Dorset Wildlife Trust project; its all in the planning

These short January days are perfect for venturing outside. I do a lot more walking these days and last Monday spent a fabulous three hours trudging through a muddy Steart Marsh which, while having my lunch sitting on a bench, afforded one of the best views I've ever had of a Cetti's warbler.

I was alerted to it by at least two wrens' erupting their warning calls continuously, and within the same clump of reeds a Cetti's called. At this point the birds, about twenty feet away, were hidden but after about five minutes of watching, three wrens appeared and, taking positions at the base of the reeds, began calling ferociously. Then the Cetti's appeared, balanced on a single reed stem just below the 'feather' about two to three feet above the wrens, where it returned their chorus of displeasure with its own explosive call. The wrens replied, the Cetti's replied. I'd inadvertently stumbled across an avian Ministry of Sound territorial bust-up. The three wrens were not happy and were giving it loud. It gave me about two or three minutes to observe the Cetti's warbler out in the open. I've seen Cetti's warblers many times but usually the briefest of views before disappearing. This one was in full view. Through my binoculars in some ways it reminded me of a bulky Dartford warbler with the tail of, yes, a wren. Then, as quickly as it had begun the Cetti's flew off, the wrens dispersed and I was left in silence, apart from a quartering marsh harrier in the distance. 

Somewhere in this view are three wrens and a Cetti's warbler

But I digress. These short days also allow stay-at-home time for research and planning of my Dorset Wildlife Trust (DWT) reserve visits. On Thursday it never really got light due to heavy rain and thick cloud, so I ventured to our local library to print off my notes, taken from the DWT website, of the near fifty reserves.

 

 

 

I don't have a printer at home but decided for this project I'd go old school, partly as some of these reserves will have patchy mobile coverage. Taking an OS map and those printed notes (along with my flask of ginger beer) should avoid any technological unpleasantness.

 

Researching and then printing these notes and re-reading them in the file has been fascinating. The big DWT reserves I know of, Brownsea Island, Kingcombe Meadows and Kimmeridge for example, will reliably deliver. However I'm now more interested in and wish to focus on the many small reserves in the DWT portfolio. I've noted a few and many are just a few fields or some remnant habitat and under 10 hectares.

 

Broadoak Orchard,  a community orchard with bullfinch and glow worms. Girdlers Coppice, an ancient oak woodland with dormice, spotted flycatcher and silver washed fritillary. Hibbitts Wood, good for orchids in the adjacent meadow. Budgens Meadow, just 2 hectares but a wildflower and invertebrate hotspot. Troublefield, tucked behind Bournemouth airport and good for dragonflies. Kings Barrow Quarries on Portland, chalkhill blue and silver-studded blue, Peascombe, a steep sided hill with stream, home to marsh tit and otter (though I'll not see the latter) and last but not least in this brief selection Mill Ham Island (rarely visited I read) home to willow warbler, banded damoiselle and yes you guessed it, otter.

 

My preliminary research is complete. Pages printed, the days are lengthening, birds are becoming vocal, the time has come to venture out. I wonder which reserve on my list will be awarded the first visit?

RSPB Lodmoor Cetti's - and a Northern Coot

On the way back from Wincanton yesterday I did a short trawl of the flooded swamps, formerly fields in the Blackmore Vale. I have to say it was dire. Of note, a Buzzard and a Robin. 10 miles north of the Vale after all this rain, the The Somerset Levels are now living up to their Isle of Avalon fame.

So this morning, determined to get out, we went to RSPB Lodmoor in Weymouth. Her indoors thinks this birding lark is fairly odd. Don't get me wrong, she likes watching the sparrows on the feeders as much as any woman, but tramping around wet fields to have fun, doesn't really work for her. So I cunningly plan a visit where she can go for a nice walk leaving me in peace for an hour. Just took the bins, as the comment when getting the scope out of the car was "oh God, you're not taking that are you?"... tail between my legs, it returned to the car, unloved and unused...... but I did get my year total up to 82.

RSPB Lodmoor, somewhere out there are Cetti's in the gloom.

But have to say not a bad moring, but dull, but NOT raining and lovely and mild. Didn't do any counts, just what I saw. Most notable was 4 different singing Cetti's Warblers. Also my first bumble bee of the year flew past. It must be spring. Oh and this fella.

I met this Coot making a break for the north and asking the directions to Northumberland particularly the Heritage Coast area.

So in rough order of seeing them. Lapwing, Wren, Coot (see above), Herring Gull, Canada Goose, Black Headed Gull, Shelduck, Mallard, Tufted Duck, Mute Swam, Shovler, Grey Heron, Teal, Blue Tit, Carrion Crow, "Rabbit", Moorhen, Starling, Blackbird, Pochard, Cetti's (1st one), weird possible Tufty x Pochard, Long Tail Tit, Goldfinch, Chaffinch, Woodpigeon, Greenfinch, Stock Dove, Little Grebe, House Sparrow, Scaup (think there was two, wish I'd had the scope),Robin, Buzzard, Lsr Black Back Gull, Common Gull, Magpie, Pied Wagtail.

After this had a quick dash over the Ferrybridge, near Portland, however there was some sort of windsurfing competition going on, so only noatbles were single Oystercatcher, 3 Little Egret, 6+ Redshank.

Took this on the way home, hasn't come out too well as the weather was turning dreek again but cheers the soul to see snowdrops and daffodils out in January.