#lodmoor

21st September 2019-RSPB Weymouth reserves Lodmoor and Radipole Lake: Long-billed Dowitcher, egret fest, Yellow Wagtail, Clouded Yellow and more 

Today we made the most of what looks like the last of a few really sunny days in a perfect way. We headed to these reserves as I had seen a Long-billed Dowitcher had been reported here for a good while. I took the first, second and third picture in this photoset of a landscape, Black-tailed Godwit and another landscape looking over to the white horse at Osmington. It struck me when we drove in today that I have never photographed this amazing site, one that was a brilliant staging post as an indication we were there on our yearly summer holiday as a family to Weymouth as a child so I have so many memories locked up within it and it represents a time in my life that I always wanna remember and hold onto so great to photograph it today. In the sunshine today both reserves were teeming with butterflies and dragonflies with a good variety of species seen and many for this time of year. 

As we walked down alongside the lagoons it was great to see a good few Yellow Wagtails in among Pied as shown by the fourth picture in this photoset. It was actually only my fifth ever sighting of them but second this autumn after some at Pennington so I was thrilled to see these. 

We walked around the corner to an old power plant place just in case a Wryneck a man we spoke to said he’d seen there was around but we didn’t see it. I did take the fifth picture in this photoset of a Peacock butterfly there. On the way back from this point though with the sun really shining and it being a decent temperature I caught sight of the most special butterfly I saw today a Clouded Yellow. This is always a special moment and after seeing my first this year at Magdalen Hill in August which was a very quick sighting I was hoping to see one again this year. 

That was something by no means a certainty though as I only saw one last year, none the year before, one the two years prior in fact 2014 was the only year I recall seeing them more than once in. They do go on late in years though as I learnt with my Farlington Marshes sighting of one a year ago Monday and you don’t really look for Clouded Yellows they sort of seem to find you and they can pop up anywhere. It was a yellow day a bit then with this and the wagtails, with neither of them a common species really if I had have been told a year ago today I’d see both and neither would be a year tick on their respective lists I’d know I was onto something great. 

At Lodmoor, where we’d come back to later today after a walk round nearby Radipole, we saw at least three Great White Egrets one shown in the sixth picture in this photoset my joint highest in a day as well as so many Little Egrets flying nicely seen throughout the day with a good few Grey Herons about too. A really nice moment with these relatives today. It was very nice to be at Radipole shown in the seventh, eighth and ninth picture I took in this photoset today after not coming here since January one of my favourite nature reserves seeing some great stuff too as shown in my wildlife sightings summary below. 

When we came back to Lodmoor late on today we wandered up and were told that as the tide was lowering we had a good chance to see the Long-billed Dowitcher hunting having not seen it on the earlier walk around here. We waited for a while until the shout went out and it had been spotted far back on the lagoon, I looked and saw it scanning in the water walking quite fast far back. We enjoyed some brilliant moments with this bird, one of my most special seen this year. Only my second ever individual bird and third occasion ever of seeing one.

The first we saw was in the summer of 2013 at Lymington-Keyhaven nature reserve, before seeing the Lesser Yellowlegs at Lepe that winter before the new year. Both birds we saw again and were able to get onto our 2014 year lists as well. We didn’t see a Lesser Yellowlegs again until last October which was at Lodmoor and we saw that one in 2019 here as well in early March. So I just find it amusing that we’ve seen the Dowitcher here too now. What a two birds to see here this year. 

I have to make the most of further afield trips at this time of year with shorter and darker days and immediately it appears wetter ones to come and today’s was an amazing day birding and seeing some great insects and views too in top weather once more. I am glad I saw the tweet about the Dowitcher around last weekend to make today happen its what we came for a very enjoyable day. 

4 standout of my minority subjects pictures taken so far this year 

1. Macro snow picture, Blackwater in the New Forest, February 

2. Snowdrops, Stour Valley Nature Reserve, February 

3. Shadows of raindrops on my window created by a lowering sun, taken in February 

29/04/2023-RSPB Lodmoor 

Pictures taken here today in this set are of: 1. One of my favourite birds the Shelduck, it was great to see a few of these dazzling birds. 2. Some of the much cow parsley I enjoyed today. 3, 5, 8 and 9. Beautiful views here on a lovely sunny day it was great to be out in. 4. Nice blossom. 6. A handsome Tufted Duck it was great to see up close with it’s strong blue shade on its head. 7. Herb-Robert it was great to see them gleaming in the sunlight. 10. A Coot it was great to see closely too. 

