Hi All - hope everyone is enjoying the summer?!
I am hoping you guys can help me as I'm getting more and more frustrated when I go bird watching - because I never seem to see any!! This is gonna sound really stupid but I spend ages with my head in my bird identification books and on the internet so am quite good at bird identification but whenever I go out I never seem to see anything! I've been to the hide that overlooks the harbour at Arne and have seen the waders and the ducks / geese from a distance but what I really want to see are woodland birds and especially some birds of prey. I've seen on the website that there will be some raptor walks coming up - so I am planning on going to some of those - in the meantime, can anyone let me know some good places where I might see some birds of prey?
I have a few days off work and am planning another visit to Arne - can anyone give me any tips? Do you just walk along the paths, keeping quite and keeping your fingers crossed? Or do you find a spot and sit down and wait for birds to come by? What's the secret? I know they are all wild and nothing is guaranteed but I'm hoping there's a way of increasing my chances? I have a good camera with 500mm lens so am really hoping to get some photos. What do you reckon?
Yours hopefully!!
Andy
Andy, If it photographs you want sit still in a good area and wait for them to get close. If it is just birdwatching then stroll around slowly and quietly. As a result of this advice I do hold the opinion that it is almost impossible to birdwatch and be serious about photography at the same time. Don't forget time of day and time of year makes a difference, you would expect it to be quieter at the moment.
I am presuming that Arne is close to you. If it is go a bit further east. The inland water of Poole harbour is good around Upton Country Park especially at low tide. Go on further east just above Ringwood and Blashford Lakes reserve is excellent you should get the birds you want there. All the coast line at the bottom of Dorset and Hampshire is worthwhile. Later on you might find it worth going to Durlston Country Park at Swanage and walk there for migrants.
Hi Andy,
I think most birdwatchers spend a lot of time being frustrated, its the nature of the hobby!
It has been a little bit quieter for some of the woodland birds at the momment as they have finished breeding but a lot of species will be on the move in the next couple of weeks so it will get busier. The woods at Arne are a good place to look for great spotted woodpecker, nuthcatch and treecreeper. Noiw is the time of year that we expect ospreys to come through and we have got a raptor weekend at the beginning of September. Latter into the autumn we will expect other raptors to arrive being attracted by the huge numbers of over wintering waders, ducks and geese. we ussually get hen harriers, marsh harriers, peregrines and even short eared owls in the winter.
If you do come down to Arne pop in to the visitor centre and we can give some pointers on where to go and we can tell you whats about.
Thanks for that, Bob. I am just down the road from Upton Country Park - I have been along there a few months ago and was lucky enough to see a Hen Harrier picking away at a carcass of something or other. It was too far away to see if it was male or female and the photo I took was poor. I will also have a a look at Blashford Lakes as I haven't been there.
I'm interested in your view that it is almost impossible to birdwatch and be serious about photography at the same time - do you mean on the same "expedition" or generally? Is that because when photographing your objective is different? i.e. creativity or portraiture? Whereas birdwatching you are simply looking to see the birds?
Hi Mike. Many thanks for that I will come in and see you - what time does the visitor center open? I am really keen on seeing the raptors so will definitely be coming along to the raptor weekend.
If you want to identify woodland birds in the summer time it might be an idea to learn your call sounds since the foliage will often get in the way of direct observation.
I don't think you need to sit still to get good photos but with a 500mm lens you might want to rest I suppose! ;-)
Hi brahma. I'm a little puzzled by your Hen Harrier encounter. If you were able to positively ID it as a Hen Harrier from your distant view, then you would have been able to sex it easily. They're about as gender dimorphic as it's possible to get. The female is a rich brown with darker barring and a white rump, while the male is pale grey enough to pass for a Herring Gull (complete with black wingtips) through misty optics.
brahma said: I'm interested in your view that it is almost impossible to birdwatch and be serious about photography at the same time - do you mean on the same "expedition" or generally? Is that because when photographing your objective is different? i.e. creativity or portraiture? Whereas birdwatching you are simply looking to see the birds?
I do mean at the same time. That is just my opinion and others of course may vary. I think if you are putting your all into getting good creative photos then you will miss birds and vice versa. That is not to say you won't have a good time and could get some good shots when birding. I just find it difficult to get both right at the same time and come home with a half result on each.
Edit: I suppose I ought to say (having re-read my first entry) that there is nothing wrong with Arne, I think it is a superb place
Andy - the centre opens at 9 am every morning - hope to see you soon.
Hi all - many thanks for all your feedback - I will take it all on board. John B - I have looked at the differences between the male and female and it was definitely a female. I recall now that at first I thought it was a buzzard but "something didn't look right" - having another look now, it was a female.
Yes - if you were conducting a bird survey you would probably want to leave the creative urge at home! But not sure how creative standing in one place is anyway.