Lockdown Birding

With the ongoing lockdown in place across the UK, I reside back on my old patch based at Hannah's parents home in Trent-Sherborne in North Dorset. Here we are kept busy carrying out various tasks growing our fruit, herbs and vegetables in the new vegetable plots I built. Enjoying time spent gardening, bird-box making, painting, reading and of course birding in the garden and down on the farm and the lanes around the village.
Over the past few weeks I have been doing short daily morning walks down on the farm and then carrying out vismig watches from the garden for spring passage movements of hirundines and raptors. So far my lockdown list is on 78 species including Osprey, Red Kite, Cuckoo, Great White Egret, Redstart, Sedge Warbler, Fieldfare, Jay, White Wagtail, Wheatear, Little Owl and Barn Owl just some of the highlights seen and heard since 1st March on site.

Birding in the garden has been extremely successful and really has opened my eyes into an area we spend many times visiting family but not always out in the garden birding and watching wildlife, has shown the potential and rewards for been patient. Since early April, 11 different Red Kites have been recorded on spring passage migrating over along with 2 Ospreys and Buzzards, Kestrels, Peregrine and Sparrowhawks soaring on the thermals during the warm spring afternoons. Small numbers of Swallows and House Martins following up the river high over the garden certainly gave a migration feel to the days that our spring birds were returning! The joys of watching Willow Warblers and countless numbers of Blackcaps moving through the gardens scrub areas and the nearby field hedgerows felt like we were on the coast at Portland or back on my Charmouth patch but ino this is inland 30miles from the coast and the signs were really promising that 2020 might be a very good spring and May is just around the corner

A really nice list of species boosted by the arrival of spring migrants moving inland included large numbers of Blackcap, Chiffchaff and Willow Warbler. Two Redstarts, several Whitethroat, Sedge Warbler, Garden Warbler, Wheatear, White Wagtail and Cuckoo best of the batch. Awaiting the big rush of migrants following the river and valley inland where hopefully next week will see the first Lesser Whitethroats and Grasshopper Warblers back on site. Something to look forward to over the coming days. Maybe a Pied Flycatcher in the garden sycamores or a Wood Warbler would be much welcomed but hopefully a few Sedge or a Reed Warbler soon as they are regular around the garden pond reeds usually autumn time in the past few years but with May approaching, interested to see what is in store.

Many resident species have been recorded in the garden and more frequently than normal. Species such as Bullfinch, Nuthatch, Green Woodpecker, Little Owl and Tawny Owl are almost seen weekly! The quiet roads, lack of noise in the vicinity from people carrying out daily tasks and commuting seems to have allowed normally shy birds to be more active. Seeing Greenfinches, Bullfinches, Linnets and Green Woodpecker in the garden daily may be usual but they seem to be frequent every day now and from my knowledge knowing they usually are difficult species to track down on a normal day here unless you venture down the lanes away from the village.

Another positive note is the return of House Sparrows back into the garden!!! A small population breeds in the village but we are slightly on the outskirts and Sparrows are uncommon visitors and rarely spend long periods in the area! ( Possibly due to road noise and disturbance from nearby buildings?) Now this year with Lockdown since March 1st, Sparrows are daily observed and now breeding in the old barns by the car park of the pub along with Grey Wagtail and pair of Collared Doves. Really positive outlook on the virus that nature finds a way to retake lost habitats and make the most of human free zones straight away.

I am really positive that if the Lockdown continues until early autumn, birds will breed very well away from human disturbance, upland mountain ranges and moorlands undisturbed by dog walkers and hikers ad quiet nature reserves exploding with life and hopefully scarce species like Woodlark, Cuckoo, Yellow Wagtail, Turtle Dove and Nightingale will breed successful and have higher survival rates without the risk of human destruction and disturbances! An hopefully our spring migrant birds crossing the Mediterranean will have reduced illegal sport shooting and trapping persecution will benefit many species and give them a chance to hopefully recover and re-establish old haunts for the future! Fingers Crossed!!

With lockdown in place, my daily short walk and birding from the bottom garden as more migrants start arriving, I look forward to seeing the rewards for lockdown birding. 

Here's a selection of images taken over the past few weeks of some highlights out birding from the garden and walking down the farm. Take care and Stay Safe.