26/06/2020-Portland Bill and Lodmoor: Once more, pictures I took in this photoset separate to the ones I’ve just tweeted 

In the last of our week days off the what I felt has been a golden line up of day trips that I’ve looked forward to the past few weeks was completed by our furthest trip of the week to the wonderful Portland for the first time for us since 1st January for bird year list building. As we parked up at the bill there an ambition of today which we didn’t achieve yesterday at Durlston was realised as we saw a Wall Brown erratically flying over the car park area in despite another warm start at home in Hampshire today decidedly greyer and colder conditions at Portland to what we’ve had the rest of this week. It was a joy to see it we had got into the pattern of seeing this butterfly in April at Durlston since 2017 but we missed the April visit due to strict lockdown and missed it there yesterday so it once again became a swing species we could see it or we might not and how many butterflies I ultimately see this year fine margins as to if that’s more or less than previous years could hinge on it. Another top butterfly to see this week. 

As well as take in views, I took the first three pictures in this photoset of views and the famous lighthouse, we then walked over rocks to look over the sea at Portland Bill and were delighted to see more Guillemots and Razorbills after our first of the year yesterday at Durlston. I think after three consecutive years of getting spoilt by closeup views of these two auks two of my favourite birds on Skomer Island (Pembrokeshire), at RSPB Bempton Cliffs, Flamborough Head and co. in Yorkshire (two years ago today we had our first adventure at Bempton in fact) and the Farne Islands (Northumberland) I felt like I loved seeing them that bit further away at Durlston on an amazing day yesterday still bur I sort of felt it all went a bit too quick and I didn’t get that chance to linger with them sort of as much. 

Likewise Fulmar another of my seabird favourite birds my main favourite birds over time really we normally see at Durlston in April very close as they fly around the cliffs they nest. It was only a short view well out to sea yesterday which I loved but early on here today we got a cracking view of one fly right beside us which was great. It was nice to spend precious time with these favourite birds of mine again to really sustain a fix for them and with the circumstances I felt so pleased to see one this year. As we heard Herring Gulls wail throughout the walk today I felt a real strong sense of being where I best like to be again this week and the strict lockdown made me miss, by the sea. 

We looked over a quarry area here where we have see Little Owls my last pre-restrictions bird year tick at Fort Cumberland all the way back on 22nd March and we were thrilled to just like early on on the cliffs at Durlston yesterday see a young Kestrel and it’s parents. Different light and weather conditions, similar stunning views to yesterday. It was fascinating to see the adult consume some prey it had too. I took the fourth picture in this photoset of this. 

In the grey conditions I took the fifth picture in this photoset later on we moved on and this walk became rather became the surprise package of the week as I got another butterfly year tick. A Gatekeeper was gently flying alongside a bush near the bird observatory and we saw another up the track opposite side of the road where we searched for another Wall Brown we’d seen one here before in 2016 but didn’t see another today. It was amazing to see the Gatekeeper, a beautiful summer butterfly I always look forward to and once again my earliest ever sighting of the species in a year. What’s more it was really the last very common butterfly i.e I could see them at Lakeside right by the house that I needed to see this year. It feels weird to be saying that before July has even begun when I normally see them first in a year! But it is butterfly 38 in my year, making it guaranteed to be my joint fourth highest ever butterfly year list total as I saw 38 butterflies through all of 2017, only in 2014 (39), 2018 (42) and 2019 (45) have I seen more butterfly species in a year. It puts me early this year in a position where there are only eight butterfly species I’ve seen in my life that I haven’t yet seen this year. Two of those it’s not geographically possible for me to see this year so I’m proud of where we’ve got to. But it’s made me think we are in those peak butterfly weeks this year now with so much about and I need to make the most of it. 

On that note as we walked round and saw Marbled Whites one shown in the sixth of the pictures I took in this photoset today at yet another place this week I remarked to myself how notable and different this was this year. I’ve usually always seen the Marbled Whites locally at Lakeside by now then we go on holiday somewhere and don’t see them for a bit usually the habitat doesn’t come up or whatever. But this has felt like a holiday just a holiday of day trips to wherever there’s been some decent grassland we’ve seen Marbled Whites all across the south which has been interesting to see them at different places. As we walked around we also got very close to two gigantic Ravens a key bird of Portland and it was amazing to make our their feather patterns and bodies and really take in what magnificent birds they are. A beautiful moment. I took the eighth picture in this photoset of one. 

