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Wick (Christchurch Harbour, Dorset) (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter MSA
- Start date
joannec
Well-known member
Just found this thread....very nice reports here, Mark. Nice pictures too.:t: I particularly liked the bird race account. I did my first birdrace this year....great fun. We only got 83 species but it was first time for me. I think a lot of it is down to planning the route really well.
Joanne
Joanne
MSA
I may be relaxed but I'm not drunk....
Peregrine?
And if it isn't I have a modest list of really good excuses for why I mucked it up, and how anyone could have made the same mistake, blah, blah....
No excuses needed - you're right! One of three seen hunting low over the water on Sat morning. The guy who took the pic sent it to me with a tongue in cheek query if we'd overlooked a Bulwer's Petrel! I could see what he meant...
MSA
I may be relaxed but I'm not drunk....
Cheers Joanne - birdracing is hard work but good fun once in a while, and the key is definitely in planning the route (and knowing when to quit a site - you need a pretty rigid timetable, especially in winter, when time is limited, and it's all too easy to hang on at one site looking for a single species when another site could give you 10 new birds).
MSA
I may be relaxed but I'm not drunk....
Wandered around looking for Wheatear both morning and afternoon, to no avail, so rather galling to find out that one was seen around midday!
Still, mustn't grumble, as I found an adult Bewick's Swan late this afternoon, circling over the Pools and appearing to land on the river! Called a couple of the locals, but it either did not settle or got spooked by a boat, as it was not seen again. It's the first Harbour record since 2003, and my last Harbour sighting was so long ago I have no recollection of it - must be 20+ years ago. The regular Avon Valley flock has dwindled from 100+ in the late 70s to maybe half a dozen these days, if we're lucky, so it's no surprise they're so scarce here.
Still, mustn't grumble, as I found an adult Bewick's Swan late this afternoon, circling over the Pools and appearing to land on the river! Called a couple of the locals, but it either did not settle or got spooked by a boat, as it was not seen again. It's the first Harbour record since 2003, and my last Harbour sighting was so long ago I have no recollection of it - must be 20+ years ago. The regular Avon Valley flock has dwindled from 100+ in the late 70s to maybe half a dozen these days, if we're lucky, so it's no surprise they're so scarce here.
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MSA
I may be relaxed but I'm not drunk....
Very little to report this week, just a few Redwing over last night, and 100+ grounded Meadow Pipit plus a half-dozen new Stonechat on the Golf Course this afternoon, peering through the msity gloom that had descended.
Best sighting of the day was (the) Bob Wilson on a pushbike - he thanked me for not allowing myself and the dog to get run over by him (I'd been daydreaming)!
Best sighting of the day was (the) Bob Wilson on a pushbike - he thanked me for not allowing myself and the dog to get run over by him (I'd been daydreaming)!
MSA
I may be relaxed but I'm not drunk....
A somewhat belated update -
Last weekend finally saw an arrival of Wheatear, with a male on the Saturday and the first females on Sunday (10 birds seen in total). Aside from an Avocet and a couple of Med Gulls, plus year-ticks in the form of Knot on Stanpit and (finally) the wintering Barwit at Mudeford, not much else seen over the weekend; a Tawny Owl heard on Wick on Sunday evening was a bonus, though, as 2006 and 2007 were blank years for me for this species.
On Monday, I went to work on a bit of a high, having seen a Marsh Harrier heading north on the morning dog walk, but came down to earth when I heard about the Rough-legged Buzzard mid-morning! I must confess to a "why do I bother" moment, before finally convincing myself that it's what you see that matters, not what you miss. Still a bit of a p!sser, though!
The rest of the week was a total write-off, with nothing of note seen.
This morning was relaunch day for the Tern Island - pics below. Nice to do something "worthy" for once!
Last weekend finally saw an arrival of Wheatear, with a male on the Saturday and the first females on Sunday (10 birds seen in total). Aside from an Avocet and a couple of Med Gulls, plus year-ticks in the form of Knot on Stanpit and (finally) the wintering Barwit at Mudeford, not much else seen over the weekend; a Tawny Owl heard on Wick on Sunday evening was a bonus, though, as 2006 and 2007 were blank years for me for this species.
