Phew - what a day!
Spents hours this morning seeking the Great White Egret that has been resident at Blashford Lakes this winter. Zip.Dip.
We saw hundreds of Finches and other passerines! Including brilliant male Bramblings and Siskins(year tick!) and finding a Mealy Redpoll (year tick) and a Lesser.
But the numbers of chaffinches, greenfinches, siskins, and tits - including a Marsh Tit
were stunning!
We finally gave up and went to poole to seek an American visitor - a Long billed Dowitcher - looks like a Godwit with short legs!;)- well the wind had got up and we parked at the NW end and walked to the NE end - lots of common waders- dunlin, redshank, noisy Oystercatcjers - gulls galore including a nice Med Gull.A few Godwits...so when we got to the NE end there was the quarry - showing beautifully inn a quite area with one Godwit! Lovely!
Pager - GWE seen from Ivy Lake Hide....so dash from Poole back to Blashford!
(more later - got to go to a Meeting!)
Did we see it?
Hoho ho!
We arrived speedily and whizzed to the North hide Ivy Lake. Enterung the Hide we saw - GWE! yaarrhhh! Head poking up in the reeds - just as we were sorting out the scopes.....a Bittern flew across a channel of water next to the hide out of the reeds , landed and then promptly flew back. A pale coloured Bittern. Almost immediately a very Dark coloured Bittern stalked across the channel - brilliant! It then stood with its head and neck showing for a bit (meanwhile the GWE is more visiible) then the Dark Bittern stalked slowly back across the Channel!
At this point the peeps at the only opening window in the hide (note not a clever idea...shouled be more that do open!)left the hide and Bob and I commendeered it!
The dark Bittern then decided to fly from the reeds acroosss the front of the hide and away! Stunner!
At this point the GWE began moving towards the open channel (further back than the Bitterns) and I was even able to get a couple of record shots digi hand held scoping!
We actually were able to watch the entire bird stalking frogs across the channel of water and then stand upright and visible at the other side wow!
What a bonus!
I neglected to mention I finally saw Pied Wag!
We left looked at the feeders again and then departed for Blackwater Arboreatum for
Hawfinch. We arrived at about 2.45 and both od us but separately heard Crossbill - no sightings. The wind had got up and not good to see any birds at all!
But as I wandered towards some pine trees a bird flew - landed on a bare leafed tree at the top and yes! Hawfinch - it then flew into a Pine tree about 2/3rds up!
We then heard another and another call!
Bob then spotted a Gos! Damn missed it!
great excitement today!
137 Year list!
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