Just before that we saw another Fulmar gliding delightfully beside a cliff as they do over the sea and we went on to get some exceptional views of about four of five of this stunning bird. I took the seventh picture in this photoset of one of these Fulmars. We also saw more Guillemots and Razorbills on the sea water and cliffs. I took some far away pictures I was pleased with with my bridge camera which I tweeted on Dans_Pictures of the Guillemots and Razorbills with me at places I’ve seen them closer been able to see them really close in other parts of the country I’ve not often needed my long distance specialist bridge camera to photograph them but I had the idea today and was glad I did as I was happy with the pictures it allowed me to take them. It got me thinking in the wake of not having a seabird holiday this year before I’d even heard of really let alone been to Skomer, Bempton and the Farnes in the early days when I was getting into birdwatching the auks and other seabirds were the ones I loved and coming to Portland Bill to see Guillemots and Razorbills was the highlight of my year really. Obviously with the utmost respect to Portland experiences like Skomer etc. get you amazingly close to these birds. But this year Durlston and Portland which we do yearly to see seabirds the last couple of days have perhaps taken centre seabird stage for me this year for me which has felt amazing. It was nice to reflect on this. 

And the reason we now do Durlston and Portland at least annually is that in 2015 and then 2016 albeit we did South Stack at Anglesey during an impromptu Snowdonia holiday the latter where we saw many Guillemots and Razorbills and Puffin where we would have been this week we couldn’t go to places like Skomer due to us caring for my Nan who had dementia. So with Guillemots, Razorbills and I’d add Gannets to that very thankfully seen just further away perhaps between here and Durlston seeing Fulmar took over as in many cases the ultimate favourite bird experience in a year for me. Durlston usually provides us with as good if not better Fulmar views than some of the amazing seabird sites we have been across the county so I increased my affinity with Fulmar in those more fallow years for seabird big trips away and today it just got me to that stage again of feeling so excited seeing them dash past us on the cliffs. 

We were then able to safely call into RSPB Lodmoor in Weymouth on the way back I took the ninth picture a landscape in this photoset here as we often do on Portland trips alongside or instead sometimes Radipole Lake it’s sister reserve in Weymouth as such. We saw some great flatter coast birds at Lodmoor today Common Tern, Little Egret and Shelduck the highlights and it was nice to see some young birds Black-headed Gull chicks and a young Mallard here. I also saw some michaelmas daisies here a brilliant flower I love seeing my first of the year a key species of this habitat. Usually more an early autumnal characteristic but not out of place among some blackberries seen growing today and very early autumnal leaves it seems lately. I took the tenth and final picture in this photoset of a lovely Goldfinch here part of a finch hat trick with Chaffinch and Greenfinch here too. We also got chatting at a distance of over two metres to some really nice people including a family who were very excited to be looking at Grey Herons. I took in nice views of Weymouth looking nice and quiet on the beach good to see after the shocking scenes at Bournemouth and Poole fairly nearby yesterday in light of the need for social distancing as we had at also nearby to here Durdle Door earlier in the year on the way, Weymouth as our main family holiday destination as I grew up and sights of it mean a lot to me. At Lodmoor and as we left I took in another one and always the gateway to Weymouth on any trip here the White Horse by Osmington. 

Well that brings to an end well at least the weekdays I have had off facilitating the surrounding county trips which have been too quick it felt but have safely and in a variety of places packed with sensational walks, views, incredible wildlife watching with truly so much seen across birds,  butterflies, moths, dragon/damselflies, mammals, reptiles and flowers. I still have a weekend to look forward to to add on to it with a couple of nice walks I hope to come I hope you all have a good one. 

10/01/19-Radipole Lake and Lodmoor 

Today we visited these two Weymouth reserves which as a day trip was one of the first names on my list of places I wanted to visit in this early week off in my year. It was Radipole first and we got off to the perfect start seeing our first Bearded Tits of the year in the guides’ telescope in the visitor centre. They were brilliant to see and it was one of my top birds this young year. Also in the centre I saw my first Great Black Backed Gulls of 2019. 

We then walked on and beside the reedbed I saw a scene I saw on Twitter earlier, people with cameras looking into the reeds. This was of course because alongside my first Reed Buntings of the year, there were more Bearded Tits and it was a pleasure to enjoy seeing these really beautiful birds in some nice sun one shown in the first picture I took today in this photoset. It was really interesting to see them fly to the tops of reeds and when they landed that reed suddenly lowered. 

