Today saw us at the RSPB Reserve of Arne on the Dorest coast.
Behind the small information centre they have a feeding station which attracts several species into feed. Several chaffinch, blue tit , great tit are the main birds but nuthatch, siskin and coal tit were all seen.
Both green and Great spotted woodpeckers were heard and then seen flying around the treetops.
On our walk to the marsh several Chiffchaff were seen and heard singing along with a single willow warbler all newly arrived for the summer breeding season. We also had a fine view of a treecreeper feeding in the trees.
Out on the marsh several Curlew were found along with oystercatchers, shelduck, teal, little egret and Great Crested Grebe out on the water. Before we moved on a Fox ran across the marsh putting up a few birds as it went.
Moving onto another area we saw a couple of Sika deer hiding in the foliage very common here at Arne.
From our next viewpoint around 600 black tailed godwits were feeding on the mud all in various stages of plumage with some showing off their fine rich red bellies.
A couple of buzzards drifted slowly along the back tree line making the godwits fly up giving a fantastic view as the wheeled around in front of us.
On our walk around the Heath we picked up a single wheatear along with a few displaying meadow pipits.
Looking out again over the marsh a few swallows and martins moved through at a fast pace not looking at stopping, also a few sandwich tern were plunge diving out in the bay. Several gulls were loafing around on the sandbanks which included black headed, lesser black backed and a couple of greated black backed gulls picked out.
With the weather closing in we returned to the car and called it a day.
Not the best of conditions for a spring day but still a lot going on and well worth being out and about at this fantastic reserve.DT
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