9 Oct 24 - Up Close & Personal

During the early afternoon while I was volunteering on the Dorset Wildlife Trust reserve, I spent some time at the DWT gazebo with one of the other volunteers, where we were meeting & greeting visitors to the reserve. I saw a group of visitors looking at something just off the main track on the reserve. A few minutes later, this gorgeous young & tame Sika Deer appeared by the gazebo. Clearly, this was what the visitors had been watching.

Sika Deer: Initially, the Sika Deer was checking us out

After a minute or so, the Sika Deer popped out of the Bracken for some better photos.

Sika Deer: I think this is the closest I've ever been to a Sika Deer

Sika Deer

Soon after this, the Sika Deer decided to continue on its way.

13 Jun 22 - The Isle Of Purbeck Pelagic

Back in June 22, I was lucky to be invited by my friend Mark Singleton, who is one of the local National Trust team, to join one of the annual breeding Seabird surveys that are carried out by Footprint Ecology for the National Trust. The survey covers the Purbeck coast from Durlston to St Aldhelms and along the cliffs to Old Harry. We left Swanage on one of the small fishing boats and sailed past Durlston as far as St Aldhelms, before returning along the same coastline. The only problem with the trip, we were warned we would be out from 09:00 to early afternoon, which turned into mid-afternoon & there wasn't a toilet on the boat. Therefore, it was a case of skipping breakfast and limiting myself to a single cup of tea for breakfast.

Durlston Castle: Durlston Castle is a Victorian folly & restaurant that was built in the four years before its completion in 1891 by George Burt. Burt made his fortune running the family firm, Mowlem, who mined and shipped Purbeck stone to London. The Castle was the centrepiece of his Durlston Park. It is now owned and run by Dorset County Council as the centre for Durlston and the start of the Jurassic Coast World Heritage Coastline

The Tilly Whim Quarry at Durlston: This old quarry area is now closed off as the underground quarry works are in a dangerous state

My Durlston Seawatching location: This is where the lighthouse gully reaches the sea and it provides the lowest point for seawatching at Durlston. There is a similar low point at St Aldhelms: but it is a mile & a half walk from the car park to the start of the steep track to the base of the cliffs which includes a short climb up & down one part of the path

Approaching the Durlston Lighthouse & one of the Mile Markers

Looking West from Durlston

Durlston Climbers: There is a part of the Durlston Country Park where climbing is allowed which is well away from the Seabird ledges

Durlston Climbers

Durlston Climbers

As we passed the Durlston cliffs, we started to see the first of the Seabirds. Durlston has the highest densities of Seabirds on the Purbeck coastline. The vast majority of the Auks are Guillemots, with a small percentage of Razorbills. There are some breeding Fulmars, Shags, Herring Gulls and a few pairs of Kittiwakes. The Purbeck speciality is easily the handful of pairs of Puffins in the Dancing ledge area.

Fulmars

Guillemots: There are good numbers of Guillemots on the Durlston undercliffs

Debbie & Durwyn surveying one of the Guillemot ledges: The counts are supplemented with photos of all the cliffs, so that the field counts can be confirmed from examination of photos. These photos will provide additional information for comparing results from one year to another

More Guillemots on the undercliff at Bird Cove which is West of Dancing Ledge

Guillemots

Guillemots

Guillemots

Guillemot

Bridled Guillemot: The bird of the day was this Bridled Guillemot. This is a colour morph which increases going North in the Guillemot range. They are scarce in Dorset, but commoner in the Shetland Islands. It is the first I've definitely seen in Dorset

Razorbills & Guillemots: This photo is good at showing the black Razorbills from the browner Guillemots

Razorbills & Guillemots

Blacker's Hole: This is one of the sea caves at Blacker’s Hole & it is home to the last small colony of Purbeck Kittiwakes: we saw six occupied nests

One of the Kittiwake nests

Kittiwake: This first Summer Kittiwake was hanging around the colony

Herring Gull: This Herring Gull looks like it is still incubating

Herring Gull: This Herring Gull nest has two healthy-looking chicks

Peregrine: This is one of the Durlston Peregrines

Little Egret: One or two of the Poole Harbour Little Egrets feed along the Purbeck coastline

Dancing Ledge: This is another ex-quarrying area which is now part of the National Trust coastline to the South of Langton Matravers

Dancing Ledge: As we passed Dancing Ledge, this group of school kids were preparing for a coastal activity of some sort. Good to see they were all wearing safety gear & wetsuits

The Dancing Ledge area and the Portland West Cliffs are the only known parts of the Dorset coastline where Puffins still attempt to breed. There are no more than a few pairs in the Dancing Ledge area. I don't think anybody has been able to confirm successful breeding for a number of years. However, I doubt there are many people actually looking along this part of the Dorset coastline when they would fledge. Therefore, are the pairs failing, perhaps as the nest sites could be accessible to a land predator or are they sometimes successful & Birders aren't looking for Pufflings.

