Sightings - Sunday 24th April 2011

Garganey - drakes at Hatch Pond, Upton CP and Abbotsbury Swannery
Great Northern Diver - 1 in Weymouth Bay, 1 past Durlston
Balearic Shearwater - singles off Portland Bill and Abbotsbury Beach
Cattle Egret - 1 flew in off the sea at West Bexington and then headed inland
Night Heron - 1 still at Stour Valley LNR, Bournemouth
Osprey - singles over Arne and Lytchett Bay (possibly the same bird)
Red Kite - singles over Weymouth, Arne, Bryanston and Ballard Down/Ulwell
Little Ringed Plover - 1 at Abbotsbury Beach
Curlew Sandpiper - the first bird of the year was on Brownsea Lagoon
Ruff - 1 at Stanpit Marsh
Long-billed Dowitcher - 1 at Lodmoor
Spotted Redshank - 2 on Brownsea Lagoon
Great Skua - 4 past Portland Bill
Arctic Tern - 1 past Hengistbury Head
Turtle Dove - 1 at West Bexington
Waxwing - up to 13 on Stinsford Road, Poole
Nightingale - many reports now received of birds on territory.  Apart from these, unusual records/locations involved a singing bird near the viewing screen at Upton CP and another near Swanage Tip
Whinchat - 5 at Barleycrates/Reap Lanes, Portland, 1 at Sunnyside Farm, Ridge
Wheatear - c500 in the Barleycrates/Reap Lanes area, Portland
Subalpine Warbler - a female was trapped and ringed at PBO.  It was released into the Obs Quarry, but only showed briefly on one occasion afterwards

Garganey at Hatch Pond © Shaun Robson

Garganey at Upton CP/Holes Bay © Kevin Lane