Sightings - Thursday 31st May 2012

The (only) highlight of today was a Bee-eater at Durlston early morning, seen perched in the Gully and elsewhere and flying around calling.

Record shot of Bee-eater at Durlston © Nick Hopper

Shelduck at Lodmoor © David Wareham

Shelduck family at Lodmoor © David Wareham

Sightings - Wednesday 30th May 2012

Precious little to report today:
Golden Plover - 1, Stanpit
Black Redstart - records from Portland & Durlston

Sightings - Tuesday 29th May 2012

Not much to report today, apart from plenty of raptor sightings, which included:

Red Kite - birds at Organford (2), Wimbourne, Lyon's Gate (2), Martinstown & Weymouth
Montagu's Harrier - 1, Durlston

Sightings - Monday 28th May 2012

Knot - 1, Stanpit
Arctic Skua - 1, Durlston
Black Kite - 1, Upton
Red Kite - 2 over Wareham Common, one at Winspit
Golden Oriole - 1, Portland
Bearded Tit - confirmed breeding at Christchurch Harbour


Common Scoter, Portland Harbour.  Copyright Will Bown.

Sightings - Sunday 27th May 2012

Black-throated Diver - 1, Chesil; 1 Hengistbury
Puffin - 5-6 seen on Purbeck coast
Black-winged Stilt - 1, Abbotsbury
Red Kite - 1, Coombe Keynes; 1 Wimbourne; 1 Lytchett Bay
Montagu's Harrier - 1, Chesil/Portland
Crossbill - 1 near the coast at Langton



Sightings - Saturday 26th May 2012

Mandarin - 1, Lodmoor; 1 River Stour
White Stork - 3, Canford Heath (c.18:40)
Spoonbill - 3, Middlebere
Osprey - 1, Portland, Weymouth and Radipole
Red Kite - 1, Weymouth & Lodmoor
Black Kite - 1, West Bay
Black-winged Stilt - 1, Abbotsobury (no sign of Lodmoor bird today)
Common Sandpiper - 4, Longham Lakes; 1 Hengsitbury
Bar-tailed Godwit - 6, Middlebere
Great Skua - 1, Portland
Roseate Tern - 1, Mudeford Quay
Blue-headed Wagtail - 1, Lodmoor
Black Redstart - 2, Portland


Sightings - Friday 25th May 2012

No sign of the Great Reed Warbler at Radipole today. 

Black-winged Stilt - 1, Abbotsbury; 1, Lodmoor
Short-eared Owl - 1, Portland
Red Kite - 1, Sutton Waldron
Black Kite - 1, Whitcombe
Hoopoe - 1 (briefly), Lodmoor
Blue-headed Wagtail - 1, Wyke Regis; 1 Portland
Black Redstart - 2, Durlston
Wood Warbler - 1, Hengsitbury

Sightings, Thursday 24th May 2012

Lots of good birds around today...
Cattle Egret - 1, West Bexington (flying west)
Black-winged Stilt - 1, Radipole & then Lodmoor, 2nd individual Abbotsbury
Little Gull - 1, Stanpit
Roseate Tern - 1, Lodmoor
Black Tern - 1, Stanpit
Red Kite - 1, Verwood
Marsh Harrier - 1, Stanpit
Osprey - 1, Longham Lakes
Turtle Dove - 1, Hengistbury
Golden Oriole - 1, Portland
Great Reed Warbler - 1, Radipole
Icterine Warbler - 1, Portland
Common Rosefinch - 1, Portland

Sightings - Wednesday 23rd May 2012

White Stork - 4 toured the Weymouth and Portland area for an hour at lunchtime before heading off eastwards.
Spoonbill - 1 Brownsea, 3 Arne
Osprey - 1 Arne
Black Tern - 1 Lodmoor
Golden Oriole - 1 Portland, 1 Abbotsbury Gardens
Woodchat Shrike - 1 Portland
Great Reed Warbler - 1 Radipole


Mandarin, Blandford, © Tim Downton


Sightings - Tuesday 22nd May 2012

Roseate Tern - 1 Brownsea Island
Garganey - drake at Longham lakes
Great Reed Warbler - Male singing at Radipole
Red Kite - Several records today, including 7 at Knowlton Church, 1 over West Parley, 1 at Little Sea, 1 south of Cranborne, 4 or 5 at Morden Bog, 6 near Winterborne Zelston, 5 Spetisbury
Quail - 1 near Horton




















Nightjar, Brownsea © Phyl England

Sightings - Monday 21st May 2012

Very few reports of any birds across the county.

