Sightings - Tuesday 31st May 2011

Quail - 1 calling this evening near pumping station, Sixpenny Handley
Great Northern Diver - 1 in summer plumage, Weymouth Bay
Marsh Harrier - 2 at Radipole Lake
Hobby - 1 Greenlands Farm, 1 Matchams Lane near Bournemouth Airport
Arctic Tern - 1 still at Lodmoor
Bee-eater - 1 heard over Durlston CP
Savi's Warbler - 1 still singing periodically throughout the day at the northern end of Beachdown Way, Lodmoor

Sightings - Monday 30th May 2011

Quail - 1 calling near pumping station, Sixpenny Handley
Manx Shearwater - 3 at Portland Bill
Storm Petrel - 1 off Hengistbury Head
Hobby - 1 at Callow Hill, Corfe Castle
Cuckoo - 1 at Callow Hill, Corfe Castle
Red-rumped Swallow - 1 reported at Radipole this morning
Savi's Warbler - 1 still at the northern end of Beachdown Way, Lodmoor

Sightings - Sunday 29th May 2011

Red-crested Pochard - drake on Swineham GP
Quail - 1 still calling near Sixpenny Handley
Balearic Shearwater - 3 past Portland Bill
Storm Petrel - 7+ lingering off Hengistbury Head with a further 8 passing west off the beach huts, 1 past Durlston
Red Kite - 1 near Fontmell Down
Marsh Harrier - 2 at Radipole Lake, 1 at Middlebere
Pomarine Skua - 2 past Portland Bill
Arctic Skua - 6 past Portland Bill, 1 past Durlston
Great Skua - 3 past Portland Bill
Arctic Tern - 1 still in the tern colony at Lodmoor
Savi's Warbler - 1 still singing at the northern end of Beachdown Way, Lodmoor

Sightings - Saturday 28th May 2011

Manx Shearwater - 1,000+ past Portland Bill, with smaller numbers recorded off Durlston and Hengistbury Head
Storm Petrel - 12 past Durlston and 5+ lingering off Hengistbury Head
Arctic Skua - 2 past Portland Bill
Great Skua - 1 past Portland Bill
Little Gull - 1 past Hengistbury Head
Savi's Warbler - 1 still singing at the north end of Beachdown Way, Lodmoor

Other non-bird news: a Basking Shark was seen for 5 minutes this morning in Chesil Cove.

Savi's Warbler at Lodmoor © Kevin Lane

Sightings - Friday 27th May 2011

Manx Shearwater - several hundred past Portland Bill
Balearic Shearwater - 1 past Portland Bill
Honey Buzzard - 1 over Durlston
Red Kite - 1 over Durlston
Arctic Skua - 1 past Portland Bill
Savi's Warbler - still singing and showing well at the northern end of Beachdown Way, Lodmoor

Sightings - Thursday 26th May 2011

Manx Shearwater - up to 1,000 per hour passing Portland Bill during the afternoon and evening
Red Kite - 1 over Motcombe
Pomarine Skua - 1 past Portland Bill
Arctic Skua - 3 past Portland Bill
Great Skua - 1 past Portland Bill
Savi's Warbler - still singing at the northern end of Beachdown Way, Lodmoor (best looked for early morning and evenings)

Nightjar at Brownsea Island © Joe Kaplonek

Sightings - Wednesday 25th May 2011

Red-crested Pochard - 1 Swineham GPs
Quail - 2 Sixpenny Handley
Osprey – 1 over Upton Heath
Great Skua - 1 Portland Bill
Arctic Tern – 2 past Durlston
Turtle Dove - 1 Lodmoor
Bee-eater – 1 over Easton Portland
Savi's Warbler - 1 Lodmoor
Pied Flycatcher - 1 Sherford Bridge
Golden Oriole - 1 Portland Bill
Common Rosefinch - 1 briefly at the Verne Portland

Golden Oriole at Portland Bill © Kevin Lane

Sightings - Tuesday 24th May 2011

Manx Shearwater - 30 past Portland Bill
Arctic Skua - 1 past Portland Bill
Pomarine Skua - 1 past Portland Bill
Little Gull – 1 Longham Lakes
Savi's Warber - 1 Lodmoor on west side of Beachdown Way

