23rd March
A Blackcap (first of the year) was singing and a Wheatear turned up near the causeway, giving a spring feel (Ron Poulter, Lorne Bissell).

22nd March
Female Scaup still on South Lake, but the highlight was a Green Sandpiper feeding on one of the pools on Hampreston Meadows viewed from the west side of the South Lake. Plenty of Mediterranean Gulls again with at least 95 present, also 40 Shoveler was a notable count (George Green).
[In fact, not just notable; the Shoveler count is a record].

21st March
The Scaup remains, although quite flighty today (Lorne Bissell).

20th March
On a cold, bleak morning, when the partial eclipse made it seem brief like a January afternoon, there was a very small fall of wagtails and pipits, with about 10 Meadow Pipits, 25 Pied Wagtails and 1 White Wagtail around the lakes, the latter on the central causeway lakes. Modest numbers of Chiffchaffs have arrived, and a single Sand Martin made an appearance. There are plenty of winter wildfowl still around, including the Scaup, but the most interesting (for Longham) ducks were a single pair of Mandarins that I flushed from half way up a large oak in Samuel’s Wood – a potential breeding site. The impressive numbers of Mediterranean and other gulls are still around. 9 Common Snipe are still roosting on the West Fields. (Dominic Couzens, Martin Wood).

Birds – 89 species so far this year.

19th March
The Scaup is still around and 3 Goosander were seen, only the second record of the latter this year (Dorset Bird Club).

18th March
Counts of birds today included 4 Little Grebes, 3 Great Crested Grebe, 10 Shoveler, 2 Gadwall, 6 Pochard, 5 Greylag Geese and 24 Pied Wagtails (in a single flock) and 18 Mute Swan (Trevor Wilkinson).

17th March
Nothing like last week’s excitement, but the female Scaup was still present at the south end of the South Lake. On arrival at c9.30am I counted 200 Mediterranean Gulls (a site record) but by 10.30am only 50 were left. Also of interest was the first Wheatear of the year on Hampreston Fields (George Green).
[Note: So much for what I thought would be an unbeatable Med Gull record last week! – Dominic]

15th March
A dull grey afternoons walk around the South lake brightened up by a large flock of Sand Martin reckon somewhere between 20-50, and among them a Swallow. Female Scaup still up at the top end of South lake counted at least 10 different Chiffchaffs , Two Grey Wagtail and a good number of Pied Wagtails and Reed Bunting about. 11 Shoveler still on the lake with a few Teal and Gadwall only spotted one Wigeon. (Martin Wood)
A single Black-necked Grebe was also about.

13th March
A short but sweet visit at lunchtime, to a constant backdrop of a Longham Lakes spring chorus. No, not Chiffchaffs or Great Tits or Blackbirds, but Mediterranean Gulls. These birds were all over Longham Reservoir South, often in pairs, suggesting perhaps that they use the lakes as some giant boy-meets-girl spring playground. A quick count revealed that the site record had been well and truly smashed, with 131 birds present, all except three or four being adults. Happily, there were also 2 Little Gulls about, both adults and, with a single Great Black-backed Gull to join the Black-headeds, Common Gulls, Herrings and Lesser Black-backs, made a site record count of 7 gull species.
Also present, the 2 Black-necked Grebes in summer plumage, and 1 Sand Martin. (Dominic Couzens)

12th March
An excellent morning’s birding at Longham Lakes. It started with 2 Avocets (3rd Longham record) swimming on the South Lake just off the island at the north end, then I had stunning views of a pair of displaying summer plumaged Black-necked Grebes at the south end of the South Lake and followed that with a 1st-winter Little Gull at the north-west end of the South Lake. Sadly the Avocets disappeared shortly after I found them. Best of the rest were a pair of Egyptian Geese, 25+ Med Gulls and an influx of 25+ Pied Wagtails. (George Green)

9th March
The pot-pourri of birds included the first Nuthatch of the year (heard), 10 Pied Wagtails, 9 Cormorants, 28 Greylag Geese, 27 Canada Geese, 26 Mute Swans, 10 Shoveler and 50+ Mediterranean Gulls (Trevor Wilkinson).

8th March
The usual early spring buildup of gulls began today with 26 Common Gulls and 35 Mediterranean Gulls (Robin Trundle). There were also 6 Sand Martins present.

1st March
Watched a Kestrel hunting and catch some prey. Female Scaup still present, up in the top SW corner near the pools. Some Teal in the field pools, Shoveler, Pochard, Gadwall and a Med Gull out on the lake along with usual Tufted Ducks and Coots. (Martin Wood).

25th February
Of interest to – well, probably nobody at all – there was a record count of 41 Greylag Geese on Hampreston Fields today. Also a singing Cetti’s Warbler by the Stour across the fields (Dominic Couzens).

24th February

1 Red Kite ( this bird harried the gulls on the water for a very short time, I presume it wanted a gull to panic and drop some food) , Scaup 1 fem., Mediterranean Gull 3, Chiffchaff 3, LBB Gull 3 & a walker reported to me a Barn Owl on Hampreston Fields (Lorne Bissell).

23rd February
Scaup fem. 1, Mediterranean Gull 5, Chiffchaff 3 (Lorne Bissell).

21st February
The female Scaup is still present this morning showing very well in the SW corner of the South Lake. Some signs of spring with a small influx of 19 Med Gulls. Best of the rest were 5 Black-tailed Godwits on the flooded Hampreston Meadows and wintering Chiffchaff (George Green).
Pochard, Shoveler, Teal, Tufted Duck, and other stuff out on the lake. Chiffchaffs, Goldcrest, Long-tailed Tits and a Stonechat seen (Martin Wood).

19th February
1 Scaup, 9 Mediterranean Gulls (better than yesterday), 3 LBB Gull, 2 Snipe & 2 Reed Bunting ( one with ring) (Lorne Bissell).

18th February
On a quiet day, the Scaup was still around and there were 11 Shoveler. 15 Snipe were flushed from their usual site on the West Fields. There were also 3 Pheasants there, 1 male and 2 females (Dominic Couzens).

17th February
Various counts today included 2 Goldcrests, 3 Great Crested Grebes, 4 Little Grebes, the Scaup, the colour-marked Pochard from France, 11 Shoveler, 6 Wigeon, 2 Teals, 2 Gadwall, 32 Canada Geese, 25 Greylag Geese and 17 Mute Swan (Trevor Wilkinson).