Sightings - Saturday 31st May 2014

A memorable day for Dorset with a short-toed eagle which showed well to all observers late afternoon.
Finder Paul Morton has kindly sent in his account:

I guess I should write a little piece about whats happened in the last 24 hours during my birding escapades of Poole Harbour and (only just slightly) beyond.
It all started last night at 7pm when I left the house on a Poole Harbour Little Owl hunt, visiting every suitable area hoping to hear birds calling around dusk. Fairly unsuccessful, I decided to go and watch Nightjar instead on Soldiers Road where around 3 or 4 birds were active calling. Also lots of Fox cubs around too, no less than 7 on various roads to and from places. Knowing I had to get up and lead a guided walk at 7am at Morden Bog this morning I decided to leave the Nightjars around 11:30pm and headed for home. Then the GWE bug got me again, and as I set my alarm for 6am I thought 'sod it', I may as well set it for 4am instead and try for the Egret one last time, before going to lead the walk. So at 4.20am I found myself out on Arne Moors poised and ready. The most incredible thing I saw was a Hobby hunting Skylark in almost near darkness as I arrived...bizarre. Marsh Harrier, Buzzard, Grey Heron and Little Egret after Little Egret was all that showed...still no GWE. Off to Morden Bog....
A group of 10 members of the public plus me headed out from Sherford Bridge on our monthly BoPH field trip to see what we could see. Despite the obvious, it was a near perfect walk...stonking views of Dartford, Woodlark, Tree Pipit, Cuckoo, 5 flyover Crossbill, loads of Stonechat and 2 Hobby. Then, as we were walking along one side of the decoy pond a member of the group pointed out a bird of prey sat in a tree on the other side of the heath. Through bins it was white blob, and through a scope is was a white blob with talons. I immediately confirmed it as one of Dorset's incredibly pale morph Buzzards but was amazingly surprised at how pale it actually was. We were kind of heading that way, so suggested we get a closer look, as its always a good idea to see how pale these buzzards can be, as not to mis-ID them in the future (ha). We stopped again about 100m on to look at the bird and this time things didn't seem to add up, and the bird was beginning to look quite strange. Honey Buzzard was my next rational thought, but the head was way too big. We then edged a bit closer and got good views of the bird as it sat minding its own business, and as I started making field notes and going through everything in my mind it suddenly hit me in the stomach like a sack of spuds topped up with cannon balls. We watched for a few more minuets as I wanted to be 100% I wasn't going totally nuts, and in that time the bird turned on its branch, did a crap and flew off right over our heads, giving stunning underwing views. My experience of STE is somewhat limited but this just had to be. I didn't say anything straight away to the group, but asked one of them who was holding a Collins Field Guide to turn to the Short-toed Eagle page. Puzzled but excited the group waited for the page to be opened, and there it was...an exact replica of what had been in the tree up ahead of us. There were members of the group with better cameras than my iPhone so I asked them to take as many pics as possible which worked well, as I was frantically trying to phone people and email photos despite no signal. Anyway, to cut a long story short, we quickly finished the walk still dragging our jaws along the ground and I pegged it over to Shaun's house where I arrived on his doorstep looking like a man who had just been given dreadful news, held up my phone and showed him the photo. 'Yeah, thats a Short-toed Eagle' he said.

I'm so so glad the bird came back and everyone could it enjoy it as much as I did, even though the blimmin thing almost gave me a heart attack. Thats why I love birding, you just never, ever, EVER know whats going to happen next.

Paul Morton


Photos by Aiden Brown can be seen here: 
http://www.surfbirds.com/community-blogs/DD/2014/05/31/morden-bog-short-toed-eagle/

Other reports

Little ringed plover - 1 Ferrybridge
Garganey - 1 Cowards Marsh
Roseate tern - 1 Abbotsbury
Honey buzzard - 1 Hillfield: 1 Portland
Bee eater - 4 Portland
Cuckoo - 1 Powerstock Common
Rose-coloured starling - West Bexington
Blue-headed wagtail - Old Harry Rocks
Black redstart - Christchurch harbour

Sightings - Friday 30th May 2014

Garganey - 2 Cowards Marsh
Manx Shearwater - 2 past Durlston CP.
Red Kite - 1 over Bere Regis
Sanderling - 26 Christchurch Hbr.
Little Stint -1 Christchurch Hbr
Temminck's Stint - 1 Lodmoor
Greenshank - 2 Christchurch Hbr.
Little Gull - 1 Coward's Marsh
Turtle Dove - 1 Wyke Regis, 1 Southwell
Greenish Warbler - 1 Durlston CP
Spotted Flycatcher - 6 Hengistbury Hd, 5 Portland Bill, 2 Durlston CP.

