26th October
Yellow-browed Warbler, Longham Lakes, Dorset, 26/10/15 (Roger Peart).
Nothing of the slightest interest today, unless you count yet another Yellow-browed Warbler, which is, quite unbelievably, the THIRD this autumn. Just to remind you, Longham is an inland site with no particular draw for migrants, even though it has now had 4 Yellow-browed Warblers and 2 Ortolan Buntings. What else must lurk here at times?
There were just 14 new birds and three retraps (2 Long-tailed Tits and 1 Blue Tit). The rest were : 6 Goldcrests and one each of Chiffchaff, Cetti’s Warbler, Blackcap, Reed Bunting, Blue Tit, Long-tailed Tit and Song Thrush (Roger Peart).
25th October
Went round the North lake today: c 200 Coot, a few Great Crested Grebes, 2 Chiffchaff , the best was a Kingfisher by the pump house then flying across the lake then over the willows. 14 Wigeon yesterday on South Lake (Martin Wood).
20th October
Yellow-browed Warbler, Longham Lakes, 20/10/15 (Roger Peart)
What is going on? Today there was yet another Yellow-browed Warbler ringed at Longham, as well as 2 more Firecrests (see photo below). In total 25 new birds, which were 8 Chiffchaffs, 8 Goldcrests, 3 Wrens and one each of Meadow Pipit, Blackcap and Great Tit. Also 2 retraps (1st year Wren from this year, a Robin ringed as 1st year in 2012).
Bizarrely there was also a bat in the bird-ringing nets, which happened to be a Brown Long-eared Bat (6th species of bat this month.
Firecrest, Longham Lakes, 20/10/15 Roger Peart).
17th October
Yet more excitement at Longham today, with one new species for the site and one rarity. The new species was a LONG-EARED OWL flushed from bushes surrounding the small pools at the southern end of Longham Reservoir South. It quickly disappeared, not to be seen again. The rarity was a female/immature Red-breasted Merganser found by George Green on the north end of the same lake, the fifth site record. Other good birds around included a fly-over Redpoll and lots of Siskins, while duck numbers are improving: at least 8 Wigeon and 30+ Shoveler today (Dominic Couzens, Ed Parnell, George Green).
16th October
The Dorset Bat Group put up three nets again tonight close to the Study Centre, but in contrast to 25th September, we didn’t catch anything. However, the various bat detection devices used showed that the following species were flying around: Noctule, Daubenton’s Bat, Common Pipistrelle, Soprano Pipistrelle and, once again, Nathusius’s Pipistrelle (Dominic Couzens, Jan Freeborn, Saska McGrath et al).
A Peregrine flew over while we put the nets up.
13th October
Siskin (1st-year female), Longham Lakes, Dorset, 13/10/15 (Roger Peart)
I managed another quite short ringing session this morning (6.30 to 9.15am) with fewer nets up to save time. Good numbers of Chiffchaffs and Goldcrests still moving through. Ringed 13 Chiffchaffs, 7 Goldcrests, 2 Robins, and one each of Bullfinch, Song Thrush, Cetti’s Warbler, Blue Tit and Siskin. The latter is the first one I have caught at Longham. I also had a Sparrowhawk in one net but he bounced out before I could get near him. No retraps today nor Meadow Pipits (Roger Peart). Also 2 female/immature Shoveler on fishing lake (Ron Poulter).
9th October
Yellow-browed Warbler, Longham Lakes, Dorset, 9/10/15 (Roger Peart).
In a non-stop morning I had Yellow-browed Warbler [2nd for site] and a Firecrest [3rd]! A Green Woodpecker obliged as well.
Firecrest, Longham Lakes, Dorset, 9/10/15 (Roger Peart).
The total new birds was 69 made up of:
27 Chiffchaff, 15 Goldcrest, 9 Meadow Pipits, 6 Wren, 2 each of Great Tit, Reed Bunting and Chaffinch (they were a surprise) and one each of Green Woodpecker, Robin, Cetti’s Warbler and Blackcap. Just 2 retraps – a Dunnock (ringed May 2014 as a juvenile) and a Robin (also a juvenile from June 2014).
