South Haven

Family party of Reed Warblers in bushes near the main reedbed. This was one of 3 juvenile birds that were still being fed by the adults.

Think this is a schooner (two masts)

Juv Pied Wag still with its yellow gape flange

First summer Black-head

Three Gannets feeding in Poole Bay

Black-winged Stilt Radipole

A long awaited Dorset tick. Spent most of its time doing this

and occasionally this

Got spooked by a Crow and did a circuit.

Reed in the way of this one

Pilots Point and Rempstone

Good count of 34 Sanderling at Pilots Point, also 41 Dunlin and 4 Ringed Plover

Unfortunately they were very regularly disturbed by walkers but for some reason kept coming back for more.

Female Reeve's Pheasant popped out briefly from the undergrowth

Green Hairstreak

Found this dead Lizard on one of the tracks and brought it home.

When I first found it it was quite a shade of blue which was what intruiged me, not to mention the size which was just over an inch and a half long. Presumably a young one or maybe an exotic escape? Looking up Sand and Common Lizards on the interweb couldnt find any that were blue!

Certainly can see its ancestry here

Garden birds

Few juvenile Dunnocks now about

This male Bullfinch has spent the last few days hanging around here. This is only the second garden record after a one day bird in January.

Baby House Sparrow hiding in foliage

It has been funny watching this Blackbird trying to get a beak full of pellets. When it is full it tries for another and so drops one or two then it picks more up until full again, then tries to pick up another and drops some more again. Seriously this can go on for a couple of minutes!

Black heads dont come in when we are in view and have to abort when they see us

We are getting some of the now famous Dunnock shenanigans going on in the garden. Unfortunately as would be expected this is occuring deep in shadow so shots not great quality

Not sure he should be putting that there

Junior in the background looking on

Junior can you keep the noise down, cant you see we are busy

Lodmoor

Got news of a Savi's Warbler singing at Lodmoor. As it was already around 08.45 time was of the essence if I were to get there before it packed up for the morning. Luckily on arrival the bird was still singing. It had been showing but difficult to photograph but now it was not even being seen. My attention lasted about 5 minutes before I was distracted by some rather low passing Swifts

It sturn-ing vulgar

Juv Starlings have descended on the garden hoovering up everything that is put out. Lots of noise and squabbling thrown in. They really are the chavs of the bird world (can I say that?)

Many havent learned to feed themselves yet

I might do a large print of this and stick it on the wall as modern art

Portland

Bit of quality today in the form of this rather smart male Red-backed Shrike.

Here it is outfoxing arriving twitchers by hiding behind a post (click to enlarge)

For some reason had the camera on some rather odd settings when taking these shots making the blue go a bit wierd

Kind of got away with it on this one