On Monday, I went to work on a bit of a high, having seen a Marsh Harrier heading north on the morning dog walk, but came down to earth when I heard about the Rough-legged Buzzard mid-morning! I must confess to a "why do I bother" moment, before finally convincing myself that it's what you see that matters, not what you miss. Still a bit of a p!sser, though!
The rest of the week was a total write-off, with nothing of note seen.
This morning was relaunch day for the Tern Island - pics below. Nice to do something "worthy" for once!
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MSA
I may be relaxed but I'm not drunk....
Pretty quiet for most of the past week, but Sand Martin, Chiffchaff and Wheatear are now finally "in" and seen on most visits. The recent run of northerly winds has presumably put a damper on migration.
An adult Yellow-legged Gull on Tue 25 Mar was a nice reward for a months-worth of checking the evening gull gathering by the HHC (although a white-winged gull would have been even better..).
Friday evening was a new experience for me, as I gave a post-AGM talk to the local group on birding in Israel. It seemed to go down OK, despite the fact that I was bricking it throughout; why did I offer to do it?!
Today was perhaps a turning point in the spring migration, as Pied Fly, Black Red and Yellow Wag all appeared (but eluded me) - luckily I did catch up with the "stars", a couple of Egyptian Geese; OK, they're plastic, but they are "tickable" and new for the Harbour for me. Also managed a couple of year-ticks today, with Willow Warbler and Sandwich Tern finally caught up with.
A pic from the weekend -
An adult Yellow-legged Gull on Tue 25 Mar was a nice reward for a months-worth of checking the evening gull gathering by the HHC (although a white-winged gull would have been even better..).
Friday evening was a new experience for me, as I gave a post-AGM talk to the local group on birding in Israel. It seemed to go down OK, despite the fact that I was bricking it throughout; why did I offer to do it?!
Today was perhaps a turning point in the spring migration, as Pied Fly, Black Red and Yellow Wag all appeared (but eluded me) - luckily I did catch up with the "stars", a couple of Egyptian Geese; OK, they're plastic, but they are "tickable" and new for the Harbour for me. Also managed a couple of year-ticks today, with Willow Warbler and Sandwich Tern finally caught up with.
A pic from the weekend -
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MSA
I may be relaxed but I'm not drunk....
Today saw a good arrival of phylloscs in particular, with about 150 Willow Warbs and 50 Chiffchaff over Wick and the surrounding area. Blackcap, Swallow and Sand Martin are also around in reasonable numbers at last. The first Sedge Warbler of the year was on Wick yesterday, and it (or another) was in the same area this morning. Also seen yesterday on an afternoon wander in the sun was a female-type Marsh Harrier, my second of the spring, and the two Egyptian Geese flew into the harbour from up the Avon Valley.
DOGS
Wick is a very popular dog-walking area; despite having a dog myself, I get quite wound-up about the amount of disturbance they cause, mainly due to the fact that I often seem to be the only owner who knows how to read! All dogs are supposed to be under "close control" on all paths (ie walking to heel), with further restrictions in the fields themselves (two are dogs on leads only, the third is a dog-free field). If I could have a pound for every dog doing what it shouldn't, I'd be a rich man! The only thing that seems to stop (most) owners is the presence of cattle, which are rotated between the fields over the winter. Once the cattle leave a field, the free-for-all starts again. However, over the past few weeks the dogs have been conspicuous by their absence, and I just found out why - apparently someone has finally been prosecuted and fined £80 for letting their dog in with the cattle. The chap who told me about this couldn't understand it, and went on to say he'd been walking his dog around the fields for years and never saw a bird. I tried to explain (tactfully) that the reason was the persistent disturbance by people like him, but I suspect this went over his head. Sadly, today I had to point out the "no dogs" sign to a couple who were standing right by it, having let their dog run all over the field in question; they listened to my explanation, but I'm damn sure it made no difference. I really wish I had a way of combatting the ignorance of these people - any suggestions?
