Church With One Bell - John Martyn

All good things come to an end, and in this case the end involves travel and logistics - in other words a bus ride back to Weymouth and an hour or so in the local Asda supermarket. However, in line with everything else in my life there is no rush so chance to get out for a few hours before returning home. Longham Lake and Poole Harbour were once again options, but with nothing more to offer than what was seen yesterday I returned to Studland to take a closer look at the village.

The Church of St Nicholas of Myra, Studland, Dorset

As with most villages the Church is the hub, but the one here is far from any ordinary ecclesiastical building even in its construction

which is of stout proportions and heavily buttressed, giving the impression of a fortification which was likely the architects intention? Of even more interest is a history stretching back 1,500 years or so when the idea was conceived, while the fabric and construction were not completed until a few years later.

A plaque, at the entrance to the Naive, tells the story better.

As with many graveyards throughout the land, the Yew Tree is prominent here.

Some fine examples of Norman, and earlier, architecture

with 'ropes' of unknown function seemingly leading to the tower.

One of 2Hatchments, a type of family Coat of Arms, often carried ahead of a funeral cortege, which undoubtedly represent the Bankes family.

A view from The Choir.

An interesting window, seemingly designed for a much larger pane but now reduced to little more than a squint. Anything to do with the 'window tax' of 1696?

The North Elevation.

Quite close by is Studland Manor Farm with its fine row of cottages and

and Barn, neither anywhere near as old as the Church.

Old Harry Rocks

are viewable from the village, extending seaward from Handfast Point a promontory of Ballard Down with two theories as to the origin of the name. One legend says that the Devil (traditionally known euphemistically as "Old Harry") had a sleep on the rocks, while another favours the rocks being named after Harry Paye the infamous Poole Pirate, who stored his contraband nearby.

There was an outer 'stack' known as Old Harry's Wife but this fell to erosion in 1896 effectively 'widowing' Old Harry!

These 2 panorama shots taken from the hill at the Isle of Purbeck Golf Club don't really capture the quality of the view this vantage point commands, but gives some idea of the natural beauty we enjoy here in sunny Dorset. From Bournemouth Bay in the east (right), across Poole Harbour entrance

and onward across Poole harbour to Arne and Wareham Heaths.

I don't remember ever publishing any 'underwater' photographs on the Blog, so having received these stunning shots from my friend Andy Lindsay in Derbyshire considered them well worth sharing. Taken by his lady-friend Dawn, something of an accomplished diver I am told, on a 'dip' at the National Diving Centre, Stoney Cove, Leicestershire they are not only of a magnificent fish, but also have a lot of 'feel' about them.

Northern Pike (Esox lucius)

Sittin' On the Dock of the Bay - Otis Redding

The plan on this sparkling sun yet chilly day was to circumnavigate Poole Harbour, quite a thing to do in itself considering it's the second largest natural harbour in the world. The sights and scenes that can be experienced in this region can be unparalleled, but first there was the small matter of viewing that 'rare' duck again.

Literally a 10 minute drive to Longham Lake where first to fall to the binoculars were a group of Tufted Ducks with the odd Pochard. There were, as usual, several Grey Heron, Cormorants, Mallard and Black-headed Gull, along with a few

Great Crested Grebe,

a skein of Canada Geese (no matter the provenance, don't you just 'love' all geese in flight?).

Not that they shouldn't be here but it was my first taste of Reed Bunting at this site,

as were probably less expected a small flock of 10 Black-tailed Godwit overflying. There were a couple of bird watchers in the same spot that the Duck was seen on Saturday, always a good sign, but the sun, directly ahead wasn't really helping. How dare I moan at a December sun?

The Blue-winged Teal was still there, still in company with the female Shoveler,

but to get half a decent shot I had to shift position, and

wait for it to come to me!

From here it's less than half an hour to reach the shore of Poole Harbour, where my first view was across the waves to Brownsea Island probably best remembered as being the very spot the Boy Scout Movement was formed.

Boarding the Sandbanks Chain Ferry, it was across the very narrow mouth of the harbour to Shell Bay.

From here you get a fairly close look at Furzy Island complete with it BP Drilling Rig, and where on occasion you can 'scope the Landing Slip (centre shot) and see Golden Pheasant.

Looking back you get a fuller view of Sandbanks

which has recently been described in the Financial Times as the most expensive Real Estate in the world. It may be of interest (right clicking this image to expand) that the house sat between the 'blue roof' house and the 'new construction' belongs to Football Manager Harry Redknapp, his son Jamie lives close by.

In the far distance is the Isle of Wight and in the

opposite direction Bournemouth. Looking for a Velvet Scoter (a type of stocky Sea Duck) I visited Bramble Bush Bay and beyond

and first sighted a lone Little Egret with close by

a fair number of Oystercatcher.

Looking up, there were 7 Red Knot flying overhead,

which landed on the foreshore not too far away but,

they only needed one look at me before beating a hasty retreat!

Looking back from Gerry's Point a better view can be had of the Chain Ferry, and also there was a single

Grey Plover

which took the same view as the Knot, heading off into the distance,

showing as it did so the 'trade mark' dark under-wing patches synonymous with this species.

Quickly on to Studland, probably most noted for 'nude bathing' (hang on I'll just wipe the condensation off my bins),

and a couple of Fungi on the way, it only took a matter of minutes to locate a

Ring-necked Parakeet.

We are very lucky to have a small population of these raucous Parrots in Dorset, and as a wild but feral, self sustaining breeding group they are noted by the British Trust for Ornithology as Category C.

The best way to find these birds is usually to listen for their loud squawking, but today this loan bird remained silent so I was lucky to find it.

Finally, via Corfe Castle,

I visited Middlebere and the small hamlet of just 4 cottages, straight out of a Thomas Hardy novel

and now let to visitors to the county by the National Trust.

From this view sat in the 'hide', I was hoping to see a few hundred Avocet but there were none here during my visit.

All that were seen were many dozens of Lapwing along with similar numbers of Starling,

a distant Yellow-legged Gull,

lots of Brent & Canada Geese on the meadows and a few Teal, Shelduck and Wigeon.