Hengistbury Head - 12th Oct

The weather was clear, sunny and warm. There were a few migrants today, the highlights being a Whinchat and 2 Greenshank.

7 of us met at Hengistbury Head car park hoping that there would be some migrants around today. Overhead migration was not very busy, just a few Pied Wagtails, Meadow Pipits, Goldfinch, Linnet and 1 or 2 Swallows. Meadow Pipits and Skylarks were on the golf course over the road.
At the Barn Field we looked over at the reeds and estuary. Tracy soon picked out some birds among the long grass which kept flitting up to the fences – 1 Whinchat and 2 Stonechat with a few Reed Bunting. In the estuary there were the usual Coot, Cormorants, Mute Swans, Little Egrets, Heron and Black-headed Gull. On the far side (Stanpit Marsh area) we could make out flocks of Wigeon with Oystercatchers and Cormorants. Among the Mallards there were also a pair of Gadwall, the first we had seen for a while and some Teal. As we watched these, 5 Brent Geese flew over – winter must be returning.
We continued through the wood. Speckled Wood and Red Admiral butterflies were still flying in the sunny glades. We had already seen 1 Clouded Yellow fly over the Barn Field. We looked among the gorse bushes for migrants, but just heard a few Goldcrest and 1 Dartford Warbler which didn’t show itself. A Sparrowhawk flew over as we waited.
We continued on to the lagoon by the path further on where there were several Redshank, 2 Greenshank and a few Oystercatcher with the Black-headed and Herring Gulls. 1 Painted Lady butterfly flew past here – 4 species of butterfly today!
We walked back over the tops of the cliffs seeing nothing more than some Heather that was still in flower.
We had heard that a Hoopoe was still showing at Broomy Plain on the Forest, so after a quick cuppa we hurried off to look for it. It was still sunny, but in 1 hour of wandering around the Hoopoe didn’t appear. However we got great views of a female Merlin perched in a tree and Heather found the first of several Dartford Warblers in the gorse. By the cars we saw 2 Southern Hawker dragonflies – didn’t know they were still on the wing!
Simon Curson