I intended to stop about 1100 like yesterday but I didn’t get away before 1200 as it was so busy. As it was I had to furl the nets and then go back and take them down this afternoon. I needed to get home to get some lunch (Roger Peart).
8th October
I was able to get a longer ringing session in this morning and caught a good number of birds. Just three retraps (two Robins and a Goldcrest) but 56 new ones., made up of 28 Chiffchaffs, 9 Goldcrests, 5 Blackcaps, 4 Wrens, 2 each of Robin, Great Tit and Song Thrush, and one each of Reed Bunting, Cetti’s Warbler, Blackbird and Blue Tit. Good weather conditions – no wind or rain and not too chilly! (Roger Peart).
7th October
A short session night ringing session – just 10 new birds (3 Chiffchaffs, 2 Goldcrest, 3 Blue Tit and 2 Great Tit with 4 retrap Long-tailed Tits). (Roger Peart).
3rd October
Some firm identifications came today from sonagrams taken during last Friday’s (Sept 25th) bat-fest. These have confirmed that all three species of regular pipistrelles were flying near to the Study Centre: Common, Soprano and Nathusius’s Pipistrelles. One trace showed all three calling at once. This is exciting news. Along with the Serotines and Daubenton’s Bats, five species were flying that evening.
29th September
A note from Bournemouth Water: “We have a contractor starting maintenance work on Thursday (October 1st) morning to fill in the potholes on the track around Reservoir 2 (larger). Therefore, public access around this reservoir will be restricted while the work is completed. The work is expected to last for two days.
25th September
Busy at Longham this evening with bird-ringing and bat-netting. More details soon, but we caught 11 bats, including 9 Soprano Pipistrelles and 2 Daubenton’s Bats. Site record of at least 7 Serotines flying around. Probable Nathusius’s Pipistrelles were flying around too but we didn’t catch any (Dominic Couzens).
Bird ringing: my totals were 24 new and 7 retraps (6 Long-tailed Tit and 1 Chiffchaff). One of the Long-tailed Tits was first ringed as a juvenile in Jun 2013 and two of the others from Jun/July last year. The Chiffchaff was also a juvenile in July 2014. The new birds were a good variety: 9 Chiffchaffs, 4 Long-tailed Tits, 3 Blue Tit, 2 each Wren, Bullfinch and Reed Bunting, and 1 each Blackcap and Great Tit. Also had a Buzzard take off from one of the trees in ‘the clump’, and there was the usual Tawny Owl calling to the west of that area some while before dusk (Roger Peart).
23rd September
News of another control: Chiffchaff EHY997 ringed 02 Sep 2015 0800 at Stanford Reservoir, Northants was controlled 18 Sep 2015 0830 at Longham Lakes. Distance 192 km Direction SSW (197 deg). A gentle amble across country towards the coast (Roger Peart).
21st September
An evening visit today with Saska McGrath (Bournemouth Water’s environment officer) and Jan Freeborn (Dorset Bat Group) to find that Longham was absolutely replete with bats. The paths around Longham Reservoir North played host to dozens of flickering bodies. As the sun set at least 5, and probably more Serotines were flying high over the water and the Study Centre, but it was the closer bats flying along the shore and by the hedgerows that caught our attention. At first I was wondering why I wasn’t getting much response with the bat detector at 55kHz (expecting the gathered masses to be Soprano Pipistrelles). Then, equally, the response at 45kHz wasn’t too impressive, either. It was only when we set the detectors to 38kHz and below that the machines began to really rock, and there was even a strong signal down to about 33kHz. This must surely mean that Longham is currently hosting the enigmatic, and still quite rare migrant bat the Nathusius’s Pipistrelle. There were also large numbers of Myotis bats around, most of them presumably Daubenton’s Bats – some were trawling (flying a few centimetres above the water) so definitely were. I would estimate that we saw 50-100 bats, and probably more, during the course of a short walk around Longham Reservoir North. Watch this space!
Apparently the Monday Morning Meander group visited the lakes this morning and estimated 400+ House Martins low over the water during rain, an excellent count (per Ian Julian).