As I said in my blog about Slimbridge on Monday this is another species of bird I have seen early this year that I didn’t at all last year and after a strong 2016 and particularly 2017 for them I really did try in 2018 for them. But you get years even as brilliant as that one was for me where you just don’t connect with certain species. I don’t have to worry about seeing Bearded Tits this year now and with the amount and how well I saw them I have seen enough to keep me going all year for this species. Obviously Water Rail is a bird I have seen this week so to see Bearded Tit too is amazing. My start to the year has been similar to my 2017 in which in January I got the elusive reedbed hat trick of these two and Bittern and I now have all year to try for it again. 

As we walked round I took the second and third pictures in this photoset of the landscape and a Robin. We then reached the hide where we wanted to see if we could see the star of Radipole the Marsh Harriers, and we spotted one and it was lovely to see their full extent as one glided against houses behind. Then another one shown in the fourth picture in this photoset suddenly flew out much closer over the water. This is always a massive bird for me in any year and this trip. It meant I had got six bird of prey year ticks in as many days, with Sparrowhawk Saturday, Buzzard, Red Kite and Kestrel Sunday and a Peregrine on Monday too. 

We left but parked up at a nearby tennis club and scanned the back of the water and reeds in the reserve, to after checking every Tufted Duck in the reserve see if we could see the Ring-necked Duck there which we did in November. We did see it from one of the fishing platforms and it felt fantastic, I got great views of this handsome bird again and better than in November here, taking the fifth picture in this photoset of it. This is certainly right up there with Waxwing and I am so thankful to say after this already amazing week of birds so many others as one of my top birds so far this year. 

I have said before how I always like to see in a year at least one of my life ticks from last year, that list of nine in 2018 was full of maybe once in a lifetime birds so that was gonna be hard but when I heard this one was still about I thought “what if” and I am thrilled it actually happened. Last year we said goodbye to the incredibly long staying Hooded Merganser at this reserve. Maybe this Ring-necked Duck is the new Hoodie and there is just something about Radipole, they are such different characters and stories but I would not say no to yearly chances to see this bird. 

I then went onto Lodmoor where I saw two birds again this week which I had brilliant years for seeing more than I ever had last year and it showed I may be onto another good one for them this time around that they were not year ticks. This was another Marsh Harrier today and a Ruff with a nice white head. 

With five year ticks today that’s 82 birds seen now this year, my third highest ever at this stage in a year and whilst I know from what happened it will likely change still ahead of what I was on a year ago. I’m about a week ahead of where I was last year currently with amount of birds, but my week off last year in January was next week with that much talked about by me Scotland trip where I got over 30 year ticks. This was a great day which has been a star of so far a really memorable week off for birds helping me onto good numbers by my standards and so many star species sprinkled in. 

Quite a big update this week, mainly because I was fortunate enough to visit two RSPB reserves last bank holiday Monday.

The reserves in question were Radipole Lake and Lodmoor, and both a fantastic locations for visiting birds, particularly water birds like ducks and waders. I was lucky enough to spot 3 rare birds on my travels, but you can read about them elsewhere on this blog.

So without further ado let's get on with this week's spots.

Tufted Duck (Male and Female)

As soon as we arrived at Radipole Lake we were greeted with some gorgeous tufted ducks. They get their name thanks to the small tufts on the back of their heads, which make them look like they need a good haircut. The males are smashing looking birds, slightly smaller than a Mallard, with lovely black and white colouring. The females are a little drabber, but I managed to get a nice shot of one having a little flap.

Here's the male, having just been for a dive.

And here's the female.

Carrion Crow

The Carrion Crow is extremely common and you'll often see them in town centres as well as the countryside. They're often confused with Ravens, but that bird is far larger and stocker with a much thicker, murderous looking beak. While the Carrion Crow is fairly mundane to look at compared to some of our more colourful crows, it's highly watchable thanks to its inquisitive nature. It gets its name from its non-fussy food habits, and will happily eat anything it can stick its beak into. I spotted the first crow on my walk to Radipole's hide and caught the second flying onto the roof of the reserve.

Ravens are stockier than this with much bigger beaks.

Despite their size, Carrion Crows can be surprisingly acrobatic in flight.

Coot

There's no mistaking a Coot and there were a large number of them at Radipole Lake. They're related to the more diminutive and colourful Moorhen and are very distinctive due to the white shields above its beak. The saying 'Bald as a Coot' comes from this bird and it's found throughout the UK. It's worth watching them landing and taking off from a pond as they make a lot of comical commotion as they run across the water's surface ready for take-off.