Spoonbill - 2 Stanpit


Probable aberrant rock pipit, St Aldhelms Head, © Rosemary Sargent


Sightings - Sunday 20th May 2012

Arctic Tern - 1 Lodmoor
Manx Shearwater - 7 Portland Bill
Spoonbill - 2 Middlebere
Montagu's Harrier - 1 East Dorset
Red Kite - 1 Middlebere, 1 Brokington, near Horton
Red-rumped Swallow - Abbotsbury briefly

Sightings - Saturday 19th May 2012

Egyptian Goose - 2 Longham Lakes
Black-Throated Diver - 1 Hengistbury Head
Red-Throated Diver - 1 Hengistbury Head
Spoonbill - 3 Brownsea Island
Red Kite - 2 over Bridport.  1 Durlston CP
Hobby - 1 Hengistbury Head.  2+ Morden Bog.  1 found dead at Swineham.
Whimbrel - 3 Brownsea Island
Sanderling - 1 Stanpit. 16+ Hengistbury Head
Dunlin - 2 in breeding plumage at Longham Lakes
Great Skua - 1 Hengistbury Head.
Gull species - a medium-size snow-white gull, not identified to species, at Longham Lakes
Roseate Tern - 2 Brownsea Island, 3 Lodmoor
Little Tern - 2 Brownsea Island
Stock Dove - 1 Abbotsbury
Wheatear - 1 in a garden at West Moors
Spotted Flycatcher - 6+ Abbotsbury
Grasshopper Warbler - 1 Hengistbury Head

Sightings - Friday 18th May 2012

Goosander - 1 drake Christchurch Hbr (seen flying down river).
Mandarin - 1 drake Longham Lakes
Great Northern Diver - 1 past Durlston CP.
Quail- 1 singing Tarrant Rushton
Manx - 20+ Durlston CP.
Red Kite - 1 Tarrant Rushton
Whimbrel - 4 Stanpit Marsh
Common Sandpiper - 1 Longham Lake
Arctic Skua - 1 off Hengistbury sandspit.
Turtle Dove - 1 Portland Bill
Black Redstart - 1 Durlston CP

Great Spotted & Green Woodpeckers - Longham Lakes © Roger Peart

Sightings - Thursday 17th May 2012

Black-throated Diver - 1 Portland Bill
Great Northern Diver - 1 Portland Bill
Manx Shearwater - 4 Durlston CP.
Purple Sandpiper - 4 Lyme Cobb
Whimbrel - 3 Stanpit Marsh
Greenshank - 2 Stanpit Marsh
Roseate Tern - 1 Lodmoor
Short-eared owl - 2 Wyke Down
Great Skua - 1 Portland Bill
Arctic Skua - 1 past Mudeford Quay
Black Redstart - 1 Portland Bill

Gannet Portland Bill © Will Bown

Sightings - Wednesday 16th May 2012

Apologies for no update yesterday unfortunately I had a broadband and telephone failure.
Sighting for today are as follows.

Great Northern Diver - Portland Bill
Honey Buzzard - 1 Hengistbury Hd.
Hobby - 2 Portland Bill, 1 West Bexington, 1 Hengistbury Hd.
Turtle Dove - 1 Hengistbury Hd, 1 Durlston CP.
Short-eared Owl - 1 Portland Bill
Hoopoe - 1 Hengistbury Hd, 1 private garden Melcombe Bingham.
Black Redstart - pr. Durlston CP.
Whinchat - Durlston CP.
Spotted Flycatcher - 9 Hengistbury Hd (1 at Wick)
Serin - Portland Bill

Sightings - Monday 14th May 2012

Greylag Goose - 1 Stour LNR.
Harrier species - 1 Lytchett Bay could not be definitively identified.
Hobby - 1 off the sea at Hengistbury Head.
Whimbrel - 2 Stanpit
Spotted Flycatcher - 4 Durlston Head, 3 Hengistbury Head, 1 Stour LNR.

Late news:  3 Nightingales between Burning Cliff and White Nothe yesterday.