Sightings - Monday 23rd May 2011

Great Northern Diver - 3 off Durlston, 5 past Christchurch Harbour
Red-throated Diver - 1 past Christchurch Harbour
Manx Shearwater - 500 past Portland Bill, 40 past West Bexington
Quail – 1 Sixpenny Handley
Sanderling - 15 Ferrybridge
Arctic Skua - 1 past Portland Bill
Great Skua - 6 past Portland Bill
Pomarine Skua - 1 past Portland Bill
Roseate Tern - 3 Brownsea Island, 2 past Portland Bill
Savi's Warber - 1 Lodmoor on west side of Beachdown Way

























Great Spotted Woodpecker © Tim Balmer

Sightings - Sunday 22nd May 2011

Great Northern Diver - 1 Weymouth Bay
Red-throated Diver - 1 past Hengistbury Head
Manx Shearwater - 150 past Portland Bill
Balearic Shearwater - 1 past portland Bill
Marsh Harrier - 1 Lodmoor
Sanderling - 24 Ferrybridge, 12 Stanpit
Little Ringed Plover -2 Longham Lakes
Great Skua - 2 past Portland Bill
Pomarine Skua - 1 past Portland Bill
Arctic Tern - 1 Lodmoor
Roseate Tern - 1 Brownsea Island
Little Gull - 1 Longham Lakes
Savi's Warber - 1 Lodmoor on west side of Beachdown Way






















Savi's Warbler © Daragh Croxson

Sightings Saturday 21st May 2011

Balearic Shearwater - 1, Portland
Little Ringed Plover - 1, Longham Lakes
Curlew Sandpiper - 1, Stanpit
Pomarine Skua - 1, Portland
Little Gull - 1, Longham Lakes; 1, Christchurch Harbour
Savi's Warbler - 1, Lodmoor

Sightings - Friday 20th May 2011

Today wader passage was broadly similar to previous days with notable counts of Dunlin, Ringed Plover, Black-tailed Godwit, Bar-tailed Godwit and Whimbrel from coastal sites; today also the fine addition of a Black-winged Stilt that graced Radipole Lake for three hours this morning.

Garganey - 1, Radipole
Red-crested Pochard - 1, Swineham
Balearic Shearwater - 1, Portland
Black-winged Stilt - 1, Radipole
Arctic Tern - 1, Lodmoor
Pomarine Skua - 1, Portland
Red Kite - singles at Wimborne, Sugar Hill and Tarrant Rushton Airfield
Grey-headed Wagtail - male at Reap Lane, Portland early am only
Savi's Warbler - 1, Lodmoor

Black-winged Stilt at Radipole Lake © Nick Hopper

Black-winged Stilt at Radipole Lake © Nick Hopper

Black-winged Stilt at Radipole Lake © Kevin Lane

Sightings - Thursday 19th May 2011

Apologies for the lack of a posting yesterday. Some of yesterday's news is summarised below. A good wader passage has been a feature of the last couple of days.

Ringed Plover - 32, Stanpit; 6, Lytchett
Golden Plover - 1, Portland (yesterday)
Turnstone - 1, Lytchett Bay (1st record here since 1995!)
Dunlin - 320, Stanpit; 13 Lytchett
Little Stint - 1, Ferrybridge (yesterday)
Sanderling - 46, Mudeford
Whimbrel - 4, Stanpit; 2, Lytchett
Bar-tailed Godwit - 1, Stanpit
Kittiwake - 1, Stanpit
Little Gull - 1, Longham Lakes
Pomarine Skua - 2, Portland (yesterday)
Red Kite - 1, Brackett's Coppice (yesterday)
Turtle Dove - 1, Durlston (yesterday)
Savi's Warbler - 1, Lodmoor (proving difficult to see)

Sightings - Tuesday 17th May 2011

Great Northern Diver - 3 Portland
Arctic Tern - 1 Lodmoor
Gull-billed Tern - 1 Stanpit
Pomarine Skua - 2 Portland
Whimbrel - 22 Stanpit
Turtle Dove - 1 Portland
Black Redstart - 3 Portland
Savi's Warbler - 1 Lodmoor



