Hail and Gale an Easter Saturday Tale

Blimey O'Reilly, it was a bit blustery yesterday and absolutely freezing. Mind you as I write this at 8am Sunday, it's snowing quite heavily in Dorset.

After shopping in Yeovil in the morning, always a treat for a countryphile such as myself, plus a spot of lunch at Castle Gardens in Sherborne (amazingly re-opened 2 days after a fire destroyed 50% of the building), in the afternoon I left Thelma to snooze in the warm conservatory, and himself ventured out onto Bulbarow Hill in the teeth of a gale (with a grey wagtail at a ford on the way). And at 900 feet up it was surely a gale. Struggling to get out of the car my first view was an incoming hail shower... which was nice!!

Apart from a woman walking dogs, presumably because she had to, I seemed to be the only one stupid enough to be up there. It was glorious, as I'm addicted to severe weather. I always become depressed in the summer when it's hot and humid as just don't like hot weather. I've always been odd. Give me a cold winter's day, a gale and some wildlife, and I'm in heaven. I have to admit though, this was quite challenging, some gusts really took your breath away and twice I nearly took a tumble. The only way to use the binoculars was to wrap myself around a fencepost to stop them shaking too much. But worth it.

Huge numbers of Corvids up there, particularly Rooks and Carrion Crows. Spent a bit of time watching Rooks pestering a Buzzard which was flying a bit too close. Amazing how agile Buzzards can be when being mobbed. That was the second Buzzard being mobbed, one at Clifton Maybank near Yeovil earlier. Very few passerines about, but hunkered in the lee of a hedge Red-Legged Partridge and pheasants, numerous rabbits. Sadly though no Brown Hares - unlike me they had the sense to lie low and keep out of the wind.

However even for me, after an hour I had had enough of being buffeted, so drove to Hammoon. 600 feet lower, the weather could not have been any different. Was it the same day? Still a wind, but I could stand up. Scanning the Stour River, 2 Little Egrets were faffing about by the river.

Also today's quiz - Spot the Duck in the water meadow. Click to enlarge.

In the opposite direction to the Little Egrets, Hambleton Hill. I keep meaning to go up there, not today though.

Finally as it was heading towards sunset, popped to Fiddleford Manor. Absolutely stunning spot with the Mill, a weir and unspoilt scenery. I was watching a "charm" of Goldfinch and some Long Tailed Tit in a tree when a "seep seep" attracted my attention. And indeed, 2 Kingfishers. I watched them flying to and from a branch as I stood on the sluice gates here. Not far from this spot I also found their nest hole. In the evening light, the male particularly turned almost Azure-Purple, glorious. By the way incase you're wondering, females have an oranger lower bill, though not easy to see at times.

And last but by no means least, sunsets. Top was a wonderful cloud formation as a I left Fiddleford, and below it, sun through Common Plantation near Stalbridge, which holds a sizeable rookery, presumably as less than a mile away where most of the rooks in the garden come from. Also a good spot for Roe Deer.

Dorset Bramblings

As the weather had turned fair, this morning was an hour or so birding in North Dorset. Recent reports of a fair sized Brambling flock (up to 100) sent me first to Bradbury Rings, between Wimborne and Blandford Forum. And yes I can confirm they're there, the flock flew over my head, then as I followed them, flew back in the opposite direction, repeating this process for half an hour. In the end I just stood there and watched them fly back and forth. And indeed a mixed Brambling and Chaffinch flock. Got some good views with the scope, but as I still haven't managed to set myself up for Digi-scoping, just pretend you can see them here.

Arty shot of Bradbury Rings

The fields around Bradbury rings were full of Fieldfare, mixed Corvids and a handfull of Black Headed Gulls, presumably the rain overnight had pushed worms and so on up to the surface. Also met a birder who said a Hooded Merganser (presumably an escapee) was on the River Stour. So popped along to see if that was there.... it wasn't.

But a very nice place to spend a few moments watching a river, 1 Little Egret, 2 Dabchick, Moorhen, Blackbirds, fair few Mallard/Hybrids and that was about it. So final birdwatch was at Bullbarrow Hill, which threw up a Nuthatch and between 15 and 20 Great Tit feeding on the beech mast, don't think I've ever seen that many before in one place.

A sign of the times :-)

Other hightlights of the morning, Songthrush on wall at Shillingstone, Redwings at Sturminster Newton, oh and yes in the garden, male Blackcap (so that's possibly a pair here) and the Collard Doves are at it...