18th September
Rather a good ringing session this morning- 57 new birds, 2 retraps (one Great Tit from last time, the other a Wren from July) and a control Chiffchaff. Nice shiny ring on the latter so it looks as though it may not have come far. The new birds were: 31 Chiffchaffs, 11 Blackcap, 7 Wren, 2 each Reed Warbler and Sedge Warbler, and one each of Cetti’s Warbler (Adult female), Blackbird, Robin and Blue Tit. I actually caught another two Chiffs but pressure of time caused me to let them escape. All captures were 1st years apart from the Cetti’s. I’m not sure why the Wrens were out in force! (Roger Peart).
15th September
Hobby: 1 briefly landed on fence post, Chiffchaff 3 singing, lots of Sand Martins (probably why the Hobby was about). (Lorne Bissell)
13th September
2 reports of a Merlin today (Martin Wood and Alan Pearce). Also a couple of Lapwings.
10th September
Green Woodpecker (well-grown juvenile), Longham Lakes, Dorset, 10/09/15 (Lorne Bissell).
1, perhaps 2 Redstarts this morning, the first of the year. Also 1 Stonechat, Willow-chiffs 6, juvenile Green Woodpecker and a sunbathing Robin (Lorne Bissell).
8th September
A good morning’s ringing today. 41 new birds and one re-trap Chiffchaff from last September (a juvenile then, now in full moult). New birds included 16 Blackcap, 12 Chiffchaff, 2 Willow Warbler, 2 Reed Warbler, 1 Sedge Warbler and a juvenile Bullfinch plus some Wrens, Robins and Great Tits. A Tawny Owl calling as I took the nets down at the western extremity, Kestrel over at about 0900 and at least 20 House Martins high overhead about 0630 (Roger Peart).
7th September
A glorious day to be out, rendered still more glorious by the fact that an OSPREY flew in at 10.30, low over Samuel’s Wood. After receiving grief from the gulls and Carrion Crows it headed off quickly, only to return a couple of times during the morning. Early on, Longham tapped into the very large Siskin movement that has been taking place at local coastal sites recently, with at least 30 over in three flocks. Other lesser highlights included the first Cetti’s Warbler singing for a while (and at least 2 on-site), 2 Hobbies, 2 Sparrowhawks, 2 Spotted Flycatchers (ark needed, anyone?) and both Treecreeper and Great Spotted Woodpecker (Dominic Couzens, Lorne Bissell).
5th September
News today of a ringing control. A Reed Warbler ringed on 15th July this year as a juvenile was recaptured at Hengistbury Head on 11th August. Nothing special but nice to see it was on its way towards warmer climes (Roger Peart).
4th September
Happy to be back at Longham after a while. Migrants were a little thin on the ground, but did include 1 Spotted Flycatcher, the first of the year. This bird accompanied a flock of small stuff, including plenty of Chiffchaffs and 16 Long-tailed Tits. There were plenty of Blackcaps, Willow warblers and a few Common Whitethroats and Reed Warblers as well. In the air 2 rather late Common Swifts passed over, along with Swallows, House Martins and Sand Martins. Meanwhile, a Nuthatch called from Samuel’s Wood, a first for me this year. Not very much on the lakes, except for a lot of both Little Grebes (including fledged young) and Great Crested Grebes (Trevor Wilkinson counted 35). Bizarrely, a Sparrowhawk was hunting around the northern corner of Longham Reservoir South, sometimes perching on small twigs sticking just a foot or so out of the water. This bird also flushed 35 Lapwings and a Black-tailed Godwit from the main island. Towards lunchtime, 2 Hobbies were feeding high up above the lakes (Dominic Couzens).
Lorne Bissell also saw a Yellow Wagtail today, also the first of the year.
2nd September
There was a first for Longham Lakes this morning. 5 CATTLE EGRETS flew south past the entrance to the Study Centre car park (Lorne Bissell). A great bird for Longham, but perhaps not such a surprise considering that there has been a flock of up to 23 of these birds just a few kilometres away locally. We’ve now had Cattle, Great and Little Egret here. Also 2 Sedge Warblers.