The Highways and Byways of Dorset - Sir Frederick Treves

A little further afield today to try and add to the Year/Dorset Lists and a chance to rekindle memories of some of my favourite sites in in the south of the county. Grey and Red-legged Partridge were considered good contenders around the Winterbournes, a group of small farming communities prefixed with that name such as Zelston, Tomson, Muston and Kingston, but with no success after a hour it was time to move on. Heading towards the village of Bloxworth, known by every entomologist as lending its name to a tiny Moth known as the Bloxworth Snout,

looking over this lovely vista there was something of interest

among the trees.

I know if it were mine, this tiny Summer House 

would have seen a few parties by now.

Also on view and seemingly enjoying the farmers crop this

DEER Sp which I cannot identify, but know a man who can.

Over to you John!

 and then the first

YELLOWHAMMER

which thereafter seemed to be in every hedgerow.

At the next farm gateway the air was full of birdsong including

Willow Warbler, Blackcap, Whitethroat, Chiffchaff,  Robin,

Blackbird, Song Thrush, Swallow, Skylark etc,

 along with more DEER believed to be ROE.

 There was also visible migration going on overhead, the pick

of the bunch being a brief

 HONEY BUZZARD

 a 'rare' breeding bird to our shores and as the name suggests

 rather fond of the product of the Hive.

 The subject and quality of these images are something I can only

dream of and 'borrowed' from Wiki for illustration.

 Returning to skyward, SISKINs were well represented but

after a period of time were seen to be flying from one coppice to 

another and not in fact migrants at all.

 Identified from their calls the passage birds included

TREE PIPIT

 YELLOW WAGTAIL and

 COMMON CROSSBILL

In addition there were also 'hundreds' of Racing Pigeons which

Looked and sounded fantastic.

Sticking with the flying theme, these also are not 'migrants'just another GLIDER being towed to altitude from the local club. There followed a cursory wander around Oakers Wood, where the now abandoned Lesser Spotted Woodpecker hole looked tantalising, Waddock and Tincleton Watercress Beds all to no avail. Starting slowly back to base, the area around Higher Hyde and Great Plantation is always worth a look but Turtle Dove was not in evidence. What was pleasing to see there was the

 continuing breeding

 of that delightful little bird the

 WOODLARK

 seen carrying food to young that could be heard but with no 

attempt to find them.

 On the down side the were no Turtle Dove, Hobby or Green Hairstreak Butterflies and no hirundines at all let alone the usual healthy colony of Sand Martin that have historically bred in this quarry.

 The final planned site was the Heath at Ovens Hill

 where this 'singing' male

 DARTFORD WARBLER

 was quickly and easily located. The guess is he hasn't found a 

'bit of nonesense' yet?

 

 There was also a very lucky, but all too brief, sighting of a tiny

Sand Lizard

 unfortunately this shot id also from Wiki.

 and a final peek into Longham Lake found this 

GREAT CRESTED GREBE

at fairly close quarters and irresistible.
Totals - Year = 115
Dorset = 93

The Song Remains the Same - Led Zeppelin

Major MIS-IDENTIFICATION on Monday's post, the Butterfly was in fact 

a female ORANGE TIP and not Green-veined White as published

 (male ORANGE TIP for comparison)

while the 'pretty flower', I am reliably informed, is a fine example of Common Storksbill. Thanks go to Mark Litjens plus John and Maggie Gifford. The appropriate amendments have been made.

Today started with a light frost and a chill wind as a

LITTLE EGRET
cut across a gloomy sky, the first at the farm since my return.

Otherwise at LONGHAM the Lakes were shrouded by fine mist,
over which 200? Common Swift were flying at extremely low level
accompanied by a few each of Barn Swallow and House Martin.

At least c2 COMMON SANDPIPER remain there

along with several dozen TUFTED DUCK
 
Closer inspection was needed of the Island in the southern most Lake

as among others MUTE SWAN are nesting
and GREY HERON standing sentinel.

REED BUNTING remain much in evidence, with vocal males
stealing the scene this morning along with plenty of

GREAT TIT

This pair of GREAT CRESTED GREBE

between them chases off a usurper,

then continued to form their little
Love Hearts!
 
SEDGE WARBLER
were also in good voice and making up the chorus were
Blackcap, Reed Warbler, Robin, Dunnock, Chaffinch, Wren etc.

Low flying MUTE SWANs,

mum MALLARD and the new brood,

and a couple of fine looking CANADA GEESE.

So, as can be seen, not a lot of change from the past couple of weeks. Good reason then to head off elsewhere. First a return visit to the north end of Parley Court Farm and the 'Common' where Dartford Warbler have not been seen for the last couple of year since the Central Electricity Generating Board did essential maintenance to the overhead cables there. Once again none were seen or heard, so onward to the North Woods in search of Marsh Tit, Nuthatch and Treecreeper where all 3 followed suit.

There have been a fair few occasions when I have had occasion to cross the Avon Causeway and coupled with reports of interesting and plentiful birds there from time to time have always intended to suss it out. Today was the day.

Stationing myself on the bridge the River

was viewable in both directions
 
but with only another 'sitting' MUTE SWAN close enough for
a decent photograph.

However, across the meadows and beyond, both sides of the road, there were c8 Little Egret, c5 Grey Heron, c2 Common Buzzard, possible breeding Lapwing, a host of House Sparrows, more Sedge and Reed Warblers and much else besides. This is a site well worth keeping an eye on should there be future visits to this part of the county.