Sightings - Wednesday 28th May 2014

Garganey - 2 Coward's Marsh
Great White Egret - 1 over Stoborough early morning
Spoonbill - 5 Middlebere
Bee-eater -  4 Portland Bill
Black Redstart - 1 Abbotsbury
Red-breasted Flycatcher - 1 Portland Bill

Cuckoo Middlebere © Dave Hill

Sightings - Tuesday 27th May 2014

Great White Egret - 1 seen over Wareham Quay
Red-footed Falcon - 1 Portland Bill
Hobby - 2 Hobby Swineham, 1 Durlston CP.
Sanderling - 19 Christchurch Hbr.
Whimbrel - 2 Christchurch Hbr.
Little Gull - 1 Swineham GP.
Roseate Tern -  Abbotsbury
Bee-eater - 4 over Reap Lane then various location on Portland.
Common Rosefinch 1 male Portland Bill

Late news from yesterday
Black Kite over Mappercombe Manor, Nettlecombe.
Stork sp. possibly Black over Hillfield


Juv. Blackbird - Upton © Nick Hull

Sightings - Monday 26th May 2014

Storm Petrel - 1 caught and trapped overnight at Portland Bill
Glossy Ibis - 2 still remain at Coward's Marsh
Hobby - 1 over Lytchett Maltravers
Greenshank - 1 Lytchett Bay
Little Gull - 1 1st/Sum Swineham GP, 1 1st/sum Lytchett Bay
Turtle Dove - 2 Blacknor Portland.
Grasshopper Warbler - 1 Radipole Lake
Serin - 1 Portland Bill
Common Rosefinch - 1 male singing Portland Bill / Southwell
Brambling - 1 Portland Bill

Sightings - Sunday 25th May 2014

Great Northern Diver - 2 past Durlston CP.
Balearic Shearwater - 1 past Durlston CP.
Storm Petrel - 1 off Hengistbury Hd.
Glossy Ibis - 2 Coward's Marsh
Hobby - 2+ Morden Bog, 1 Charminster water meadows.
Pomarine Skua - 5 past Portland Bill
Arctic Skua - 1 Hengistbury Hd.
Little Gull - 1 1st/W Swineham GP.
Blue-headed Wagtail - 1 Portland Bill

Siberian Stonechat - A unconfirmed report seen by visiting birders - 1 male on the heath near decoy pond Morden Bog.

Sightings - Saturday 24th May 2014

Goldeneye - 2 off Shipstal are unusual at this time of year.
Great Northern Diver - 4 Portland Bill.
Storm Petrel - 1 Portland Bill.
Balearic Shearwater - 3 Portland Bill.
Glossy Ibis - 2 Cowards Marsh (one ringed as a chick last year in the Coto Donana in Spain).
Grey Plover - 1 Ferrybridge.

Little Ringed Plover - 1 Swineham GPs.
Whimbrel - 1 Hengistbury sandspit.
Sanderling - 10 Hengistbury sandspit.
Curlew Sandpiper - 1 Ferrybridge.
Great Skua - 2 Chesil Cove, 5 Portland Bill.
Arctic Skua - 2 Mudeford Quay, 1 Portland Bill.
Pomarine Skua - 5 Chesil Cove, 5 Portland Bill.

Little Gull - 1 Swineham GPs.
Grasshopper Warbler - 1 Radipole Lake.

Sanderling at Hengistbury © Clinton Whale

Sightings - Friday 23rd May 2014

A sizeable movement of seabirds today.

Great Northern Diver - 1 Durlston Head, 1 Portland Bill
Storm Petrel - 3 Durlston Head, 2 Mudeford Quay, 1 Portland Bill
Fulmar - 28 Mudeford Quay; 40 per hour past Portland Bill 
Manx Shearwater - 110 Durlston Head, 1 Poole Bay, 1000+ Portland Bill
Balearic Shearwater - 3 Portland Bill
Gannet - 800 per hour past Portland Bill
Red Kite - 1 Beaminster
Hobby - 1 Lodmoor
Grey Plover - 1 Ferrybridge
Little Ringed Plover - 1 Parley Court
Woodcock - 1 Holt Heath
Whimbrel - 1 Hengistbury sandspit, 5 Lodmoor, 1 Portland Bill
Sanderling - 1 Durlston Head, 15 Ferrybridge, 6 Hengistbury sandspit, 2 Portland Bill
Common Sandpiper - 1 Lytchett Bay
Great Skua - 3 Portland Bill
Arctic Skua - 2 Chesil Beach, 1 Ferrybridge, 4 Mudeford Quay,  2 Portland Bill
Pomarine Skua - 1 Chesil Beach.
Little Gull - 1 Swineham
Black Tern - 3 Chesil Beach, 1 Mudeford Quay
Cuckoo - 3 Holt Heath, 1 Swineham
Redstart - 1 Portland Bill

