Wind, rain and migrants
Monday 9th April Robin Trundle braved the conditions and was rewarded with an early Garden Warbler, still a good bird for here. Also 2 Blackcaps and 60+ Sand Martin over the Lakes.
March 2012 at Longham Lakes
March 2012 was an excellent month at the Lakes, with one new species for the site recorded and several remarkable counts of Mediterranean Gulls. Here, in reverse order, are the highlights: March 27th A new species for the site, a WATER PIPIT, was found today beside a...
February 2012 at Longham Lakes
Here's a summary of highlights for February 2012, in reverse order of appearance: 25th February Alan Pearce was there to witness the last appearance of the winter of the much appreciated Greater Scaup, and took this fetching photo of the bird now almost completely in...
Birdwords Update – March
Welcome to the latest edition of the Birdwords e-mail update. In this edition you will find: My latest book out now - only £12.99! Birdwatching in March Competition Result Reduced prices in spring for Birdwords subscribers Do you live in Dorset or South Hampshire?...
A Great Start to the Year
...for some observers anyway. I have spent most of the year stuck in the office, as others have enjoyed the Longham Blue-winged Teal, Smews and Scaup, plus Raven and other goodies. Anyway, here is a summary of the year so far, going backwards... 31 January 2012 The...
Out This Month
My Latest Book "A Patch Made in Heaven" is now out! This is my first book about birdwatching, as opposed just to birds. It is an offbeat account of a year spent watching wildlife on a single small parcel of land in southern England, detailing the delights,...
Birds Singing, Press Misleading
The recent mild weather has brought out some early signs of spring, but bird song isn't one of them. The fact is, many birds invariably sing in January regardless of the conditions, because it is primarily the increasing day-length that induces bird song. The Daily...
Happy New Year
May I wish Birdwords visitors and subscribers a very Happy New Year. Please do have a quick look at the What's On page to see what is going on. I have an exciting range of field trips running in the early spring, with a few places left on some. Before that, do come...
The Year 2011 at Longham Lakes
The year 2011 has been spectacular for Longham Lakes. 132 species were recorded in all, including several new for the site: Bittern, Grey Plover, Ortolan Bunting, Wood Warbler, Arctic Tern, Marsh Harrier and Blue-winged Teal, bringing the total number recorded to 159....
An End of Year Duck Bonanza
Saturday 31st December Well, what a finish to 2011 for Longham Lakes. As I write, there are three great ducks, Blue-winged Teal, Scaup and Smew, all on Longham Reservoir South together. Incredible - and with a decent backup in the form of a Goosander as well. Credit...