Short toed Eagle, Dorset

Sunday 1st June 2014
Travelled down to Wareham Forest in the early hours with John Terry to try and see a Short toed Eagle at Morden Bog Nature Reserve part of Wareham Forest in Dorset. We were optimistic as the bird had been seen quite late into the evening of the previous day, so if we got there at dawn the chances of seeing the bird were pretty high. What we hadn't reckoned on was the mist which rolled in as the dawn broke obscuring the roost trees in the distance. Patience was required as the mist partially cleared and then blanketed the distant trees again. Eventually patience was rewarded as the mist finally dispersed and the sun broke through,

Short toed Eagle, Wareham Forest, Dorset

allowing good scope views of the Eagle perched on a bare Pine branch where it remained for several hours.

Short toed Eagle

Other birds at the same locality included : Dartford warbler, Stonechat, Woodlark, Gt. spotted Woodpecker, Green Woodpecker,Cuckoo, Linnet, Mediterranean Gull, Meadow pipit and Nightjar.