Highlights...
Dorset Rarities this month were represented by the three lingering Cattle Egrets, a Great Egret and the two over-wintering Richard's Pipits. Other highlights included three Garganey, thirteen Scaup, five Long-tailed Ducks, two Slavonian Grebes and a Little Ringed Plover.
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Great Egret, Abbotsbury Swannery, March 2017 © Steve Groves
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| Great Egret, (with Mute Swan & Shovelers), Abbotsbury Swannery, March 2017 © Steve Groves |
More details on the above birds and the rest of this month's sightings follow below...
Black Swan...
Two were present throughout.Mute Swan...
Present throughout with 550 counted during the Wetland Bird Survey on the 12th.
Present throughout with 27 counted during the Wetland Bird Survey on the 12th.
Shelduck...
Present throughout with 47 counted during the Wetland Bird Survey on the 12th...
Mandarin Duck...
A female was present on the 24th...
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| Mandarin Duck (female), Abbotsbury Swannery, March 2017 © Steve Groves |
Wigeon...
Present throughout with 24 counted during the Wetland Bird Survey on the 12th...
Teal...
Present throughout with 130 counted during the Wetland Bird Survey on the 12th...Present throughout with 24 counted during the Wetland Bird Survey on the 12th...
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| Wigeon (drake), Abbotsbury Swannery, March 2017 © Steve Groves |
Gadwall...
Seen regularly with a peak of six on the 29th...
Seen regularly with a peak of six on the 29th...
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Gadwall (drake), Abbotsbury Swannery, March 2017 © Dave Callaby DMC Journal
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Teal...
Mallard...
Present throughout with 166 counted during the Wetland Bird Survey on the 12th.
Pintail...
Seen regularly with peaks of over 50 on the 17th and the 28th.Garganey...
Three (two drakes and a duck) were present on the 10th...
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| Garganey (drake), Abbotsbury Swannery, March 2017 © Steve Groves |
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| Garganey (2 drakes & a duck with drake Teal), Abbotsbury Swannery, March 2017 © Steve Groves |
Present throughout with 40 counted during the Wetland Bird Survey on the 12th.
Pochard...
Present throughout with 80 counted during the Wetland Bird Survey on the 12th.
Tufted Duck...
Present throughout with 126 counted during the Wetland Bird Survey on the 12th.
Scaup...
Thirteen were present on the 1st, nine on the 2nd, then three from the 3rd to the 9th but none subsequently... |
Five remained throughout...
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Long-tailed Ducks (drake & duck), Abbotsbury Swannery, March 2017
© Steve Groves |
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Long-tailed Ducks (3 drakes & a duck), Abbotsbury Swannery, March 2017
© Dave Callaby DMC Journal
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Long-tailed Ducks (3 drakes, 2 ducks), Abbotsbury Swannery, March 2017
© Dave Callaby DMC Journal
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Red-breasted Merganser...
Present throughout with 46 counted during the Wetland Bird Survey on the 12th.
Pheasant...
Present throughout.
Cormorant...
Present throughout with 6 counted during the Wetland Bird Survey on the 12th.
Cattle Egret...
The three that arrived in January continued to frequent fields around Abbotsbury and Portesham (including the Swannery recording area) to the 12th, with two on the 13th and one to the 14th...
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Cattle Egret Abbotsbury Swannery, March 2017 © Steve Groves
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Little Egret...
Present throughout with a peak of 24 on the 21st...
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| Little Egret Abbotsbury Swannery, March 2017 © Steve Groves |
Great Egret...
One (in full breeding plumage) was present on Meadow Pool briefly on the 27th before flying off east...
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| Great Egret Abbotsbury Swannery, March 2017 © Steve Groves |
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| Great Egret Abbotsbury Swannery, March 2017 © Steve Groves |
Single figures were seen regularly...
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Grey Heron (2nd calendar year), Abbotsbury Swannery, March 2017
© Dave Callaby DMC Journal
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Little Grebe...
Singles on the 3rd, 6th and 10th.
Great Crested Grebe...
Present throughout with a peak of over 30 on the 17th.
Slavonian Grebe...
Two were present from the 2nd to the 9th... |
| Slavonian Grebes Abbotsbury Swannery, March 2017 © Steve Groves |
Red Kite...
One on the 9th and three, possibly four on the 25th... |
Red Kite, Abbotsbury Swannery, March 2017
© Dave Callaby DMC Journal
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Red Kite, Abbotsbury Swannery, March 2017
© Dave Callaby DMC Journal
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Marsh Harrier...
Singles were seen regularly but there were two on the 26th... |
Marsh Harrier, Abbotsbury Swannery, March 2017
© Dave Callaby DMC Journal
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Singles were seen regularly.
Single figures were seen regularly.
Water Rail...
One was seen on the 7th and one was heard on the 9th.
Moorhen...
Present throughout with 20 counted during the Wetland Bird Survey on the 12th.
Coot...
Present throughout with 435 counted during the Wetland Bird Survey on the 12th...
