20 Jul 18 - Some Of The Resident Birds At Studland's Littlesea

Since I found the Purple Heron at Littlesea, I've spent a lot of time looking to try & relocate it during the daytime. I suspect it spends its time feeding at Littlesea, but generally tucked into the reed edges, hence my lack of sightings. However, I have had the chance to get some nice photos of some of the other commoner residents, while I've been looking.

Dabchick: There are a few present most years at Littlesea

Great Crested Grebe: Two pairs have bred this year at Littlesea: this youngster is probably only few days old

Great Crested Grebe: One of the parents of the other pair which had a nearly fully grown youngster with a Roach

Great Crested Grebe: The same parent with the large youngster. The other parent seems to have lost interest in feeding this youngster

Great Crested Grebe: There is also a larger group of non breeding individuals on Littlesea

Great Crested Grebe: Bad hair day

Canada Goose: This family successfully raised these two large youngsters at Littlesea this year

Mediterranean Gull: Moulting adult. Littlesea lies between South & Knoll Beaches and Brands Bay & forms a regular stopover place for a quick freshwater bathing site for the local Gulls

Although I've not seen the Purple Heron during the daytime I have seen it on a number of occasions as it's gone to roost. Unfortunately, it has settled into a habit of going to roost in poor light & remains elusive during the day. Still if it continues to stick around maybe I will eventually get lucky.

Purple Heron: Juv. This individual looks like it is going to become a resident for the next few weeks at least (21 Jul 18)

21 June 14 - Brownsea Island - Surely It Should Be LotsToSee Island

In the last post, I was focusing on one of the DWT Brownsea's main attractions at this time of year: its breeding Sandwich & Common Terns. But there is so much more to see on the reserve. The lagoon is the obvious centre of the reserve.

Brownsea lagoon: Looking towards the Mac hide

Brownsea lagoon: Looking towards the landing jetty. The Tamarisk island behind the Canada Geese is always worth checking as it's a favourite place for the Spoonbills

Brent Goose: Brent Geese should be on the Arctic coasts breeding grounds in Central & Western Siberia at the moment. However, it's not unusual to find the odd bird remains in Poole Harbour. For the last 2 years, 1 or 2 have over-summered around Studland, this individual seems to have chosen Brownsea instead

Canada Goose: The Canada Geese always seem to have good breeding success around Poole Harbour

Shelduck: Lunch doesn't look appetising

Oystercatcher: Displaying

Oystercatcher

Oystercatcher: They really are stunning birds close up

Black-headed Gull: Adult. It really is a poor name as they have a brown head

Black-headed Gull: There are a number of breeding pairs on the lagoon, but the adults are not great at keeping an eye on wandering chicks. Not a good idea given there are usually a few Great Black-backed Gulls around

Finally, it was time to explore more of the reserve. Although the lagoon is the centre piece of the DWT reserve, there are also extensive woodland areas, a reedbed blind (screen to look from) & a woodland hide overlooking some freshwater pools. The woodland habitats are more similar to other parts of the island. But with most of the visitors here for the wildlife, it was a lot quieter than the rest of the island on this glorious sunny day. Also the visitors were more interested in the wildlife & thus there is more chance of seeing the birds & animals well on the reserve. The first stop was the woodland hide.

View from the woodland hide: The hide was pretty quiet on this occasion with just a few Shelduck on the lake & a Dabchick calling. There was a Golden-ringed Dragonfly on the Bracken, but it kept perching on obscured perches (so no photos this time)

As well as the reedbed areas, there are a number of Dragonfly ponds around the reserve which provides good views of a number of  the many species of Dragonflies found on Brownsea.

Black-tailed Skimmer: Male

Black-tailed Skimmer: Male

Four-spotted Chaser: One of the commoner Dragonflies on the reserve at the moment

Four-spotted Chaser: Looking at bit tatty

Large Red Damselfly: Mating pair (male at front). The black legs, black segments on the abdomen & broad black stripes on the body (thorax) identify these as Large Red Damselflies. Small Red Damselflies would have red legs and all red abdomens on the males

One of the great thing about Brownsea is it is an island. This has meant that the Grey Squirrels which were introduced into the UK from the States in the mid 19th Century, never managed to reach Brownsea & the other islands in Poole Harbour. This is very important as these islands had populations of the UK native Red Squirrels. Sadly, the impact of these Grey Squirrels have resulted in the complete loss of Red Squirrels over most of the mainland of England & Wales. There are small surviving populations on the Isle of Wight & a few isolated parts of Wales, Lancs & North Yorkshire. There are larger populations in Cumbria & Northumberland & Scotland. A lot of visitors to Brownsea visit specifically to see the Red Squirrels and the DWT reserve is one of the best places to see the Red Squirrels. They are normally around the villa buildings. I did see one there, but it was proving to be very elusive on this occasion. However, as I was talking to my mate, Graham Armstong, who is one of the regular volunteers on the reserve, one came running along the track. It stopped briefly, before taking to the trees to avoid a couple of visitors & then ran right past us.

Red Squirrel: Just checking out these visitors

Red Squirrel: An action shot as it ran past us

Red Squirrel: Now calm again

Five-spot Burnet: heading back to the ferry I found a few on these on the wet meadow next to the reserve boardwalk. Some  populations occur where the spots tend to run together as seen on this individual

Just time to catch my boat back to Sandbanks & as often happens, see the Studland ferry put out just as we pull alongside. Another 20 minute wait until I can get to the drink in the car. Still it was still a glorious summer's day & the Sandwich Terns were feeding just off the landing jetty. So I can't complain too much.

