Dorset Birds: Sunday 31st December 2023

Brent Goose - 21 Christchurch Harbour

Pintail - 5 Christchurch Harbour

Scaup - 3 Abbotsbury Swannery

Slavonian Grebe - 1 Longham Lakes

Avocet - 1 Lodmoor

Grey Plover - 12 Christchurch Harbour

Bar-tailed Godwit - 1 Christchurch Harbour

Ruff - 1 Lodmoor

Dunlin - 230 Christchurch Harbour

Green Sandpiper - 2 Wareham Common

Great Northern Diver - 6 around Studland peninsular

Great White Egret - 2 Hampreston Fields

Hen Harrier - male at Holton Pools, Lytchett Fields RSPB, male at Middlebere

White-tailed Eagle - 1 flying over Corfe Castle, 1 Wareham Channel

Brambling - 1 Thorncombe Wood

Redpoll - 4 Thorncombe Wood

RARE BREEDING BIRDS

Dorset Bird Club and the Rare Breeding Birds Panel advocate special caution when reporting rare breeding birds as they are vulnerable to persecution and disturbance.

Please consider the birds welfare and do not share details of any rare breeding species on X/Twitter, Facebook and WhatsApp groups, personal websites, blogs, or local birdwatching message boards.

We urge all finders of rare birds to consider whether they may be breeding before sharing the news.

Sightings should always be submitted, in confidence, to the county recorder to contribute to long-term national monitoring.