin, 2 Curlew Sandpiper, 1 Ruff, 1 Grey Plover and plenty of Redshank, Black-tailed Godwit and Greenshank. At Middlebere there were 650 Black-tailed Godwit, 500 Avocet, 11 Dunlin, 1 Spoonbill, 1 Great White Egret, 1 Greenshank, 1 Kingfisher and 1 Whitethroat along the approach track. There was a Wheatear at Baiter and on the night of Sept 27^th-28^th 2 Redwing were sound recorded over Upton. South Haven saw a Hobby and over the Piddle Valley 21 Crossbill and 3 Lesser Redpoll flew south.

(presumed) Long-billed Dowitcher – Lytchett Fields – Ian Ballam

Little Egret (left) and Great White Egret (right) – Lytchett Fields – Shaun Robson (Sept 27th)