June 14th: Journeyed to the extensive freshwater/brackish reedbeds of Lodmoor, with the primary objection of trying to see the Bittern ( Botaurus stellaris).The day was clear with blue sky and some cloud, warm but with a nice breeze. Though the dense Phragmites presented an almost impenetrable barrier to the eye.
The Dense Phragmites
I positioned myself for several hours at the margin of the marsh scanning with the utmost diligence. Not a reed stirred to betray the birds presence . Yet the trip was not without reward, even if the depths of marsh remained a closed book. The sky above was a theater of magnificent animation, three Marsh Harrier (Circus aeruginosus) engaged in an exquisite aerial display of dancing and looping through the heavens with a buoyancy that defies description. At one time the ponderous form of a Buzzard ( Buteo Buteo) patrolled over the reeds.
Above the Western Marsh Harrier (Circus aeruginosus)
Buzzard ( Buteo Buteo)
While a solitary Spoonbill (Platalea leucorodia); that most peculiar and specialised of waders was sleeping on the the Postbox Pool with the occasional preen.
Spoonbill ( Platalea leucorodia)
Finding myself entirely satisfied even though I did not see the bird, I rested by the path having my lunch while listening to the rhythmic sighing of the wind through the reeds a melody that has played unaltered since prehistoric times.
I was frequently distracted by flashes of vibrant predatory life close to hand. The magnificent Norfolk Hawker dragonflies ( Aeshna isoceles) with there bright green eye and coppery bodies hawked aggressively along the margin of the reeds. It was a joy watch this dragonfly . Historically confined to the eastern fens making its home in Dorset. I retraced my steps back to the car thoroughly satisfied with the beautiful struggle of existence that quietly goes on in Dorset.
Norfolk Hawker (Aeshna isoceles) Also known as the Green-eyed Hawker
# Spoonbill 147