DOGS
Wick is a very popular dog-walking area; despite having a dog myself, I get quite wound-up about the amount of disturbance they cause, mainly due to the fact that I often seem to be the only owner who knows how to read! All dogs are supposed to be under "close control" on all paths (ie walking to heel), with further restrictions in the fields themselves (two are dogs on leads only, the third is a dog-free field). If I could have a pound for every dog doing what it shouldn't, I'd be a rich man! The only thing that seems to stop (most) owners is the presence of cattle, which are rotated between the fields over the winter. Once the cattle leave a field, the free-for-all starts again. However, over the past few weeks the dogs have been conspicuous by their absence, and I just found out why - apparently someone has finally been prosecuted and fined £80 for letting their dog in with the cattle. The chap who told me about this couldn't understand it, and went on to say he'd been walking his dog around the fields for years and never saw a bird. I tried to explain (tactfully) that the reason was the persistent disturbance by people like him, but I suspect this went over his head. Sadly, today I had to point out the "no dogs" sign to a couple who were standing right by it, having let their dog run all over the field in question; they listened to my explanation, but I'm damn sure it made no difference. I really wish I had a way of combatting the ignorance of these people - any suggestions?
MSA
I may be relaxed but I'm not drunk....
On Sat there was another good arrival of Willow Warbler, with 250+ seen, also the first Whimbrel of the year on Wick Hams and small numbers of other early migrants. Sand Martin are digging out nesting chambers at the far (beach hut) end of the Head, with maybe 50 birds wheeling around the cliff.
Sun saw settled SNOW for the first time in over 10 years - maybe the first since 1989 or thereabouts! Very short-lived; it was snowing quite steadliy when dog and I first emerged for our walk, but by the time we returned there was barely a trace in the garden. Neeless to say, there were few birds around, save for a few reckless/unlucky phylloscs.
Not much seen this morning, but gull-watching finally came up trumps this afternoon, with a first-winter Ring-billed Gull on the HHC mudbar! I watched it for about 15-20 minutes (with 1st-winter Common Gull nearby for comparison), made a few notes then walked briskly home to leave the dog - who had been very patient, but was getting decidedly restless by the end - and returned with another local birder, armed with telescopes. Unfortunately by then the RBG and CG had both departed, but a nice adult Yellow-legged Gull was some small compensation. Rare gulls definitely live up to their rare status in the Harbour (Radipole seems to monopolise the Dorset gull scene) and this was a patch first for me. Will try again tomorrow at same time, with camera for record shot if it reappears.
Finally a few snow pics -
Sun saw settled SNOW for the first time in over 10 years - maybe the first since 1989 or thereabouts! Very short-lived; it was snowing quite steadliy when dog and I first emerged for our walk, but by the time we returned there was barely a trace in the garden. Neeless to say, there were few birds around, save for a few reckless/unlucky phylloscs.
Not much seen this morning, but gull-watching finally came up trumps this afternoon, with a first-winter Ring-billed Gull on the HHC mudbar! I watched it for about 15-20 minutes (with 1st-winter Common Gull nearby for comparison), made a few notes then walked briskly home to leave the dog - who had been very patient, but was getting decidedly restless by the end - and returned with another local birder, armed with telescopes. Unfortunately by then the RBG and CG had both departed, but a nice adult Yellow-legged Gull was some small compensation. Rare gulls definitely live up to their rare status in the Harbour (Radipole seems to monopolise the Dorset gull scene) and this was a patch first for me. Will try again tomorrow at same time, with camera for record shot if it reappears.
Finally a few snow pics -
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joannec
Well-known member
I know exactly what you mean, Mark. I record for the Sussex OS on Ashdown Forest, a vast open space heathland area in East Sussex. There are clear signs at every carpark saying 'keep dogs on leads between March and August'. How many people take notice? Less than one in a hundred is my estimate. I've even witnessed a dog attacking and probably killing a lamb. Nightjars nest here, Dartford warblers and woodcock too. Hen harriers roost here in the winter. But I'm afraid I don't have the confidence or authority to challenge them, being female and usually alone. Personally I think the rangers should enforce the 'dogs on a lead' law but they don't seem to.
Nice thread, by the way.:t:
Joanne
MSA
I may be relaxed but I'm not drunk....
A surprisingly quiet week - despite the sunny weather, presumably the fact that it is so cold is deterring passage. If it stays like this, birds will start to move regardless, but if the weather should suddenly warm up, there could be a mega fall - fingers crossed!
Finally caught up with Black Redstart this morning (not seen at all last year) on rooftops adjoining the recording area - rarely have I felt so self-conscious, staring at houses on and off for a couple of days since first sighting y'day - bird is by an infant/junior school amongst residential housing, and were it not for the dog (giving a reasonable excuse for lurking), I reckon I'd have been reported to the police by now!