Little Owl at breeding site yesterday ©Will Bown


Sightings - Sunday 13th May 2012

Great Northern Diver - 1 summer-plumage past Durlston Head.
Spoonbill - 2 Middlebere.
Red Kite - 1 Morden Bog.
Hen Harrier - 1 ringtail Hartland Moor.
Osprey - 1 over Christchurch Harbour and 1 Longham Lakes, perhaps the same bird.
Hobby - 8-10 Arne Moors.  1 off the sea at Durlston Head.  4-5 Morden Bog.
Grey Plover - 4 Stanpit
Knot - 1 Stanpit
Sanderling - 13 Stanpit
Common Sandpiper - 1 Durlston Head
Bar-Tailed Godwit - 4 Brands Bay, 26 Middlebere, 4 Stanpit.
Whimbrel - 7 Brands Bay, 15 Stanpit
Little Tern - 3 Christchurch Harbour
Redstart - 2 Morden Bog.
Black Redstart - 2 Tilly Whim
Spotted Flycatcher - 2 Durlston Head, 3 Hartland Moor, 3 Morden Bog
Whinchat - 1 Durlston Head, 1 Hengistbury Head.
Nightingale - 1 heard at Longham Lakes.  2 heard at White Nothe.

Late news:  Hoopoe on Stonebarrow Hill yesterday.  Hen Harrier male near Spetisbury yesterday.


Sightings - Saturday 12th May 2012

Common Scoter - 58 Hengistbury Head
Red Kite - 1+ at Cogden.  5-7 over Purewell and West Christchurch.  1 over St. Ives (Ashley Heath).
Marsh Harrier - 1 over Purewell.
Hobby - 1 Arne.  4 Morden Bog. 1 Swineham.
Grey Plover - 3 Stanpit
Sanderling - 2 Stanpit
Whimbrel - 2 past Hengistbury, 1 Stanpit
Short-Eared Owl - 1 Cogden, 1 Swineham.
Wheatear - 1 in a Moordown garden, unusually.
Redstart - 1 was ringed at Durlston Head.  1 Hengistbury Head.  2 Morden Bog.
Spotted Flycatcher - 6 Abbotsbury.  1 was ringed at Durlston Head.  6 Hengistbury Head.
Whinchat - 1 Hengistbury Head.
Nightingale - 1 heard at Longham Lakes.
Lesser Whitethroat - 3 Hengistbury Head
Grasshopper Warbler - 1 Durlston Head
Firecrest - 2 Abbotsbury
Golden Oriole - 1 female-type at Hengistbury Head.


Late news:  A Nightjar was flushed at Town Common, Hurn, on 8th May.

Dartford Warbler at Durlston Head © Will Bown

Sightings - Friday 11th May 2012

Spoonbill - 2 Christchurch Harbour, 2 Brownsea Island
Marsh Harrier - 1 at West Bexington
Honey Buzzard - 1 over Stanpit
Common Sandpiper - 1 Mudeford Quay
Great Skua - 2 Portland Bill
Pomarine Skua - 3 Portland Bill
Arctic Skua - 1 Portland Bill
Arctic Tern - 1 Lodmoor
Nightjar - 1 Portland Bill
Golden Oriole - 1 trapped & ringed at Portland Bill
Whinchat - 2 Barn Field,Christchurch Harbour,  1 Durlston
Spotted Flycatcher - 5 Christchurch Harbour, 4 West Bexington, 2 Fiddleford Manor, 1 Durlston, 1 Alners Gorse
 
Hobby at Swineham Point © Dave Easton






Spotted Flycatcher at Alners Gorse © Peter Lister


Whimbrel at Lodmoor © Will Bown

Sightings - Thursday 10th May 2012

Black-throated Diver - 1 past Branksome Chine, 1 Portland Bill
Great Northern Diver - 1 off Branksome Chine (and another or Black-throated past)
Marsh Harrier - 1 adult female at West Bexington
Common Sandpiper - 1 Lodmoor
Greenshank -1 Lodmoor
Great Skua - 2 Portland Bill
Arctic Skua - 2 Portland Bill
Little Gull - 1 Hengistbury Head
Arctic Tern - 1 Lodmoor
Short-eared Owl - 1 Wareham Channel
Nightjar - 1 Arne
Swift - at least 1,000 over Longham Lakes this morning
Yellow Wagtail - 1 West Bexington
Black Redstart - 1, possibly 2 at Tilly Whim Durlston
Whinchat - 2 Durlston
Subalpine Warbler - 1 reported still around Portland Bill
Wood Warbler - 1 Portland Bill, 1 Wareham Forest
Spotted Flycatcher - 15 Portland Bill, 2 Hengistbury Head, 1 West Bexington, 1 Ferrybridge


