Dorset Birds: Saturday 15th February 2025.

Long-tailed Duck - 1 Brands Bay (Jerry's Point).
Black-necked Grebe - 3 Studland Bay (off Middle Beach).
Slavonian Grebe - 4 Brands Bay (Jerry's Point).
Golden Plover - c150 Lodmoor.
Spotted Redshank - 2 Middlebere.
Bonaparte's Gull - 1 Studland (off Middle Beach).
Great Northern Diver - 12 Brands Bay (Jerry's Point).
Red-throated Diver - 7 past Hengistbury Head.
Black-throated Diver - 2 Sandbanks (off Banks Rd).
Cattle Egret - 7 Hengistbury Head roost, 7 Wareham Common.
Spoonbill - 2 Lodmoor.
Marsh Harrier - 1 Lodmoor.
Hen Harrier - 1 m Middlebere.
Red Kite - 1 Toller Porcorum.
Short-eared Owl - 1 Wyke Down.
Hawfinch - 1 Lytchett Matravers churchyard.

Grey Heron, Iford weir © Clinton Whale.

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.

DORSET BIRD REPORT 2023

The Dorset Bird Report 2023, produced by Dorset Bird Club, is now available for purchase by non-members via the DBC website (click on the report cover image below). Featuring a review of the year, a comprehensive systematic list of all species recorded in 2023, rarity finder accounts including the first Moltoni's Warbler and Isabelline Wheatear for Dorset, articles on Baltic Gull, the Alpine Swift influx, Cory's and Great Shearwaters, and the return of the Cirl Bunting. Illustrated throughout with images taken by Dorset's leading photographers. £16 (+ £3 shipping).