Finally caught up with Black Redstart this morning (not seen at all last year) on rooftops adjoining the recording area - rarely have I felt so self-conscious, staring at houses on and off for a couple of days since first sighting y'day - bird is by an infant/junior school amongst residential housing, and were it not for the dog (giving a reasonable excuse for lurking), I reckon I'd have been reported to the police by now!
MSA
I may be relaxed but I'm not drunk....
Finally, birds are starting to arrive, although it still can't be described as warm! Monday was a good day, with the first Whitethroat, Redstart and Ring Ouzel (found after a conversation with a fellow dog-walker, who asked what the oversized Blackbird with a white crescent on the chest might be!) - a well-marked female. Redstart continued to feature over the next few days; looks like being a good spring for them. A pair of Garganey led to a twitch to Stanpit on Tuesday, with Spot Red and Redstart also seen, and Wednesday turned up a different female Ring Ouzel and a Grasshopper Warbler. Easterly winds persisted and strengthened throughout the day - tipped off via mobile tel of a large Tern movement through the harbour, I was rather pleased with a full-plumaged Black Tern over Wick in the evening, with a flock of Sarnies!
A rare morning spent working rather than in the field was balanced with a seawatch from Whitepits this evening, where Common Tern was new for the year, and a Bonxie struggling east was much appreciated, having been missed by me for the last couple of years.
A rare morning spent working rather than in the field was balanced with a seawatch from Whitepits this evening, where Common Tern was new for the year, and a Bonxie struggling east was much appreciated, having been missed by me for the last couple of years.
MSA
I may be relaxed but I'm not drunk....
Time for an update, methinks!
April more or less fizzled out, with a couple more Black Tern as highlights.
May started well with a second-summer Iceland Gull seen twice on 3rd, one of only a handfull I've seen in the harbour. Black Tern continued to appear, making a good spring for this species. A male Garganey on 5th was a brief fly-through over Wick, and a 1st-summer Little Gull hawking insects over the fields in the afternoon of 8th made a "twitch" to Argyle Road the previous day look a little silly. Lounging around the HHC in the sunshine on 11th proved to be worthwhile, with a Honey Buzzard cruising low east overhead closely followed by a Marsh Harrier heading north a few minutes later, and another trip to Argyle Road on 14th gave distant views of Little Stint, a scarce spring visitor.
An excellent mid-May trip to Poland (see separate thread) was followed by a quiet period on Wick, although Turtle Dove was seen very well on 23rd (a difficult bird to catch up with these days), and Adder and fox cubs were regularly seen in the "Bobolink Field". The month ended with a late Osprey low over the fields on 31st.
All was then quiet until today, when I was lucky enough to find a male Serin in song on the Barn Field almost as soon as I arrived (about 2 hours later than usual - with dog in tow) on Hengistbury. Unusually, the bird remained long enough for the early risers to dash from the seawatch and catch up with the bird. A late Spotted Flycatcher was in the same area, and a Green Hairstreak was nearby. Incredibly, on my early evening dogwalk, I was greeted by presumably the same Serin, singing from a dead tree at the village end of Wick Fields! Sadly, this time the bird disappeared before anyone else arrived. Also seen this evening were 5 Whimbrel, presumably returning non-breeding birds, and a Hobby.
April more or less fizzled out, with a couple more Black Tern as highlights.
May started well with a second-summer Iceland Gull seen twice on 3rd, one of only a handfull I've seen in the harbour. Black Tern continued to appear, making a good spring for this species. A male Garganey on 5th was a brief fly-through over Wick, and a 1st-summer Little Gull hawking insects over the fields in the afternoon of 8th made a "twitch" to Argyle Road the previous day look a little silly. Lounging around the HHC in the sunshine on 11th proved to be worthwhile, with a Honey Buzzard cruising low east overhead closely followed by a Marsh Harrier heading north a few minutes later, and another trip to Argyle Road on 14th gave distant views of Little Stint, a scarce spring visitor.
An excellent mid-May trip to Poland (see separate thread) was followed by a quiet period on Wick, although Turtle Dove was seen very well on 23rd (a difficult bird to catch up with these days), and Adder and fox cubs were regularly seen in the "Bobolink Field". The month ended with a late Osprey low over the fields on 31st.