Sightings - Wednesday 9th May 2012

Mandarin Duck - 1 drake at Longham Lakes
Garganey - 1 still near Swineham GPs
Red-throated Diver - 2 Portland Bill
Great Northern Diver - 1 Portland Bill
Balearic Shearwater - 2 Portland Bill
Little Stint - 1 Stanpit
Great Skua - 4 Portland Bill
Arctic Skua - 2 Portland Bill
Short-eared Owl - 1 Stanpit
Black Redstart - 1 still at Tilly Whim, Durlston
Subalpine Warbler - 1 in Obs garden at Portland Bill

Sedge Warbler at Lodmoor yesterday  ©  Phyl England

Sightings - Tuesday 8th May 2012

Garganey - 1 Swineham
Red-throated Diver - 1 past Portland Bill
Great Northern Diver - 2 Weymouth Bay
Spoonbill - 2 over Christchurch Harbour
Marsh Harrier - 1 over Portland Bill
Honey Buzzard - 1 over Stanpit
Little Ringed Plover - 1 Stanpit
Pomarine Skua - 2 past Portland Bill
Arctic Skua - 2 past Portland Bill
Little Gull - 1 off Southbourne
Ring-necked Parakeet - 1 Weymouth, probably the same bird seen earlier at Portland Bill
Short-eared Owl - 3 Wyke Down, 1 Swineham
Blue-headed(?) Wagtail - 1 at Longham Lakes, though could be a different subspecies
Nightingale - 1 Portland Bill
Ring Ouzel - 1 still at Bulbarrow
Black Redstart - 1 Durlston
Pied Flycatcher - 1 female at Durlston
Grasshopper Warbler - 1 Lorton Meadows

Wimbrel at Lodmoor © Daragh Croxon

Ring-necked Parakeet in a Weymouth garden © Jill Rendell


Sightings - Monday 7th May 2012

Spoonbill - 3 Middlebere
Curlew Sandpiper - 1 Middlebere
Arctic Skua -  7 past Portland Bill
Great Skua - 4 past Portland Bill
Pomarine Skua -  2 past Portland Bill
Short-eared Owl - 1 Swineham
Ring Ouzel - 1 Bulbarrow, 1 Nine Barrow Down
Black Redstart - 1 Cogden Bay, 2 Durlston















Grey Plover at Lodmoor © Derek Fowler  

Sightings - Sunday 6th May 2012

Garganey  - 1 Radipole Lake
Red Kite - 1 over Grange Heath and Studland
Hen Harrier - 1 Hartland Moor
White Stork - 5 over Morden Bog in the morning
CATTLE EGRET - 1 Christchurch Harbour
Spoonbill - 3 Brownsea Island lagoon
Purple Sandpiper - 14 Lyme Regis Cobb
Curlew Sandpiper - 1 Brownsea Island lagoon, 1 Middlebere
Pomarine Skua - 1 past Portland Bill
Arctic Skua - 5 past Portland Bill
Little Gull - 1 Swineham GPs

Sightings - Saturday 5th May 2012

Osprey - 1 over Weymouth
Marsh Harrier - 1 Christchurch Harbour
Spoonbill - 3 Middlebere
CATTLE EGRET - 1 Stanpit Marsh
White Stork - 5 over Portland
Whimbrel - 5 Longham Lakes
Bar-tailed Godwit - 64 Christchurch Harbour
Short-eared Owl - 1 Hengistbury Head, 1 Middlebere
Blue-headed Wagtail - 1 Cogden Beach
Hoopoe - 1 Lulworth Cove
Northern Wheatear - 27 Christchurch Harbour
Black Redstart - 2 Portland

Sightings - Friday 4th May 2012

Garganey - 1 Lodmoor, 1 Radipole Lake
GLOSSY IBIS  - 1 Stanpit Marsh
Ruff - 2 Longham Lakes
Little Ringed Plover - 4 Longham Lakes
Common Sandpiper - 8 Longham Lakes
Short-eared Owl - 2 Durlston, 2 Christchurch Harbour, 1 Ferrybridge, 2 Portland Bill
Hoopoe - 1 Peveril Point Swanage early am
Nightjar - 1 Portland Bill
Whinchat - 11 Christchurch Harbour
Northern Wheatear - 60 Christchurch Harbour
Common Whitethroat - 200 plus Christchurch Harbour, 112 ringed at Portland Obs
Willow Warbler - 100 Christchurch Harbour, 72 ringed at Portland Obs
Wood Warbler - 1 The Nothe, 2 Christchurch Harbour, 1 Durlston
Garden Warbler - 14 Christchurch Harbour, 66 ringed at Portland Obs
Spotted Flycatcher - 11 Christchurch Harbour

Sightings - Thursday 3rd May 2012

Good numbers of more common migrants were reported from coastal sites today.

