Tuesday, 5 April 2016

A Bit of a Bird Weekend!

1st - 3rd April 2016

We've had a lovely long weekend in Swanage, getting out and about walking.  We started off on the first evening watching guillemots and other seabirds from the cliff path at Durlston Country Park.  The following day we had a walk along the Priest's Way and back along the cliff where we saw our first returning swallows of 2016 (just the two though!) and the next day we had a walk across Middlebere Heath where we were lucky enough to see a few dartford warblers and a marsh harrier.  I have never seen either of these birds before so I was more than a little excited to see them!  I made a note of the birds we saw, and this is the list!

Great tit                                                        Kestrel
Sparrowhawk                                              Swallow
Jackdaw                                                      Stonechat
Raven                                                           Dunnock
Robin                                                            Blackbird
Chaffinch                                                      Egret
Herring gull                                                   Marsh harrier
Buzzard                                                         Oyster catcher
Greenfinch                                                    Curlew
Magpie                                                          Goldfinch
Crow                                                              Cormorant
Rook                                                              Mallard
Sparrow                                                        Guillemot
Skylark                                                          Fulmar
Woodpigeon                                                Pheasant
Wren                                                             Dartford Warbler
Starling


The guillemots have returned to the cliff ledges to nest, and it's looking pretty busy!

There were a few fulmars around but they proved far too difficult to take photos of, this herring gull was a bit easier!

Guillemots floating around and washing!

Suddenly a group of jackdaws took to the sky swooping and looping, gradually being joined by more, it was quite a sight.

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