Sandwich Tern

Sandwich Tern: Getting ready to plunge dive

Sandwich Tern: They plunge dive vertically

29 May 14 - Historical Re-enactment: The Third Arctic Expedition Of James Ross

Living close to Corfe Castle, it's not unusual to see historical re-enactment societies appearing for a few days there, to tell the story of a historical period in English history, especially the English Civil War. The societies will appear for a few days, usually around a public or school holiday & try to inform the public about daily life & food in that period whilst dressed in the typical clothing & often with a bit of staged fighting thrown in. They seem to have a lot of fun with the re-enactment & so I felt it was a good opportunity to try my own re-enactment of one of the many expeditions to find the North West Passage. The North West Passage is the long hoped for route to the North of Canada, as a route to the Great Western seas (Pacific Ocean) without having to sail around Cape Horn: which was the only very dangerous alternative in those days. In 1829, James Clark Ross was on his third Arctic expedition as the scientific officer on William Parry's expedition to discover the North West Passage. The expedition didn't return until 1834. Given the timescales (one of my crew had to be back to see his sons before they went to bed) & the costs of a full re-enactment, I was settling for finding a sea route South leading to the Great Western seas (settling for the Exe estuary leading to the Atlantic Ocean) as we couldn't be away for 4.5 years.

Grey Heron: Ross might well have seen a Great Blue Heron on one of his Canadian expeditions (thanks to this Grey Heron for stepping in to play the part of the Great Blue Heron)

Like Ross, I set off to the North & West. After a gruelling journey of literally 15 minutes, I stopped at the final friendly port of Wareham, stopping close to the quayside to collect the all-essential navigator, Peter Moore. With the final provisions loaded (Peter's packed lunch) and extra scientific equipment safely stowed (camera, telescope, tripod and wet weather gear as the forecast was for rain), we were ready to depart again. The course was set again to the North & West, before heading on a more Westerly bearing. Like Ross & Parry, we were optimistic we would find the channel of water South, which would lead to the Great Western sea. Finally after a long journey of well over an hour, we reached the start of the passageway to the South (the Exe estuary). We followed it, excited that our goal was close. But the route got narrower and narrower until finally, our transportation could go no further. Having got so close, we decided we had to continue on foot to look for a viewpoint, to see if we have found the fabled route to the Great Western sea.

Canada Goose: Ross would have been familiar with this species from his expeditions

Barnacle Goose: Again a species Ross would have seen so this single bird also helping with the historical accuracy

Back to Parry & Ross's expedition. They found only impenetrable ice, we found impenetrable mud. Like Parry & Ross, at the last moment, our expedition had failed and we would have to return home, having got so close, but failing to find the North & West route that lead to the Great Western sea.

The impenetrable mud that defeated our quest: The Ross's Gull is directly above the post in the mud (honestly)

But in a final attempt to emulate Ross's third expedition, we seized the moment and looked at the Gulls. A cry from Peter went up, look at that small Gull. Followed by the noise of shooting in the purposes of science (only from his camera, Ross's expedition only had to make do with guns). There it was a Ross's Gull, shot in digital: the final tribute. Ross had shot the first specimen for science: we had shot the first specimen for the Exe estuary. You couldn't get a better or closer re-enactment.

Ross's Gull: 1st Summer. Slightly larger than a Little Gull, but with a white head & variable collar from the nape to the throat. But they don't have the smudgy grey crown & large ear coverts spot of 1st Summer Little Gulls

Ross's Gull: We returned to Bowling Green Marsh in late afternoon, where I picked it up flying into the roost. In flight, Ross's Gull have longer wings that Little Gulls, which are exaggerated by the broad white trailing edge to the wing on the inner primaries & outer secondaries (Little Gulls have a dark wing bar on the secondaries). They also have a dark tipped diamond shaped tail (Little Gulls tails are notched) 

Ross's Gull: Showing the extend of translucency in the wing & how it gives it a longer, narrower wing shape

Like Ross, we still had to return home safely to complete the scientific publications. By this stage, food on the return journey was limited. Fortunately with the knowledge from earlier Western expeditions, we successfully refound a chippie (in Honiton). Unfortunately for Peter, Seal burgers weren't on the menu that evening, so he had to settle for the next most appropriate option: fish. Being vegetarian I skipped the fish as well. Safely home, the scientific observations are now all written up (here & in the prestigious Journal of Moore Birds). Sadly, in the case of Ross's Gull, it was first mentioned in print by Willian McGillivray, a zoological assistant at the Edinburgh University museum, who named it Rhodostethia rosea. Dr John Richardson who was tasked to describe all the species Ross collected on the expedition, named it as Larus rossii. But as with the general scientific principles, the first published scientific name is the one that sticks. However, to recognise Ross's contribution, the English name Ross's Gull was adopted after Richardson's publication as part of Parry's overall documentation of the expedition. As with all explorers, Ross went on to become involved in further exploration of both the Arctic & Antarctic, before living quietly in his latter years. Perhaps he also reminisced about his first expedition in 1818 when he served as a midshipsman on his uncle's Arctic expedition. On this he worked closely with Captain Edward Sabine, who had Sabine's Gull named after him. He came out of retirement, to lead another expedition North in 1848 to try to discover what happened to the ill-fated final expedition of Sir John Franklin, who Franklin's Gull is named after. He returned, having failed in the main quest on the fate of Franklin: an early case of extreme dipping. I will start fund raising now for future re-enactments of other historical expeditions.