17th May
A pair of Red-crested Pochard on the South Lake this morning. The Scaup is still on the South Lake. Really good to see the Swifts in full action, only a few Swallows and only managed 1 House Martin. No Cuckoo seen or heard!! Good numbers of Reed Warbler, a few Whitethroats and Blackcaps (Robin Trundle).
15th May
Very quiet – female Scaup still present on South Lake plus a pair of Common Terns (George Green).
14th May
On such a beautiful day I simply had to get out. Actually, it was pouring but Longham was sumptuous and full of breeding bird activity. Wildfowl included a brood of 4 Canada goslings and 2 broods of Mallard, one with 4 well grown chicks. I also saw a recently fledged Pied Wagtail juvenile and a number of Starling juveniles. A Grey Wagtail was carrying food on the rocky shore next to the measuring pole on the eastern path down LR South.
Of note was a single Common Tern fishing, a pair of Gadwall, 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls and, slightly bizarrely, I flushed a Skylark from the southern edge of Longham Reservoir South, which didn’t fly far. Since I’ve not heard any Skylarks singing on the large field to the north of the site, this seems a rather odd record.
Talking to the anglers, it seems that they have been catching plenty of Carp and Pike, along with a few Bream, taking the fish list to 5 for the year (Ian, the site manager, says that Rudd, Dace and Perch also occur in the fishing lake). A fisherman also said that he saw a 1m long Grass Snake swimming on LR North yesterday, thus kicking off the site’s reptile/amphibian list for 2015.
10th May
Martin Wood reports: This is a list of species seen within an hour and half’s walk round South Lake this afternoon with my son. Black-headed Gulls, Bullfinch seen on the edge of Emily’s Wood round the south east corner of the lake , Buzzard, Carrion Crow, Chaffinch, Coots 2 on nests , Gadwall, Great Crested Grebes, Grey Herons, House Martins, Jackdaws, Mallards, Reed Buntings, Robin, Sedge Warbler, Swallows, Tufted Ducks, Woodpigeons, Blackbird, Canada Goose-15, Cetti’s Warbler with two burst of song from two different birds along the scrub on the western side of south lake near the cause way with one seen, Chiffchaff, Cuckoo calling from western side of the lake somewhere down by the river Stour, Great Black-backed Gull 2, Great Tit , Herring Gulls, House Sparrows, Magpies , Mute Swans, Reed Warbler four seen, Scaup female still about, Starlings, Swifts and Whitethroat 2.
8th May
Sedge Warbler, Longham Lakes, 8/5/15 (Martin Wood)
In late morning and early afternoon there were plenty of Swifts along with House Martins and Swallows over the lake and Samuels Wood area, a Cuckoo calling from the scrub the other side of south pools, west field area, a good number of Reed Warbler chattering away among the reeds, a Cetti’s calling again from the scrub on the western side of the lake, a Sedge Warbler, plus 2 Whitethroat, 2 Buzzard, a Great Spotted Woodpecker, a Canada Goose pair with goslings and a Fox (Martin Wood).
4th May
Highlights were 1 Hobby and 1 Common Sandpiper, plus Gadwalls still about (OWLs).
3rd May
My run of additions to my Longham Lakes list continued this morning with a imm/female Marsh Harrier flying south over Hampreston Fields being pursued by various corvids. I lost it flying over Canford Heath towards Poole Harbour. Best of the rest were Hobby and Common Tern, while the female Scaup was still around. Overall a much better spring-like feel to the day than recently. Of minor interest yesterday at Longham I saw a Grey Heron catch a female Tufted Duck by its legs and fly off with her dangling from its bill. At c30 feet high the struggling Tuftie was dropped and fell back into the lake. When it emerged it seemed none the worse for its experience (George Green).
Today’s Marsh Harrier is only the fourth (or perhaps third) for Longham Lakes. Click here for previous records. And here for some background information on Marsh Harriers.
2nd May
“This afternoon 1.30pm to 4.00pm, a spectacular display of aerobatic mastery from c30-50 Swifts screaming as they went about catching insects on the wing over the south west corner and west side of South Lake, with a similar number of House Martins and few Swallows and Sand Martins mixed in. The best of the rest for the afternoon were a couple of Gadwall, a Common Sandpiper and a Jay” (Martin Wood).