Puffin: The Dancing Ledge area is the only known part of the Purbeck coastline where Puffins still attempt to breed

Puffin: It's great having this gorgeous species so close to home

Swift nest hole: There is a small Swift colony on the Purbeck coast near to Dancing Ledge. This is one of a few cliff-nesting Swift colonies in the UK. A Swift had just flown into the nest hole

Sika Deer: This was the surprise of the day. It's hard to see how this Sika Deer reached this platform

Sika Deer: It looks quite content when this photo was taken. They are a semi-aquatic species of Deer, so it is possible it could jump in the water & swim along the coast to a beach where it could get out of & back onto the downs

Finally, we reached the Winspit to St Aldhelms section. There is another reasonable sized Guillemot & Razorbill colony on this section, along with a few Fulmar nests. As we reached the St Aldhelms tide race, the sea got a bit more bouncy, but we were soon past the last of the breeding Seabirds and turning around.

The East Quarry at Winspit

The East Quarry at Winspit

Winspit

The West Quarry at Winspit

Approaching St Aldhelms: It was time to turn around and enjoy the trip back to Swanage, as the survey was over

Peveril Point: This is the last point of the Jurassic Coast, before the turning into Swanage Bay. Mark is relaxing & chatting with Durwyn & the team

Sea Kayakers: These two Sea Kayakers were enjoying the seas off Peveril Point

We weren't done yet as we crossed Swanage Bay to cover the chalk cliffs of Ballard Down as far as the breeding Gull colony on Old Harry. But I will cover that in the next Blog Post.

30 Mar 20 - Visitors Run Through The Manor #BWKM0

I regularly, but erratically, see Roe Deer from the house as already discussed in a previous #BWKM0 Post. They are easily my favour UK Deer & one of the two native species. During the afternoon, I saw three Deer run through the field next to my house, but they were female Sika Deer: this was clearly the wildlife highlight of the day.

Sika Deer: Female in evening summer light. Middlebere (25 May 14)

Any visitors to Poole Harbour will be very familiar with introduced Sika Deer. They are the common Deer species in the wider Poole Harbour basin, including Wareham Forest & Purbeck. I've often seen them in small numbers to the South of the Corfe ridge in the last couple of decades, but they aren't as common as they are North of the ridge. But it is only in the last couple of years that I have seen them from the house: this is only my sixth record. All the records were of them moving through the field, rather than feeding or resting in the field: which are the most likely activities with the local Roe Deer.

Sika Deer: The larger & bulkier structure, white arse & longer tail are all features for Sika Deer. Even these growing antlers are already longer than a male Roe Deer, which only have a single antler with a couple of close prongs on it. East Lulworth (6 Jun 14)

Roe Deer: Ballard Down. Male. These antlers are about as long as they get (31 Aug 10)

In Mar 19, I was watching a couple of female Roe Deer feeding in the field, when five Sika Deer appeared. One of the Roe Deer individuals calmly carried on feeding. But the other became very agitated & jumped around quite a bit, before moving to one side to let the Sika Deer pass. She quickly settled down after they had gone. I think it's the first time I've seen the two species together & it clearly spooked the second individual.

Sika Deer: A mature male. Greenlands Farm (11 Sep 16)

Check tomorrow to see the next day's wildlife sighting at when I will be confined at #BWKM0.

22 Jul 18 - Some Of The Resident Wildlife At Studland's Littlesea

In addition to the resident Birds photographed at Littlesea since I found the Purple Heron at Littlesea, I've managed to get some nice photos of some of the other commoner residents, while I've been looking for the Purple Heron during the daytime.

Sika Deer: They often appear around Littlesea & are quite comfortable in the water. This individual was feeding on the fern behind it (20 Jul 18)

Common Lizard: Enjoying the sun (18 Jul 18)

Large Skipper: Male (18 Jul 18)

Emerald Damselfly: Female. This is the only Emerald Damselfly type in Dorset, but I'm checking the ones I see as it can't be long before one of the other recently UK established species appear in Dorset (18 Jul 18)

Emerald Damselfly: Male (21 Jul 18)

Red-eyed Damselfly: Good to see this is relatively abundant at Littlesea after seeing it for the first time in there in 2017. Although I assume it has been there for the last few years (18 Jul 18)

Red-eyed Damselfly: (18 Jul 18)

Blue-tailed Damselfly: A common resident (18 Jul 18)

Water Strider: I saw a few so perhaps this is reasonable common along the edges (22 Jul 18)

White Water-lily: Hopefully I've got the id correct. Not quite Monet standard. The White Water-lilies are a popular haunt of the Red-eyed Damselflies and Small Red-eyed Damselflies (20 Jul 18)