CORN BUNTINGS AT MAIDEN CASTLE

 Being a birder and amateur photographer I use YouTube quite a bit to pick up hints and tips on my hobby and so I have quite a few YouTubers that I subscribe to one is a fantastic photographer called Mike Lane. He put a video up about videoing and photographing Corn Buntings at a place called Maiden Castle near Dorchester, as this is a bird I've never seen and my birding partner in crime Steve Bool hadn't seen one in years we decided to take a road trip down there to get a look at this now pretty rare and still declining Bunting.

maiden castle

If you read the poster below it gives you a brief over view of the history of the Castle.

Steve and myself had gone to a place earlier in the year where there was supposed to have been good numbers of Corn Buntings, but the day we went was so foggy and visibility so bad that we just turned around and headed back home. On this day though it was very bright and sunny so our hopes were high that we would have good views of the birds if they were there.

The Corn Buntings rapid decline is due to the loss of food sources, reduced weed abundance and the removal of field boundaries which have diminished the availability of seeds and insects which are vital for the birds.

Late nesting Corn Buntings often build their nests in fields which are then destroyed during the harvesting process further impacting their population. Also the use of fertilizers and pesticides can badly effect the insects and seeds the birds rely on and the increased use of herbicides have reduced the diversity of plant life and the availability of suitable nesting and foraging habitat. 

At Maiden Castle though the habitat is perfect for Corn Buntings lots of hedgerow good uncultivated fields and the farmers are on board with the local wildlife authorities to keep the habitat wildlife friendly.

As we reached the car park we were greeted by the song which is said to sound like a jangle of keys of the Corn Bunting they were here, not just that they were everywhere we were both delighted. Steve started taking pictures and a bit of video with his digiscope and I took loads of pics with my camera. 

the corn bunting

emberiza calandra

Here's one of Steve's digiscoped short video's of the bird giving it's famous "jangle of keys" call.

It was just brilliant to be in the company of these cracking birds.

After a while we moved on to explore the area, there was thick hedgerow and gorse there which was alive with birds we soon spotted a whitethroat in amongst some bramble.

whitethroat

handsome warbler

Also there were a good number of Linnets, what a handsome bird the males are, especially perched on the gorse.

male linnet

what a handsome bird

There were also a good number of  Yellowhammers the males are stunning.

stunning male yellowhammer

                         

Just over the hedgerow was a field with quite long grass where we spotted some brown hares which was an added bonus to our day.

brown hare

Here's a couple more species that were seen on the day.

wren

male chaffinch

There are Grey Partridge at this site also another very rare and declining species and although we both heard the birds call we never got to see any, but we were more than happy with seeing the Corn Buntings what a fantastic bird.

Maiden Castle you done us proud. Here's a couple of pic's of the habitat and the digiscope king himself Steve Bool.

Big thanks for Steve for doing the driving on what was a brilliant day.

LESSER SPOTTED

The Lesser Spotted Woodpecker is the smallest of our three resident woodpeckers being no bigger than a sparrow. They live in deciduous woodland and like to forage high in the tops of trees up on the thinner branches so are very difficult to locate. 

They are now very rare and myself and Steve Bool my birding buddy had never seen one. So after having some insider knowledge off a birding mate that they were in the New Forest in Hampshire we decided to head down there to see if we could finally tick off this very rare and illusive bird. Our insider knowledge was that good our mate had told us the location of the exact tree where the Lesser Spotted Woodpeckers liked to land on and do some territorial drumming.

We both decided on a really early start so met up at 3am to start the long drive down there. We arrived at the New Forest at 5.30am it was still very dark but we were entertained by the many Deer that shone in the headlights as we drove to the car park.

At first light we made our way to find the area where the Lesser Spotted's hopefully would be.

this is the area where the LSW hopefully were

We found the tree so stood around hoping that the birds would turn up. We were joined after an hour or so by two other birders who had came to the same spot hoping to see the woodpeckers. A Green Woodpecker landed in the tree and was followed a couple of minutes later by this Great Spotted Woodpecker but still no Lesser Spotted's.

male GSW 

Steve then all of a sudden shouted what's that? as a small bird with an unusual flight pattern flew over his head and onto the tree it was the Lesser Spotted Woodpecker a male we were delighted to have finally seen this fantastic bird.

lesser spotted woodpecker

It stayed for a good few minutes giving us excellent views and photographic opportunities.

It finally flew off and although we waited for another half hour or so the bird didn't return but what a session to finally get this cracking little woodpecker.

What a stunning place the New Forest is the views are spectacular.

stunning views

 This horse and trap was a lovely site trotting around the tracks.

horse and trap

We decided to move on to see what else was about and walked up to this flat area which was covered in gorse bushes and scattered trees. There were a few Meadow pipits scattered about.

meadow pipit

Also this handsome Greenfinch was in full song.

greenfinch

We met quite a few birders who told us that Dartford Warblers have also been seen in this area, that's another bird that's been on my bucket list and would be another lifer for yours truly. After scouting about for a while Steve spotted one low in a tree it flew off and landed on top of a gorse bush just long enough for me to get these record shots but I'd seen it brilliant.

dartford warbler another lifer

We came back down to the spot where we'd seen the Woodpeckers still beaming over getting the Dartford Warbler when we spotted a Marsh Tit it was calling loudly as it foraged in a large tree. Steve got the scope ready and took this cracking bit of footage, what a super bird.

The Lesser Spotted didn't show again but we were more than happy with seeing it earlier on.

what a bird

two very happy birders

After 7 hours of birding we decided to call it a day and what a day it had been, a lifer for Steve and two for me no wonder we're smiling, we also saw a distant Goshawk to top the day off. A big thank you yet again to Steve for doing the driving and a big thank you to myself for buying the coffee and cake. The New Forest what a brilliant place.