Saturday was cold and grey with a strong north-east wind and it really was colder today than at Christmas!. Margaret was busy with an all-day choral workshop, ringing was out of the question and it didn’t look promising for a visit to Portland. I thought it would be a good idea to visit Brownsea Island, after all I could get shelter in the hides.
On arrival I found that most of the waders were congregated at the north end of the lagoon which meant looking into the icy blast through the open windows of the hide, being as it is May not January I wasn’t wearing thick gloves or thermals! There were plenty of summer-plumaged Dunlin, Bar-tailed and a few Black-tailed Godwits, the odd Greenshank, Whimbrel and best of all a partial sum plum Curlew Sandpiper which was a new bird for the year.
Greylag Geese with goslings with various waders and terns behind.
Sandwich Terns were already sitting on eggs in front of the hide, although Common Terns had yet to nest and several Red Squirrels put a good show by the Villa.
Sandwich Terns have a large colony on Brownsea and typically arrive a few weeks before the Common Terns.
Last year there were over 80 pairs of Sandwich Terns on eggs by early May, this year there are just 14.
Brownsea is one of the few places in southern England where Red Squirrels can be seen. This cute three-legged individual can be seen near the Villa.
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