Dorset Birds: Sunday April 7th 2024

Little Gull - 2 Lodmoor, 1 Poole Harbour

Sandwich Tern - 13 Rodden Hive

Little Tern - 1 past Hengistbury Head

Arctic Tern - 1 past Hengistbury Head

Forster's Tern - 2nd winter on Brownsea Island lagoon mid afternoon, previously at Shipstal Point

Arctic Skua - 1 dark phase from Branksome, 1 past Portland Bill

Spoonbill - 2 Brownsea Island lagoon

Osprey - 2 Poole Harbour

Marsh Harrier - 1 Rodden Hive, 3 Poole Harbour

Hen Harrier - male Chickerell flying east

White-tailed Eagle - 1 Swineham, 2 Shapwick

Whinchat - 1 Morden Bog, 1 Sunnyside Farm Wareham

Dark-eyed Junco - still showing well in private garden in Coronation Road, Gillingham - possibly viewable when perched in trees

Dark-eyed Junco, Gillingham © John Bishop

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.