Thursday 19 February 2015

Harbour - Moby

Another 'catch-up' Post today from the few days when it just seemed it would never stop raining and the River Stour, once again, burst its banks.
Janet's Horse Paddock ⅓ submerged
and a view looking towards the sea (quite a long way off).
We did take a look around Poole Harbour starting at Sandbanks
then continuing clockwise round the second largest natural harbour
in the World.
BAR-TAILED GODWIT
was good to see but even better in the midst of about 50 birds
was one already in Summer Plumage (left).
BAR-TAILED GODWIT
in flight.
Next
a group of c27
most obliging
SANDERLING
along with a single
CURLEW
before hearing off to catch the
Sandbanks Chain Ferry over to Studland.

Now that's something that I thought might have died out, but
'warms the cockles of the heart'.
Polishing the Ship's Bell
Some things in life you just cannot shake off, so I did ask to help!
BET YOU'D LIKE SOME OF THAT AS WELL 'SECRET'?
After a 14 days passage we finally arrived at the Studland side,
with a couple of
DUNLIN
waiting on the shoreline.
A short drive and
GREY PLOVER
was also added to the list followed by a scan across the fresh
water lake known as Littlesea.
There, at great distance, what looked like a white plastic bag caught
on the bushes was thought to be worth a second look but entailed
walking back to the car for the telescope. Good job I did as it turned
out to be just the back end of a
GREAT WHITE EGRET
These images are from the archive just for illustration, there was no
way of getting anywhere near it.
A lot of groundwork going on at the tiny old farmstead at
Middlebere, looks like new drains, but the hide was chock-a-block
with photographers so a very quick look at the 100's of
AVOCET
a few
REDSHANK
and a
YELLOW-LEGGED GULL
before continuing.
It is always worth a stop at Scotland Farm to view the
HIGHLAND CATTLE
but that was the end of my day. The plan had been to continue with a walk
from Upton to Poole, around the northern rim of the harbour, but the
Car Park there was also full. The perils of 'birding' on a Sunday!!
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