This one was taken at Radipole Lake.

And this one was seen at Lodmoor.

Cormorant

Sadly, we only have one Cormorant native to the UK. It's a fantastic fisherman, which often puts it at odds with anglers. In some countries, it's even used to catch fish, with a string put around its neck to stop it swallowing what it's caught. This one had spent most of his time diving, so was happily sunning himself. The Cormorant is sometimes mistaken for the very similar Shag, but its white cheeks do give it away. While they are coastal birds by nature, it's not unusual to see them at lakes and reservoirs.

Pochard (Male and female)

Pochards are beautiful looking ducks with striking reddish brown heads that make them easy to identify. They're found throughout the UK and are a regular sight at many ponds and lakes. Interestingly, while over 48,000 Pochards winter here each year, less than 700 pairs actually breed here. They're slightly smaller than Mallards and quite timid, easily getting chased off by other ducks as they hunted around for food.

Here's a male. Look at how red his eyes are.

And this is a female. The males look quite similar after moulting.

Swift

Okay so this isn't the greatest shot, but there's no mistaking the sycthe-like wings. It's most at home on the wing (it can even sleep in the air) and will happily hawk around barns and open fields for insects. The Swift is a voracious eater and can eat over 10,000 flies in a single day when it's brooding. While similar in size to the Swallow, it lacks the Swallow's red throat and its tail isn't as pronounced. We saw this one up by Radipole Lake's hide and it proved to be a real bugger to photo as it was so fast.

Iceland Gull

When we were walking back to the main centre there was a lot of commotion inside, with bird watchers rammed wall to wall. It turned out that in amongst all the Herring Gulls was a rather beautiful looking Iceland Gull. After some direction I was able to spot it, and got a slightly better shot when it flew over to one of the islands closer to the visiting centre. It's quite dainty for a gull and is noticeable for its snowy white plumage. Only around 240 birds regularly winter here, making this quite a spot for me.

Feral Pigeon

This is the more common version of the Rock Dove. You see pigeons absolutely everywhere, so it's somewhat amazing that it's taken me a month to take a photo of some. Known as flying rats, and seen as pests by many, they're easily one of the UK's most common birds and, as you can see here, come in a surprising range of colours and patterns.

The following birds were all spotted at Lodmoor. It's basically a large nature trail with a few handy view points that runs parallel to the beach at Weymouth. This is where I saw the Black-Winged Stilt.

Bar Tailed Godwit

As the tide was out we didn't see too many waders. I did get a good look at this Godwit however. It was quite resplendent with its chestnut colouring (it's a far drabber bird in the winter) and this one also had some rather fetching rings on its legs. The Bar-Tailed Godwit doesn't breed here, using our country as a wintering ground. Up to 41,000 birds can be found here, although this one was all on its own.

Canada Goose

This is quite a common goose that was introduced from North America many years ago. It's now found all over the UK with over 62,000 birds breeding here. I was lucky enough to come across this delightful family, who watched us warily as we walked along one of the nature trails. It's one of our bigger geese and has some striking colouration. I particularly like the second shot which shows a protective father bringing up the rear as his chicks raced off.

Five gorgeous little chicks.

Don't worry kids, I'll protect you!

Linnet (female)

As I was walking down one of the trails I spied this tiny little finch, gathering nesting materials. It's been confirmed by RSPB members as a female Linnet and it's a fairly common bird (although rarer than it used to be). Once kept as a song bird, the males are extremely striking thanks to their crimson breast and forehead.

Gadwell

Another bird identified for my by kind members of the RSPB forum. This one's a male Gadwell and as you can see it's quite a non-descript bird with few notable markings. This one was quite a way off in the distance, which is why the shot doesn't look fantastic.

Grey Heron

Herons are amazing looking birds and I always enjoy taking photos of them. There were quite a few on Lodmoor lake and it was great to see them suddenly take off and fly around looking for better hunting spots. Keen fishermen they can stay still for ages, waiting for the right moment to strike. I'll take a photo of one with a fish in its mouth one day, but that day was not today.

A solitary fisherman, waiting for his prey.

A nice shot of a Heron in flight.

And here's one looking for fish.

Little Egret

Similar to the Heron, this is a fair daintier, more beautiful looking bird. Often mistaken for a Cattle Egret, this is a stunning looking that has become more and more common in recent years. It first began breeding in Dorset in 1996 and there are now over 700 breeding pairs found here. We often spot them at Throop when we visit the lake there, but somehow they seemed more natural here.

