Wood Sandpiper, Longham Lakes, Dorset, 29/7/13 (Chris Parnell)
29 July 2013
Chris Parnell found a Wood Sandpiper this evening at Longham, seemingly commuting between the main island on Longham Reservoir South and the boat ramp at the east end of the causeway.
Also at least 3 Common Sandpipers and 5 Lapwings. In the ne corner were aggregations of Tufted Duck chicks numbering 8,7,5 and 29 – the latter quite obviously a crèche. That’s 49 chicks in all. Also 1 Gadwall on the island and a Little Grebe on a nest close to the island.
27th July
Alan Pearce saw the Great White Egret (see 16th July, below) over the northern end of the Lakes this morning at 07.00, flying west over the river. Also 3 Raven on one of the pylons, 10 Lapwing and 2 Common Sandpipers.
24th July
The CES visit this morning was quite good, with 39 new birds ringed and 17 retraps. Highlights included the first Sedge Warbler of the year and the first juvenile Bullfinch, the latter after 6 adults have been caught since May. This is the first know breeding at Longham. Also 14 new Reed Warblers, 9 Chiffchaffs, 2 Whitethroats and a Blackcap. One of the retraps was an adult Great Tit ringed at nearby Canford in March 2012, three Reed Warbler retraps were first ringed in 2011, and one Reed Warbler retrap was found in the nest as a pullus last year. (Roger Peart).
20th July
There were 2 Little Ringed Plovers on the main island in Longham Reservoir South this morning, along with 2 Common Sandpipers (Chris Parnell).
17th July
1 Little Ringed Plover appeared on the main island in Longham Reservoir South this evening. Also Common Sandpiper and Lapwing there in the morning.
A CES visit revealed 26 new birds and 9 retraps in the trapping area. There was reasonable variety, with a new Treecreeper, 2 Robins, 10 Reed Warblers (7 juveniles), 2 Reed Buntings, 1 Wren, 1 Blackbird, 1 Dunnock and 1 Great Tit. A re-trapped Song Thrush was an adult female ringed on 27 June last year, and a re-trapped Whitethroat was first caught on 11th May last year.
16th July
Great Egret, Longham Lakes, Dorset, 16/7/13 (Alan Pearce)
A most exciting day today, with photographic evidence from Alan Pearce to back up May’s record of a Great White Egret. This time the bird was flying, albeit at some distance away (08.40). This bird, therefore, is the first since November 2006, when one was reported by persons unknown. If that wasn’t enough, the first record of Oystercatcher since May 2009, with 2 birds flying around (Chris Parnell). Also 2 Common Sandpipers and 2 Lapwings on the main island, a Common Tern fishing on LR North (Alan Pearce) and 3 Little Grebes.
15th July
News today that one of our Blackcaps ringed at Longham Lakes last September was controlled in April in the Cam Valley near Bath, England. (Roger Peart).
12th July
Lorne Bissell had 1 Common Sandpiper, 1 Raven and the fascinating sight of 2 Cuckoos chasing each other.
10th July
The morning’s CES ringing bagged 40 birds, of which 34 were juveniles; also 11 retraps. The new birds included an impressive 18 Reed Warblers (15 juveniles), 9 Chiffchaffs, 1 Long-tailed Tit and 1 Treecreeper. (Roger Peart). Meanwhile, there was a presumed family of 6 Ravens over Hampreston Fields, together with 1 Shelduck, 2 Lapwings, 1 Mediterranean Gull, 20 Sand Martins and at least 4 young Pied Wagtails on the Lakes, together with 2 Little Grebes and the beginning of the mid-summer build-up of Great Crested Grebes – 15 birds (Dominic Couzens).
8th July
The first returning Common Sandpiper this morning, also 15 Swifts (Alan Pearce).
5th July
1 Common Tern reported (Alan Pearce).
2nd July
The CES ringing visit this morning bagged 32 new individuals and 10 retraps. Happily there were plenty of juveniles, including 6 Chiffchaffs, 4 Blackcaps, 1 Whitethroat, 5 Reed Buntings, 4 Great Tits and 4 Robins. Also 1 adult male Bullfinch and 1 adult female Green Woodpecker. There isn’t much going on among Reed Warblers, but evidently it is a late year. (Roger Peart).