All was then quiet until today, when I was lucky enough to find a male Serin in song on the Barn Field almost as soon as I arrived (about 2 hours later than usual - with dog in tow) on Hengistbury. Unusually, the bird remained long enough for the early risers to dash from the seawatch and catch up with the bird. A late Spotted Flycatcher was in the same area, and a Green Hairstreak was nearby. Incredibly, on my early evening dogwalk, I was greeted by presumably the same Serin, singing from a dead tree at the village end of Wick Fields! Sadly, this time the bird disappeared before anyone else arrived. Also seen this evening were 5 Whimbrel, presumably returning non-breeding birds, and a Hobby.
MSA
I may be relaxed but I'm not drunk....
An evening trip to the top of the Head on 11th was successful, with a male Nightjar seen extremely well, also several bats, amongst which was (apparently) Lesser Horseshoe, according to the chap with a bat detector (110 Mhz call).
A late Whinchat was on Wick Fields on 14th, and was about to be photographed when a phone call led to a half-mile dash for a Roseate Tern, viewable from Barn Bight, the bird itself being on Stanpit.
Unless a midsummer "mega" appears, it's unlikely they'll be much of note until mid-August, at least not on Wick, so it's time to check on the success of the breeding birds and try for a few photos.
A late Whinchat was on Wick Fields on 14th, and was about to be photographed when a phone call led to a half-mile dash for a Roseate Tern, viewable from Barn Bight, the bird itself being on Stanpit.
Unless a midsummer "mega" appears, it's unlikely they'll be much of note until mid-August, at least not on Wick, so it's time to check on the success of the breeding birds and try for a few photos.
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MSA
I may be relaxed but I'm not drunk....
Delighted to report that my "closed for the summer" comment was somewhat premature; 5 Crossbill over Wick on Thur was a good record, but a Marsh Tit in the woods on Hengistbury on Sat was my first since the eighties! A Nuthatch in the same tree was a bonus - both birds have been around for a couple of days, but it's a relief that they hung around long enough for me to catch up with them.
Three Raven were the highlight today, and the female Adder was in her usual spot. Must get a pic soon!
Three Raven were the highlight today, and the female Adder was in her usual spot. Must get a pic soon!
MSA
I may be relaxed but I'm not drunk....
A singing Garden Warbler in Wick Ditch on 3rd July was a bit of an odd record, maybe a failed breeder from nearby (none breeding in the Harbour area)? Little else of note, although seawatches this weekend and last produced 1 or more Storm Petrel, and Hobby over the fields yesterday was a nice bonus.
Finally got a photo of the male Adder this morning (albeit with a 400mm lens, not ideal) and spent a little time taking pix of the Sand Martin colony, tricky with birds feeding well-grown young and therefore in and out of their burrows like rockets.....
Finally got a photo of the male Adder this morning (albeit with a 400mm lens, not ideal) and spent a little time taking pix of the Sand Martin colony, tricky with birds feeding well-grown young and therefore in and out of their burrows like rockets.....
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MSA
I may be relaxed but I'm not drunk....
A good day today!
Just before 10am I was delighted to find a White Stork soaring towards the Harbour - it remained on view for at least 10 minutes, gaining altitude, before disappearing from view. I hurried home but it was long gone by the time I got there. A couple of hours' "gardening" (skywatching) later, I was relaxing over a coffee when the Stork reappeared! An excellent way to reach 100 for the garden list, and I even managed some poor photos (one below - the best one!).
This bird was obviously the one that was seen up the Avon yesterday, and could conceivably have been lingering in the area, also ranging over the New Forest and beyond, for several weeks. Whatever, it was also a new bird for my Harbour list.
Just before 10am I was delighted to find a White Stork soaring towards the Harbour - it remained on view for at least 10 minutes, gaining altitude, before disappearing from view. I hurried home but it was long gone by the time I got there. A couple of hours' "gardening" (skywatching) later, I was relaxing over a coffee when the Stork reappeared! An excellent way to reach 100 for the garden list, and I even managed some poor photos (one below - the best one!).
This bird was obviously the one that was seen up the Avon yesterday, and could conceivably have been lingering in the area, also ranging over the New Forest and beyond, for several weeks. Whatever, it was also a new bird for my Harbour list.
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