Oystercatcher

Although I saw some Oystercatchers at Lodmoor, I spied this fellow at Arne. It's not the greatest of shoots as I was shooting with a hefty 500mm lens, but you can still see that it's a striking looking bird. It's easily identifiable thanks to its bright orange bill, while it's black and white plumage also makes it stand out.

Oystercatchers really are beautiful birds.

I also saw this one, but it looked quite scruffy.

Moor Hen

I've already mentioned the more diminutive relative of the Coot, but here it is in the flesh. Like the Coot it has a shield above its beak, but the Moorhen's is far more striking. It's a lot more timid than the Coot and far smaller, often scared awway by noisier birds. It's a common UK bird with over 250,000 pairs regularly breeding here.

Before I started up this blog I told myself that I would just stick to photographing birds that were native to the UK. So that's 272.

I went to Radipole Lake in Weymouth at the weekend, and had my first experience spotting rarer birds. I'm still sticking to my original goal, but I now understand why so many twitchers adopt 'Life Lists'.

As we returned from our walk around Radipole Lake there was a lot of excitement in the reception area of the lodge. The viewing area was crammed with eager birders, all clamouring to see a rare Iceland Gull.

Now even with my half decent knowledge of birds, I struggle to tell the difference between most gulls and found myself gazing out onto the lake, with no idea what I was supposed to be looking for.

Luckily, for me, people were only too keen to point it out, unluckily for me most birders like to use the most vaguest of terms in order to help you track birds down. "See that mural up there? Well look along to the left, then look down and it's the third on the left to the immature Herring Gull." They may as well have spoken in Greek to me.

Fortunately, the Iceland Gull grew bored of swimming and flew to a nearby island where I was able to get a photo of it.

It's a beautiful looking bird with snowy white plumage and a distinctive dark bill. Despite its name, the Iceland Gull breeds in Greenland and Arctic Canada, so there was little wonder that so many people were making a fuss about it.

I felt a tingling of excitement, not just because I finally spotted it, but because there was the likelihood that I may never see another. I started to realise then why dedicated twitchers will happily travel for miles to spot rarities that have been blown off course when migrating.

My next rare spot was again at Radipole Lake. This time it was a Hooded Merganser. It's a saw-billed duck, which is quite streamlined and around the size of a Tufted Duck. I knew it must be rare, because I couldn't see it in my RSPB book. Even the wife was getting interested and I was eventually given its name upon reaching Lodmoor after talking to a fellow birder about my find.

Apparently, this male has been at Radipole for around 5 years and thinks it's a Tufted Duck (it's apparently always trying to mate with the females there). Due to its native home being in America, there's plenty of controversy surrounding this particular bird, as some feel it's escaped from a local park/reserve and isn't technically here due to flying off course. Rules or not, I felt that familiar thrill of witnessing the unknown and began to consider setting up my own 'Life List'.

While I got my answer about the Hooded Merganser at Lodmoor, my reason for going there was to see an elusive Black-Winged Stilt. It's a very rare wader that has admittedly become more common over the years, with over 388 known sightings.

Some twitchers were already there with their scopes and bins (that's binoculars in case you were wondering) and one gentleman kindly lent me his bins and gave me some more vague directions to find it. 'Look out for his pink legs,' he told me. 'See it's there, between the two tufts of reeds'. I exclaimed how bright its legs were and how beautiful it looked and handed the bins back with a foolish grin on my face.

'You didn't see it did you." My wife said after we moved on. 'No,' I confirmed, genuinely upset that I may have missed this once in a lifetime opportunity. Luckily, another gentleman had set up a telescope a little further down the trail and I was able to take my first proper look at it.

It's a delightful looking wader, with long pink legs and a distinct black back. It's otherwise all white, looking a little like a slightly less graceful Little Egret. I was made up, and thanked the stranger (who also hailed from Bournemouth) for the use of his scope. I was made up, I'd seen three rare birds in the space of three hours.

It wasn't until I got home that I received another surprise. Having long giving up on getting a photo of the stilt (my 250mm lens simply isn't long enough) I walked off in another direction and took a photo of the landscape. It wasn't until I was tinkering with the image at home that I realised I had inadvertently taken a shot of it. It's not great, but it's in the middle of the photo. Honest!

I'll be adding the Iceland Gull to my list at the end of the week, but it's nice to know that I have images of the other two tucked away, just in case I do feel the need to start my own 'Life List'. After all, who doesn't like to collect things?