Hengistbury - 15th March

The weather was cloudy and mild. Highlights were Wheatears, Sand Martin, Peregrine and Dartford Warbler.

Skylark were singing over the golf course and Greenfinch were singing and performing their bat-like display flight, as we started off down the track towards Wick Fields. There were a couple of Robin and Dunnock in the scrub. As we got to Wick Fields a Jay flew off through the bushes and we heard a Chiffchaff singing – the first of the year. We stopped to listen and a Mediterranean Gull called as it flew over, but we couldn’t see it. There were a few Long-tailed Tit and Goldfinches in the bushes beside the fields. By scanning the Priory quite a way off we saw a Peregrine sitting on top of one of the turrets. As we were watching this, a Sand Martin zoomed by.
We continued and Dennis found a Wheatear in one of the fields. We stood and watched and saw 2 more. We walked round the fields seeing a Chiffchaff on the way back and a close view of a single Curlew in one of the fields. At Barn Field we scanned across and found 2 more Wheatear and another few Sand Martin fly past. In the scrub we saw many Greenfinch and a Song Thrush. A Dartford Warbler sang on the gorse and eventually gave us all wonderful views.
We turned and looked over the wet fields of Wick Hams towards Stanpit. Teal, Wigeon, Black-headed Gulls and a few Meadow Pipit were on Wick Hams and we could see Cormnorant, Shelduck and Brent Geese on Stanpit. We decided to walk round Barn Field to the sea. There were Skylarks, Meadow Pipits and a couple of Stonechat in Barn Field and another view of a Wheatear, but there was nothing on the sea. However we did find a caterpillar of an Ermine moth and one of a Fox moth on the grass.
Simon Curson