Skylark, White Horse Hill (c) Daragh Croxson



Wheatear, Hartland Moor (c) Elaine Geall

Sightings - Monday 16th May 2011

Quail - 2 flushed at Kimmeridge, on the clifftop, 200m east of Clavell Tower
Arctic Tern - Mudeford
Roseate Tern - Mudeford
Red Kite - Ballard Down

Sightings - Sunday 15th May 2011

Roseate Tern - 1 Mudeford
Bee-eater - 1 Lodmoor
Yellow Wagtail - 4 Portland
Whinchat - 2 Portland
Savi's Warbler - 1 Lodmoor
Golden Oriole - heard at Hengistbury Head again



Peregrine, Dancing Ledge (c) Dom Greves

Sightings - Saturday May 14th 2011

Brent Goose - 1 Arne

Great Northern Diver - 7 past Portland Bill

Red Kite - 1 Abbotsbury, 1 near Ringwood, 2 Holt Heath
Marsh Harrier - 1 Hengistbury Hd
Purple Sandpiper - 2 Portland

Curlew Sandpiper - 1 Ferrybridge
Whimbrel - 2 Portland

Arctic Skua - 2 Portland Bill

Arctic Tern - 1 Lodmoor

Little Gull - 1 Longham Lakes
Savi's Warbler - 1 Lodmoor north end of Beachdown Way early morning

Spotted Flycatcher - 60 Portland, 17 Hengistbury
Pied Flycatcher - 2 Portland

Golden Oriole - 2 Hengistbury Hd, in The Nursery
Turtle Dove - 1 trapped Portland


Purple sandpiper, Portland (c) Brett Spencer


Little gull, Longham Lakes, (c) Chris Parnell

Sightings - Friday 13th May 2011

Garganey - 2 Lodmoor

Great Northern Diver - 1 past Portland Bill

Manx Shearwater - 19 Portland Bill

Red Kite - 1 Ferndown, 1 near Blandford.
Purple Sandpiper - 8 Lyme Cobb

Whimbrel - 7 Lodmoor, 6 Hengistbury Hd.

Arctic Skua - 1 Portland Bill

Arctic Tern - 1 Lodmoor

Savi's Warbler - 1 Lodmoor north end of Beachdown Way

Spotted Flycatcher - 10 Portland

Golden Oriole - 2 Hengistbury Hd. at the Batters.

Red Kite - Shapwick on the 12th © Peter Lister

Sightings - Thursday 12th May 2011

Garganey - 3 Lodmoor 
Great Northern Diver - 1 Portland Bill
Black-necked Grebe - 1 in summer plumage Abbotsbury
Manx Sheawater - 19 Portland Bill
Osprey - 1 north West Cliff Portland
Hobby - 1 Morden Park Lake
Curlew Sandpiper - 1 late evening Ferrybridge
Arctic Skua - 1 Portland Bill
Cuckoo - 3 Lodmoor 
Red-rumped Swallow - 1 over Wick Fields Hengistbury a.m.

Grasshopper Warbler - 1 singing nr, Southdown Ave Lodmoor

Savi's Warbler - 1  male heard reeling at northen end of Beachdown Way in first bushes to the east early afternoon.

Sightings - Tuesday 10th May 2011

Eider - 1 immature past West Bexington
Red-throated Diver - 1 West Bexington, 1 Portland Bill
Balearic Shearwater - 1 Portland Bill
Marsh Harrier - 1 over Littlesea
Goshawk - 1 over Portland Bill
Hobby - 2 Portland Bill, 1 at Longham Lakes
Purple Sandpiper - 2 Portland Bill
Golden Plover - 1 in breeding plumage at Stanpit Marsh
Whimbrel - 9 at Stanpit Marsh, 6 Brand's Bay, 2 West Bexington, 1 Longham Lakes, 1 Portland Bill
Pomarine Skua - 1 Portland Bill
Arctic Skua - 1 Portland Bill
Great Skua - 1 Portland Bill, 1 oiled and beached found at Chesil Cove
Little Gull - 1 Longham Lakes, 1 Christchurch Harbour
Cuckoo -  3 Longham Lakes, 2 between Rempstone Heath & Ower Farm, 1 West Bexington, 1 Stanpit Marsh
Grasshopper Warbler - 1 Durlston

