Another magical morning out on Morden Bog for our ID Course opened with singing Cuckoo and male Goshawk overhead before we’d even left the car park. Two pairs of Yellowhammer welcomed us onto the heath as Meadow Pipit and Skylark song flights dominated the skies. Ambling around the heath soon picked up numerous Dartford Warbler – at one point we enjoyed close views of the bird photographed below carrying food to the chorus of Tree Pipit and Cuckoo in the background it was hard to know which direction to look! Two Tree Pipits gave good views and even better vocalisations, offering brilliant comparisons between Meadow and Tree Pipits. A female Marsh Harrier made a couple of appearances during the walk which made for an unexpected, but welcome surprise! Throw in singing Willow Warbler, Blackcap, fly-by Raven, Swift, Swallow, Sand Martin, Stonechats feeding recently fledged young that narrowly missed a Sparrowhawk(!) and confiding Siskin, and the morning ended on quite the species list. We added more dates to the Morden Bog courses as the sold out in record time and you can browse our last remaining tickets here.

Elsewhere around the harbour, yesterdays Red-necked Phalarope sadly seemed to move on over night but there were still 98 Sanderling on Studland Beach with a few Dunlin. Swift, Swallow and House Martin seemed to be arriving with decent groups passing high overhead and there was an Osprey later in the afternoon over Morden Bog.

Morden Bog Dawn Chorus ID Course

Dartford Warbler – Morden Bog Dawn Chorus ID Course