Autumn Birds - Lodmoor Reserve

Sightings from my latest visit to the Reserve at Lodmoor Weymouth.

Although I have said 'Autumn birds", Great White Egrets can be seen most of the year at Lodmoor. 

The Common Snipe are returning in numbers now and frantically feeding up as much as possible.

Not quite so easy to see most of the time, the Common Sandpiper were visible at a distance.

It is always good to see the Black-tailed Godwit returning to the local waters. 

Hopefully there will be some Bar-tailed soon.

Some of the resident Mute Swans are helping their young with some flying training.

About 20 Golden Plover were observed at a distance but I assuime I will be able to post more of them late in the Winter when they arrive in some hundreds.

At last - Aglais io - Peacock Butterfly

I say 'At last' in the heading as this is the first good opportunity I have had this year to photograph the Peacock Butterfly. In fact this is only the third one I have seen all season.

This one I photographed is a Male and a Summer brood specimen that will continue feeding throughout the rest of the year. It will then hibernate for the Winter, emerging again in Spring. Hopefully the breed will do better next year.

It is certainly one of our most colourful Resident species and it would be a tragedy if it were to phase out.

 

A Morning at Ferry Bridge.

The High Tide time that morning was around 10am. 

The weather was sunny with some wind, so a visit to Ferry Bridge Reserve around 11am was a good option. As the tide recedes the wader birds arrive and search the muddy sand for food.

The Knot is a regular visitor to the Dorset coastline in the Autumn and Winter.

 

The Dunlin. A small wader that is very common throughout the year on the coastline and observed in high numbers at this time.

The Ringed Plover. 

Another small wader that can be found all year around on the coastal areas. 

We also get winter visitors from Greenland and Canada on the Dorset coatline.

At this time Wheatears can be found at Ferry Bridge until October.

This species tend to congregate on the Dorset Coastal areas to feed up before the long journey to West Africa. 

A few Mediterranean Gulls were observed, which is a regular event in this area.

 

Pied Wagtails, a regular sight throughout the year.