Dorset Birds: Sunday 3rd December 2023

Pochard - 5 Swineham GPs

Long-tailed Duck - 1 off Jerry's Point

Slavonian Grebe - 2 on the Fleet

Black-necked Grebe - 4 Studland Bay

Avocet - 180 Middlebere

Grey Plover - 26 Middlebere, 3 Stanpit

Bar-tailed Godwit - 5 on the Fleet, 1 Stanpit

Dunlin - 850 Middlebere

Spotted Redshank - 3 Middlebere

Red-throated Diver - 8 Hengistbury

Great Northern Diver - 6 on the Fleet, 2 Studland Bay, 1 from Hengistbury

Spoonbill - 4 Middlebere

Cattle Egret - 2 Christchurch Harbour

Great White Egret - 1 Middlebere

Goshawk - female flew over Slepe Moor

Hen Harrier - ringtail Middlebere

White-tailed Eagle - pair in Wareham Channel

Eastern Lesser Whitethroat - probable still in yucca behind beach huts 72-73 Canford Cliffs

Firecrest - 1 in garden at Conygar, Broadmayne

Cirl Bunting - male and possible female Bridging Camp

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.