Glossy Ibis - seen at both Radipole and Lodmoor
Kentish Plover - 1 Ferrybridge
Osprey - 1 Portland
Hen Harrier - 1 Portland
Swallow - A count of 5,000 at Longham Lakes is exceptional
Ring Ouzel - 2 Portland
Spotted Flycatcher - 2 Stanpit, 1 Hengistbury

Kentish plover, Ferrybridge © Chris Parnell


Identification of Melodious/Icterine Warbler from Tuesday
























Warbler originally identified as Icterine, now re-identified as Melodious, Bear Cross, © Tim Shaw





Martin Cade, from Portland Bird Observatory,  has re-identified the warbler seen in Bear Cross earlier in the week as a Melodious warbler. Helpfully he's offered the following reasons:

"I should have mentioned why it’s a Melodious. I guess the observer was going on the presence of a wing-panel and the seemingly blueish legs which are indeed usually associated with Icterine; however, spring Melodious in particular often have a much stronger panel than they’re usually credited with, whilst leg colour is a really ropey feature (pretty well all the Melodious we catch at Portland have blue legs). The fine detail of the primary projection isn’t really visible in this photo but I think that’s as much because the projection is short (=Melodious); had it have been long (=Icterine) we might actually have been able to see that in the photograph.
For some instructive photos of a spring Melodious (taken on the same day as the Bear Cross bird) check out David Walker’s photos on the Dungeness Obs website http://www.dungenessbirdobs.org.uk/lateframe.html ; note on these how the the wing-panel varies in prominence depending on angle of view/lighting etc"

Sightings - Wednesday 2nd May 2012

Glossy Ibis - 1 Lodmoor
Spoonbill - 2 Middlebere
Black-winged Stilt - 1 near Stoney Lane roundabout, Christchurch not relocated
Kentish Plover - Ferrybridge
Turnstone - 2 Longham Lakes
Ruff - 2 Longham Lakes
Black-tailed Godwit - 7 Longham Lakes
Little Ringed Plover - 2 Longham Lakes
Garganey - 1 Lodmoor
Yellow-legged Gull - 1 Bridport Golf Course
Arctic Tern - 1 Longham Lakes
Short-eared Owl - 1 Middlebere; 2 Hengistbury Head
Hoopoe - 1 Wyke Regis on the Fleet
Yellow Wagtail - 6 Longham lakes
Ring Ouzel - 1 Durlston
Firecrest - Hengistbury
Serin - 1 Abbotsbury, then flew north


Hoopoe, Littlesea Holiday Camp, Wyke Regis © Dave Bunker

Sightings - Tuesday 1st May 2012

Garganey - 1 Lodmoor
Cattle Egret - 1 Lodmoor
Spoonbill - 2 Middlebere
Osprey - North over The Verne, Portland
Pomarine Skua - 9 Portland
Short-eared Owl - Middlebere
Icterine Warbler  -   1 reported in a garden for 10 minutes at 9am at Bear Cross, Bournemouth, but not seen subsequently
Wood Warbler - 1 Hengistbury; 1 Portesham for second day
Garden Warbler - Durlston
Nightingale - 1 Border Road, Lytchett
Serin - 1 Portland
Whinchat - 5 West Bexington, 3 Avalanche Road hump
Pied Flycatcher - 2 Portlsnd
Turtle Dove - 1 The Nothe



Icterine warbler, Bear Cross © Tim Shaw

Sightings - Monday 30th April 2012

Little Gull - 3 immatures, Longham Lakes; 1st summer Lodmoor; adult, Hengistbury
Black Tern - 6 Chesil Cove
Pomarine Skua -  4 Portland, 1 Branksome Chine
Great Skua - 9 Portland
Pied Flycatcher - Wyke Regis
Hoopoe - near Litttlesea Holiday Camp
Whinchat - Morden Bog; 5 Portland
Yellow Wagtail - 3 Portland
Redstart - 2 Portland


Bar tailed godwits, West Bexington © Mike Morse