A Second for Longham
23rd June 2014 Strange record of a Turnstone at Longham Lakes today, in full summer plumage. Presumably it's a failed breeder that has gone all the way up to the Arctic, tried its best and returned again. Its loss is our gain, a true rarity here. A rubbish record...
Spring Update
20th June Trevor Wilkinson today recorded some breeding wildfowl: 4 adult and 8 young Canada Geese, 29 Coot (with 1 chick), and adult Mallard with 4 ducklings and a pair of Mute Swans with 4 cygnets on the small pools to the south of the main lakes. In all there were...
Parking for Birders at Longham Lakes
If you are a regular visitor to Longham Lakes, you might like to know that SembCorp Bournemouth Water, the owners, are kindly allowing birders to use the Study Centre car park, so long as they display a numbered pass on their dashboard. To obtain such a pass, which is...
24th April: Garganey pair still present - initially showing well by small island in SE corner of South Lake but retreated to large island at north end of lake. Also 3 Whimbrel circled overhead and flew SW towards Poole Harbour and a single Wheatear on Hampreston...
Longham’s Garganeys
23rd April Still there today. Lorne Bissell got these images, digiscoping in the rain - he got soaked for his art! Also 1 female Wheatear, 3 Common Sandpipers and 2 Common Terns.
Another April update
22nd April The drake Garganey was still around at lunchtime, and other goodies included Hobby, Cuckoo (first of year), plus couple of Swifts over Longham Reservoir North. A strange sight was of 4 Common Sandpipers perched on a branch sticking out from the island in LR...
Mid-April Update
15th April 2014 A great start to the day today, with a Greenshank flying over the main island, and then a Green Sandpiper flying over the north-west corner of Longham Reservoir South. Neither are common here; Green Sandpiper used to winter, but is now restricted to...
A Flurry of Scarcities
31st March 2014 A check of singing birds in the south side of Longham Lakes this morning proved highly productive. A Mistle Thrush was in the corner of Emily's Wood, not singing but calling in alarm. Inside the wood a kerfuffle involving noisy Jays and Wrens turned...
2014 so far at Longham (plus late autumn 2013)
March 21st There was 1 Siberian(-type) Chiffchaff among more typical birds at Longham this morning, on the north-west side of Longham Reservoir North. Also 5 Mediterranean Gulls and lots of Reed Bunting (Lorne Bissell). March 18th The highlight of a mid-afternoon...
Early October Update
2nd October A very interesting day at Longham Lakes, with the site's 2nd Avocet swimming in the deep water of Longham Reservoir South this morning, close to the main island. Presumably it was stopping off on its way to Brownsea Island, where these birds winter. At the...