POOLE HARBOUR AND THE NEW FOREST

The glorious spring sunshine we are experiencing was perfect for another boat trip round Poole harbour, one of many organised by the charity 'Birds of Poole Harbour'. After setting off from my house while it was still dark, I arrived in Poole in plenty of time to enjoy some sunshine sitting on the quay while the boat was being prepared for the trip. These boat trips are the main income for the charity towards its conservation projects, and have become very popular;  this is my fourth one, and a good number of people travel from outside Dorset to go on the trips. 

I wasn't sure what birds to expect to see at  this time of year, but was pleasantly surprised to see not only some remaining winter species ( great northern divers and red breasted mergansers) but also some spring migrants ( little ringed plovers and sandwich terns) as well as the usual species for which the harbour provides a habitat all year round. A Forsters Tern, a rare american bird, was also present but today gave only distant views from the Brownsea lagoon. A very distant sighting of a White tailed eagle was another year tick. Altogether I logged over 45 species, including 15 new for the year, which was pretty good, I thought, and together with the calm and sunny weather, made for an excellent trip. 

Whilst in the area, I visited a couple of places in the New Forest, during the afternoon. Sadly I missed the great grey shrike, and despite a visit to Holbury, failed to see the boat tailed grackle, though this was hardly surprising as I got there just as schools were out, and there was a steady stream of pupils passing through the area which likely would cause it to lay low for a while. Next morning I did watch a couple of dartford warblers actively foraging in the gorse at Acres Down, (though the lesser spotted woodpecker failed to show on its usual dead tree)  and logged a stock dove and woodlark for the year.

great northern diver

  

Forsters tern in centre of photo very much cropped

oyster catchers on Brownsea island lagoon

mediterranean gulls

turnstones

sandwich tern

a calm and peaceful Poole harbour

Egyptian geese

New forest ponies

linnet

a busy dartford warbler

LARGE TORTOISESHELL AT ORLESTONE FOREST

 With reports coming in of Large Tortoiseshell butterflies flying in parts of Kent, Sussex and the Isle of Wight, I felt it would be a nice opportunity to spend a few days in Kent with my daughter,  and combine it with a butterfly trip, particularly with a promising weather forecast.

Leaving home late morning , I decided to  drive straight to Orlestone forest near Ashford , thinking that by the time  I arrived the temperature would have risen to a suitable level for butterflies to fly. It was rather foggy when I left home and only 10 degrees, but by the time I drew up in the car park it was around  14 degrees with clear blue skies and I felt conditions would be  perfect for butterfly spotting.

I was glad I had done some research, as I was able to take the right path into the forest which took me to a wide ride where I started to look. Apart from a comma butterfly which was sunning itself on the track, I didn't see anything at first. But then passing someone returning  towards me, I made enquiries and was told that there were a few people   watching two or three large tortoiseshells several hundred yards further down. I continued till I saw them and realised they were watching a particular tree, where a large tortoiseshell could be seen, wings closed a few metres from the ground.  After a while, its wings opened to reveal the upper wing pattern, not dissimilar to a small tortoiseshell but without the white spot at the tip of the forewings and a considerably duller orange.  The butterfly occasionally flew round but then landed back on the same tree trunk or a neighbouring one, giving opportunities for some close photos. We noticed another individual not far away so spent some time watching both butterflies before eventually they both flew off.  

It was certainly a pleasant way to spend a sunny March afternoon,  another butterfly to add to my life list  and a good start to the year.