The Clams haven't been out for a few weeks now and we were all in the need for a day out Birding, so I sent a text around to the lads and we arranged to go down to Dorset for the day.
First on the agenda was reports of some Tundra Bean Geese and Bewick Swans nr Abotts Swanery. We arrived at the site a grassy field close to the river and there was a good number of Swans feeding on the grass, so we grove down the narrow lane along side the field and started looking through the Swans.
There was some Birders already here and they said there was no sign of the Bean Geese but said there were some Bewicks. They left us looking but there was no Bewicks here just about 30 Mute Swans, some Greylag Geese and a small group of Egyptian Geese (Year Tick).
After half an hour we packed up and made our way over to Blashford Lakes as a Green Winged Teal had been seen the day before. At Blashford we parked up by the visitor center but it was closed and so were the hides so we started walking down to some screens over the other side of these large gravel pits. Plently of Wildfoul here, Wigeon, Gadwall, Tufted Duck, Pochard, Goldeneye & Large numbers of Teal .
Whilst Captain Clam scanned through the screen Olly, Tom & Bart looked across the pit behind us and we soon picked up two Black Necked Grebes (Year Tick) and on our walk down we had another year tick a Treecreeper so a good start to the day. We scanned through the Teal for a hour but didn't see the GW Teal so we packed up and headed to Upton by Hamsworthy for a Hoopoe.
The Hoopoe had been seen earlier today but it was favoring a housing estate which makes access poor as you can't go walking around peoples back gardens! After an hour we hadn't seen it so we decided to head to Ferrybridge by Portland as there was a Snow Bunting there!
It was blowing a gail here but at least the sun was out so we started looking for the bunting, checking the areas around the Center here , we had a few Skylarks , Pied Wagtails, Brent Geese , then Captain asked one of the guy's in the Center when the Bunting was last seen and to our suprise he said it's over there on a man made pebbley rockery infront of the center. (We had nearly stood on ot!) Bang Snow Bunting!
We viewed this little cracker down to about six feet and it wasn't at all bothered about us at all ! After a coffee in the centre we headed back to Hamworthy AGAIN as the Hoopoe had been seen . Not to bore you this was a case of Deja Vu ! We didn't see it, never mind thats Birding.
As the sun was starting to become low in the sky we headed to a place called Martin Down to try and see a Great Grey Shirke & Short Eared Owls. After getting lost a few times we finnally found Martin Down and Bart found a Short Eared Owl , Class! But no sign of the Shrike, so as it was nearly dark now we packed up and headed home.
A Great day out with the Clams and some good birds seen!
ATB - Olly Clam.
No comments:
Post a Comment