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Coot (with Mute Swans), Abbotsbury Swannery, March 2017
© Dave Callaby DMC Journal
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Present throughout with a peak of six on several dates...
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Oystercatchers, Abbotsbury Swannery, March 2017
© Dave Callaby DMC Journal
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One was heard on the 12th.
One was present on the 22nd...
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Little Ringed Plover, Abbotsbury Swannery, March 2017
© Charlie Wheeler wheeler-photography
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Singles on the 9th and 24th.
Whimbrel...
The first two of the year were seen briefly on the 28th.
At least two were seen on the 2nd, six on the 12th and at least one was heard on the 16th.
Black-tailed Godwit...
Singles on the 15th and 29th.
Dunlin...
Two on the 13th and one on the 16th...
Redshank...
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| Dunlins, Abbotsbury Swannery, March 2017 © Steve Groves |
Redshank...
Present throughout with a peak of eight on the 12th...
Jack Snipe...
One on the 28th.
Common Snipe...
Seen regularly until the 16th, with a peak of four on the 9th.
Present throughout with a peak of 100 on the 7th. |
Redshank, Abbotsbury Swannery, March 2017
© Dave Callaby DMC Journal
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One on the 28th.
Seen regularly until the 16th, with a peak of four on the 9th.
Sandwich Tern...
The first two of the year were seen on the 26th and there were then regular sightings to the end of the month, with at least five present on the 31st... |
| Sandwich Tern, Abbotsbury Swannery, March 2017 © Steve Groves |
Black-headed Gull...
Mediterranean Gull...
Regular with a peak of 100 on the 4th.
Common Gull...
Present throughout with a peak of 1000 on the 4th.
Lesser Black-backed Gull...
Seen regularly with a peak of ten on the 19th.
Herring Gull...
Present throughout with a peak of 100 on the 13th.
Yellow-legged Gull...
A second calendar year was present from the 14th to the 16th while two second calendar year birds were together on the 19th.Great Black-backed Gull...
Present throughout with six counted during the Wetland Bird Survey on the 12th.
Feral/Domestic Pigeon...
Seen regularly.
Stock Dove...
Two on the 25th.
Wood Pigeon...
Present throughout.
Collared Dove...
Seen regularly.Tawny Owl...
Heard regularly.
Green Woodpecker...
Seen regularly.
Great Spotted Woodpecker...
Seen regularly.
Kestrel...
Singles were seen regularly.Merlin...
One on the 15th.
Peregrine Falcon...
Singles were seen regularly but two were together on the 21st.
Magpie...
Present throughout.Jackdaw...
Present throughout.
Rook...
Present throughout.
Carrion Crow...
Present throughout.
Raven...
Seen regularly.
Goldcrest...
Present throughout.
Firecrest...
One on the 8th. Blue Tit...
Present throughout.
Coal Tit...
Present throughout.
Skylark...
Present throughout.
Sand Martin...
Six on the 15th, five on the 16th and two on the 27th were the first observations of the year.
Swallow...
Five on the 29th were the first of the year.
Cetti's Warbler...
Present throughout.
Long-tailed Tit...
Present throughout... |
Long-tailed Tit, Abbotsbury Swannery, March 2017
© Dave Callaby DMC Journal
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Regular from the 8th with at least ten present on the 16th.
Blackcap...
The first of the year was seen on the 26th and at least three were present on the 31st.
Sedge Warbler...
One was heard on the 31st, the earliest ever at The Swannery.
Reed Warbler...
One seen and heard on the 31st was the earliest ever at The Swannery.
Nuthatch...
One from the 25th to the month's end. The first since July 2016...
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Nuthatch, Abbotsbury Swannery, March 2017
© Dave Callaby DMC Journal
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Present throughout.
Wren...
Present throughout.
Starling...
One or two were seen regularly.
Blackbird...
Present throughout.Song Thrush...
Seen regularly.
Mistle Thrush...
Seen regularly.
Robin...
Present throughout.
Stonechat...
Two on the 27th.Dunnock...
Present throughout...
House Sparrow...
Present throughout...Grey Wagtail...
At least one was seen regularly to the 10th but not subsequently.
Pied Wagtail...
Present throughout.
Richard's Pipit...
The two that arrived in December 2016 were seen regularly until the 8th but were not seen again until the 27th and were last seen on the 29th... |
| Richard's Pipits, Abbotsbury Swannery, March 2017 © Steve Groves |
Meadow Pipit...
Present throughout, with a peak of twenty on the 26th.
Chaffinch...
Present throughout.
Bullfinch...
One was heard on the 27th.
Greenfinch...
Singles were seen (or at least heard) regularly from the 5th to the 19th but not subsequently.
Linnet...
Present throughout.
Goldfinch...
Present throughout.
Siskin...
One flew north on the 13th.
Reed Bunting...
Present throughout. I'll leave you with a couple more of Charlie's images...
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Great Egret, Abbotsbury Swannery, March 2017
© Charlie Wheeler wheeler-photography
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Little Ringed Plover, Abbotsbury Swannery, March 2017
© Charlie Wheeler wheeler-photography
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