Goshawk over Portland Bill © Kevin Lane

Sightings - Monday 9th May 2011

Golden Pheasant - 1 heard Brownsea
Manx Shearwater - 1 Hengistbury Head
Night Heron - 1 first-summer Radipole Lake
Grey Plover - 4 Stanpit
Knot - 1 Stanpit
Whimbrel - 1 Durlston CP, 6 Hengistbury Head, 4 Portland Bill, 12 Stanpit
Arctic Skua - 1 Durlston CP, 1 Portland Bill
Yellow-Legged Gull - 1 Brownsea
Little Gull - 1 Hengistbury Head
Roseate Tern - 1 Hengistbury Head
Bee-Eater - 1 Durlston CP, 1 Weymouth (Melcombe Regis Cemetery)
Golden Oriole - 1 Portland (Coombefield Quarry)
Cuckoo - 1 Stourpaine
Whinchat - 3 Portland Bill
Firecrest - 1 Brownsea



Night Heron, Radipole Lake (© Brett Spencer 08 May 2011)

Sightings - Sunday 8th May 2011

Goldeneye - 1 Radipole Lake
Night Heron - 1 first-summer Radipole Lake
Hobby - 3+ Morden Bog, 1 Wick Fields
Grey Plover - 1 Stanpit
Wood Sandpiper - 1 Lytchett Bay
Greenshank - 1 Lodmoor
Whimbrel - 5 Lodmoor, 1+ Lytchett Bay, 10 Stanpit
Common Sandpiper - 1 Lodmoor
Little Stint - 1 Brownsea Island
Pomarine Skua - 1 Portland Bill
Roseate Tern - 1 Portland Bill
Little Tern - 2 Lodmoor
Cuckoo - 2+ Morden Bog, 2+ Shaftesbury (Breach Common)
Turtle Dove - 2 Turners Puddle Heath, 1 Wick Fields
Redstart - 1 Morden Bog
Whinchat - 1 Wick Fields
Red-Backed Shrike - 1 Portland Bill

Sightings - Saturday 7th May 2011

Balearic Shearwater - 2 St Aldhelm's Head
Great White Egret - 1 Lodmoor
Marsh Harrier - 1 Godlingston Heath
Little Ringed Plover - 1 Longham Lakes
Grey Plover - 4 Brands Bay, 9 Stanpit
Knot - 2 Stanpit
Sanderling - 20 Hengistbury Head, 5 St Aldhelm's Head
Wood Sandpiper - 1 Stanpit
Greenshank - 1 Stanpit
Whimbrel - 6 Brands Bay, 16 Stanpit, 2 past Hengistbury Head
Common Sandpiper - 1 Longham Lakes
Pomarine Skua - 3 Chesil Beach, 4 Portland Bill
Arctic Skua - 2 light-morph St Aldhelm's Head
Little Gull - 1 Longham Lakes, 1 St Aldhelm's Head
Yellow-legged Gull - 1 Middlebere
Roseate Tern - 1 Hengistbury Head
Arctic Tern - 1 Lodmoor
Black Tern - 2 Portland Bill
Cuckoo - 1 Fiddleford, 1 Middlebere, 1 Pamphill
Bee-eater - 1 Portland Bill
Red-backed Shrike - 1 Portland Bill
Firecrest - 1 St Aldhelm's Head

Red-backed Shrike at Portland Bill © Kevin Lane

Bee-eater at Portland Bill © Joe Kaplonek

Sightings - Friday 6th May 2011

Grey Partridge - 2 Maiden Castle
Manx Shearwater - 16 St Aldhelm's Head
Fulmar - 1 inside Christchurch Harbour is unusual
Cattle Egret - 1 near Swyre
Red Kite - 1 Hod Hill
Hobby - 1 Longham Lakes, 1+ Morden, 1 Stanpit
Little Ringed Plover - 1 Christchurch Harbour
Sanderling - 4 past Durlston Head, 1 Stanpit
Curlew - 5 Stanpit are unusual in May
Common Sandpiper - 1 Stanpit
Pomarine Skua - 2 West Bexington
Arctic Skua - 2 dark-morph St Aldhelm's Head
Great Skua - 1 St Aldhelm's Head
Cuckoo - 1 Colehill, 1 Longham Lakes, 3+ Morden
Golden Oriole - 1 Portland Bill
Bee-eater - 1 Portland Bill
Turtle Dove - 1+ Durlston Head
Grasshopper Warbler - 1 Hengistbury
Garden Warbler - 3 Hengistbury