Sightings - Thursday 22nd May 2014

Hobby - 1 Puddletown
Black-Winged Stilt - 3 Lytchett Bay on private land
Grey Plover - 1 Ferrybridge, 1 Lodmoor
Whimbrel - 3 Stanpit
Sanderling - 24 Ferrybridge, 22 Stanpit, 51 Studland, 7 Weymouth Bay (Lodmoor)
Turtle Dove - 1 Portland Bill
Pied Flycatcher - 1 Portland Castle
Whinchat - 2 Portland Bill
Savi's Warbler - 1 reported from Radipole Lake, heard only.
Grasshopper Warbler - 1 Portland Bill

Late news:  2 Glossy Ibis to roost at Hengistbury yesterday night; possible Black Kite at East Stour on Tuesday.



Stonechat at Hengistbury © Clinton Whale
Black-Winged Stilt at Lytchett Bay © Shaun Robson






Sightings - Wednesday 21st May 2014

Spoonbill - 2 Middlebere
Marsh Harrier - 1 Middlebere
Hobby - 2 Hartland, 1 Middlebere, 1 Portland
Arctic Skua - 1 Portland Bill
Yellow-Legged Gull - 1 Middlebere
Puffin - 4 off Purbeck coast
Black-Winged Stilt - 3 Lytchett Bay on private land
Grey Plover - 1 Stanpit
Whimbrel - 1 Ferrybridge, 6 Stanpit
Sanderling - 6 Ferrybridge, 2 Stanpit
Greenshank - 2 Stanpit
Cuckoo - 1 Portland (Weston), 1 Puddletown Forest
Turtle Dove - 1 Portland Bill 


Bearded Tit at Lodmoor © Will Bown
Pochard at Radipole © Clinton Whale































Sightings - Tuesday 20th May 2014

Great Northern Diver - 2 Portland Bill, 1 past Durlston
Manx Shearwater - 5 past Durlston
Stork sp. - a possible over Bere Regis
Spoonbill - 6 from Swineham Point, 1 Brownsea Island
Red Kite - 2 near Puddletown
Knot - 2 Brownsea Island
Whimbrel - 8 Stanpit
Pomarine Skua - 1 past Portland Bill
Arctic Skua - 1 past Portland Bill
Little Gull - 1 off Swineham Point
Arctic Tern - 1 still at Lodmoor
Cuckoo -  1 Swineham

Arctic Tern at Lodmoor © Daragh Croxson

Sanderlig at Hengistbury Head © Clinton Whale
 

Sightings - Monday 19th May 2014

Black Stork - a possible over Blacknor (Portland)
Glossy Ibis - 2 Coward's Marsh
Red Kite - 1 north of Horton Inn
Osprey - 1 Coward's Marsh
Whimbrel - 5 Stanpit
Pomarine Skua - 1 past Portland Bill
Little Gull - 2 Coward's Marsh
Black Tern - 1 Durlston Bay
Arctic Tern - 1 still at Lodmoor
Turtle Dove - 1 Portland Bill
Cuckoo -  1 Durlston

Gadwall on Radipole Lake © Clinton Whale
 

Sightings - Sunday 18th May 2014

Mandarin - 2 adults with 5 chicks on R. Stour near Hod Hill
Great Northern Diver - 1 past Portland Bill
Great White Egret - 1 over Wareham
Spoonbill - 3 Middelbere
Black Kite - a probable reported at East Stour
Red Kite - 2 Abbotsbury Swannery
Ruff - 1 Stanpit
Whimbrel - 2 Ferrybridge
Wood Sandpiper - 1 still at Lytchett Bay
Greenshank - 1 Christchurch Harbour
Little Gull - 2 Swineham GPs
Arctic Tern - 34 over Chesil, 1 Lodmoor
Puffin - 3 Dancing Ledge (4 seen yesterday)
Turtle Dove - 1 Chickerell
Cuckoo -  1 Herbury (The Fleet), 1 Southwell, 1 Lodmoor
Whinchat - 1 Barleycrates Lane (Portland)

