Ringing at Longham this morning
Among a small catch at Longham Lakes this morning was this Chiffchaff, no doubt on its way to Senegal in West Africa. Also caught today: Reed Warbler, Blackcap, Wren, Great Tit and Reed Bunting. Two Ravens also flew over.
Pausing on a Long Journey
There were 2 juvenile Arctic Terns at Longham Lakes today, the first site record. It's hard to believe that they will be flying around Antarctic waters in a month or two's time. STOP PRESS: Still present Wed 7th Sept am. Here is the record shot.
Book now for Autumn trips
I have an exciting programme of birdwatching field trips arranged for this autumn - see the What's On page for details. Book now to avoid disappointment.
Warblers Peaking, Swifts Departing
August is supposed to be a quiet month, but tell that to the warblers - they were everywhere around Longham Lakes this morning. At times there were so many Blackcaps calling "tack" that it seemed as though somebody had left a ticking clock in the scrub. One Garden...
Lovely Legs
Do check out my article on Yellow-legged Gull identification in this month's Bird Watching magazine, available from most newsagents. Now's a good time to get out and find one of these tricky beasties, because many have travelled up from the coast of France to...
Marsh Harrier is a first
There was a juvenile Marsh Harrier on Hampreston Fields, Longham Lakes, on Saturday morning 8th August. This is a new species for the site, bringing the total number of species recorded to 157 (since March 2002). I will shortly be uploading the full list on to this...
Migrants on the move at Longham
Ringing at Longham yesterday by Roger Peart was most productive. He caught 47 new birds including 13 Chiffchaffs, a Kingfisher, a Garden Warbler (quite scarce here) and a Swallow. A Reed Warbler that he caught earlier in the summer has been confirmed as previously...
Filming Next Week!
Next week I will be filming a feature for BBC's One Show. The bug expert George McGavin and I will be sailing aboard a boat at night to demonstrate migration in moths. It should be fun! Watch this space for broadcast date.
Raptor Rapture trip report 14th July
It's July, so it's time for my annual trips into the New Forest to look for birds of prey. A hard day's raptor watching reaped rich reward today, in good conditions. At the first site, Beaulieu Road Station, we had an excellent, if distant view of a Goshawk early...
Tufted Duck explosion at Longham Lakes!
Is there a better place for Tufted Ducks in the whole of Dorset? Today there were six broods of young to very young Tufted Ducks on Longham Reservoir South, numbering c10, 11, 7, 11, 16 and 6. That's a total of 61 chicks, beating last year's total of 54. There were...