Mandarin on R. Stour near Hod Hill © Stuart Jones

Dunlin at Hengistbury Head © Clinton Whale
 

Sightings - Saturday 17th May 2014

Red Kite - 1 over Ridge (near Wareham)
Common Crane - 1 over Ferndown
Whimbrel - 8 Christchurch Harbour
Temminck's Stint - 1 briefly on private land at Lytchett Bay
Curlew Sandpiper - 1 briefly at Lodmoor
Wood Sandpiper -1 Lytchett Bay
Greenshank - 1 Swineham, 1 Lytchett Bay, 1 Christchurch Harbour
Arctic Tern - 1 Lodmoor
Puffin - 2 Dancing Ledge
Whinchat - 2 Portland Bill
Redstart - 1 Portland Bill
 

Sightings - Friday 16th May 2014

Scaup - 1 Abbotsbury Swannery
Common Scoter - 110 past Portland Bill, 35 past Mudeford Quay
Eider - 4 off Mudeford Quay
Red Kite - 1 Sutton Waldron, 1 Alderholt
Osprey - 2 in/off Portland
Great Northern Diver - 3 past Portland Bill
GLOSSY IBIS - 2 Coward's Marsh
Whimbrel - 6 Brand's Bay, 15 Stanpit Marsh
Arctic Skua - 1 past Portland Bill
Arctic Tern - 1 Lodmoor
Roseate Tern - 1 off Mudeford Quay
Turtle Dove - 1 Portland Bill, 1 Lorton Meadow

Northern Wheatear Hengistbury Head © Clinton Whale

















Dartford Warbler Hengistbury Head © Dave Hill









 

Sightings - Thursday 15th May 2014

Apologies about missed/late posts (administrative error, ie I forgot, but it is SATs week and Arsenal are in the Cup Final!)

Red Kite - 1 Hooke Park
Great Northern Diver - 3 past Portland Bill, 3 past Mudeford Quay
Red-throated Diver - 2 past Portland Bill
GLOSSY IBIS - 2 Coward's Marsh
Great White Egret - 1 flew up the Frome Valley early am
Stork spp - report of two birds over Bournemouth at 2130
Little Gull - 1 Cowards Marsh
Great Skua - 1 past Portland Bill
Arctic Skua -2 past Portland Bill, 1 offshore
Arctic Tern - 1 Lodmoor
Turtle Dove - 1 Top Fields Portland, 1 Southwell
Whinchat - 9 Portland Bill, 5 Barleycrates Lane Portland, 2 Hengistbury Head


Sightings, Monday 12th May 2014

Pintail - 1, Coward's Marsh
Garganey - 1, Christchurch Harbour
Barnacle Goose - 1, Swineham, 1 Coward's Marsh
Glossy Ibis - 2, Cowards Marsh
Spoonbill - 1, Middlebere, 1 Lodmoor
Pomarine Skua - 3, Portland
Great Skua - 2, Portland
Little Gull - 1, Longham Lakes, 1 Lodmoor
Sandwich Tern - 1, Longham Lakes
Whinchat - 1, Lytchett
Redstart - 2, Portland


Ringed Plover, Hengistbury Head.  Copyright Clinton Whale

Sightings - Sunday 11th May 2014

Glossy Ibis - 2, Coward's Marsh
Whimbrel - 11, Upton Country Park, 13 Stanpit
Pomarine Skua - 2, Portland
Turtle Dove - 1, Portland
Citrine Wagtail - 1 briefly at Portland, at the Obs (second record for Dorset)

Sightings - Saturday 10th May 2014

Garganey - 1, Swineham,
Storm Petrel - 1, Hengistbury Head
Spoonbill - 1, Brownsea
Glossy Ibis - 2, Coward's Marsh
Greenshank - 3, Brownsea
Little Gull - 4, Chesil
Arctic Tern - 2, Hengistbury
Roseate Tern - 3, Portland
Pomarine Skua - 1-2, Hengistbury Head; 1 Portland
Honey Buzzard - 1, Weymouth
Turtle Dove - 1, Portland

also news from Brownsea that 90 Sandwich Terns so far sitting on eggs

Sightings - Friday 9th May 2014

Glossy Ibis - 2, Coward's Marsh
Spoonbill - 1, Hengistbury Head
Roseate Tern - 1, Portland
Pomarine Skua - 1, Portland
Pied Flycatcher - 1, Hengistbury


Cuckoo, Cogden.  Copyright Mike Morse

Sightings - Thursday 8th May 2014

GLOSSY IBIS - 2 Coward's Marsh
Sanderling - 28 sandspit Christchurch Harbour
Great Skua - 5 past Portland Bill
Arctic Skua - 2 past Portland Bill
Pomarine Skua - 1 past Portland Bill
Common Tern - 112 past Mudeford Quay
Black Tern - 1 past Mudeford Quay
Little Tern - 32 Chesil Beach
Iceland Gull - juvenile Radipole Lake
Hoopoe - 1 Corscombe at the Higher Ground Meadow natural burial ground; please be respectful.

Sightings - Tuesday 6th May 2014

Scaup - 1 Abbotsbury
Garganey - 3 Swineham Gps
Pomarine Skua - 3 Portland
Iceland Gull - 1 Littlesea
Glossy Ibis - 2 Coward's Marsh
Spoonbill - 7 Swineham Point



Bar-tailed Godwit, Lodmoor, (c) Daragh Croxson

Sightings - Monday 5th May 2014

Spoonbill - 10 Middlebere
Velvet Scoter - Chesil Cove
Garganey - 5 drakes at Swineham GPs
Black-winged Stilt - 1 Lodmoor
Osprey - 1 Wardon Hill; 1 Lodmoor
Roseate Tern - 1 Chesil Cove; 2 Wyke regis
Iceland Gull - 1 Radipole; 1 Christchurch harbour
Pomarine Skua - at least 45 through Chesil Cove; 16 Mudeford; 7 West Bay
Wood Warbler - 1 Portland Castle
Serin - 1 Portland Bill quarry



Black-winged stilt, Lodmoor (c) Mark Wright

Sightings - Sunday 4th May 2014

Garganey - 1 Swineham GP.
Common Sandpiper - 1 West Bexington
Whimbrel - 40 Stanpit Marsh, 3 Cogden.
Pomarine Skua - 1 past Portland Bill
Arctic Skua - 2 past Portland Bill
Little Gull - 2 Swineham GP, 1 Mudeford Quay, 1 Portland Bill
Iceland Gull - 1 juv Radipole Lake
Swift - 5 Longham Lakes

Peregrine - Bounremouth College Tower - © Andy Wragg

Sightings - Saturday 3rd May 2014

Garganey - 2 Longham Lakes, 2 Swineham GP, 1 Radipole Lake, 1 West Bay.
Red-footed Falcon - 1 fem. in off sea Portland Bill
Whimbrel - 19 Stanpit Marsh, 4 Lytchett Bay
Common Sandpiper - 2 Longham Lakes
Turtle Dove 2 Portland Bill, 1 Turnerspuddle
Swift - 30+ Swinehan, 4 Hengistbury Hd, 2 Longham Lakes, 1 Wimborne
Eastern Subalpine Warbler - 1 male Portland Bill Top fields.

Sightings - Friday 2nd May 2014

Garganey - 3 drakes Swineham GP.
Red-throated Diver - 1 Hengistbury Hd.
Black-throated Diver - 1 east Hengistbury Hd.
Common Sandpiper - 2 Hengistbury Hd.
Arctic Skua - 2 Hengistbury Hd.
Little Gull - 1 Hengistbury Hd, 1 Swineham GP.
Iceland Gull - 1 Portland Bill
Swift - 6 Swineham GP, 1 Poole Old Town, 1 Shaftsbury
Hoopoe - 1 California Farm Swanage, 1 Bridport.
Black Redstart - 1 Portland Bill
Whinchat - 20 Portland Bill, 1 Lytchett Bay, 1 Hengistbury Hd.
Pied Flycatcher - 3 Portland Bill

Sightings - Thursday 1st May 2014

Garganey - 1 drake Radipole Lake
Great Northern Diver - 4 Branksome Chine
Spoonbill - 1 Brownsea Is.
Marsh Harrier - 1 Radipole Lake
Common Sandpiper - 3 Swanage seafront, 2 PC World drain outlet.
Great Skua - 1 Portland Bill
Arctic Skua - 1 Portland Bill
Iceland Gull - 1 Portland Bill
Black Redstart - 1 Portland Bill
Eastern Subalpine Warbler - 1 Portland Bill