Cuckoo at Morden Bog © Simon Kidner

Sightings - Thursday 5th May 2011

With the wind moving to south-west there were some impressive totals of terns, waders and shearwaters today from coastal sites.

Manx Shearwater - 50, West Bexington; 5 St. Aldheim's Head; 170 Portland
Balearic Shearwater - 1, Portland
Egyptian Goose - 3, Lytchett Bay
Garganey - 2, Christchurch Harbour

Cattle Egret - 1, West Bexington

Pomarine Skua - 1, St. Aldheim's Head; 4, Portland
Little Gull - 1, St. Aldheim's Head; 3, Portland
Common/'Commic' tern - 200 Portland; 76 St. Aldheim's; 38 Hengistbury
Roseate Tern - 2, Portland
Black Tern - 1, Portland
Turtle Dove - 1, Hengistbury; 1 Turnerspuddle (singing)
Whinchat - 1, Winspit; 1 Hengistbury

Sightings - Wednesday 4th May 2011

Garganey - 2, Radipole
Storm Petrel - 1, St. Aldhelm's Head
Balearic Shearwater - 2, Portland
Osprey - 1, Organford
Common Sandpiper - 1, Stour LNR
Temminck's Stint - 1, Stanpit
Pomarine Skua - 7, Hengistbury; 4, Portland
Little Gull - 1, Longham Lakes
Roseate Tern - 3, Portland
Arctic Tern - 6, Hengistbury
Black Tern - 1, Hengistbury; 1, Portland

Grey Wagtail at Morden Bog © Dom Greves

Sightings - Tuesday 3rd May 2011

Manx Shearwater - 6+, Winspit; 1 Durlston
Balearic Shearwater - 1, Portland
Garganey - 2, Radipole
Night Heron - 1, Stour LNR, Bournemouth
Osprey - 1, Chesil; 1 Wareham; 1 Portland
Spotted Redshank - 2, Brownsea Island; 1, Stanpit
Black Tern - 1, St. Aldheim's
Bee-eater - 1, Broadstone
Wryneck - 1, Hengistbury
Turtle Dove - 1, Stourton Caundle
Whinchat - 7, Portland

Sightings - Monday 2nd May 2011

In easterly winds seawatchers recorded a strong passage of waders, terns, skuas and divers from coastal sites today.

Long-tailed Duck - 2, Portland & Chesil
Merlin - 1, Hengistbury
Red Kite - 1, Woolsbarrow; 1-2 Lytchett Matravers; 1 Lytchett Bay
Osprey - 1, Morden Park Lake; 1, Brownsea
Cattle Egret - 1, Abbotsbury
Bar-tailed Godwit - marked passage offshore continues (e.g. 520 at Portland), with grounded birds at a variety of sites too
Whimbrel - 25, Stanpit; marked passage at offshore sites
Pomarine Skua - 3, Portland Harbour
Arctic Tern - 1, Lodmoor; 20+ Chesil
Black Tern - 9, Chesil
Swift - widely reported at coastal sites
Turtle Dove - 1, Brownsea
Red-rumped Swallow - 1, Lodmoor
Nightingale - 6, Ringstead
Wryneck - 1, Todber; 1 Hengistbury

Not avian, but of interest to many a Vagrant Emperor was recorded from a garden in Weymouth today

Purple Sandpiper at Lyme Regis © A Simmons

Vagrant Emperor at Weymouth © Brett Spencer

Wryneck at Todber © J Howell

Sightings - Sunday 1st May 2011

Great Northern Diver - 3 past Portland Bill, 1 past Hengistbury Head
Black-throated Diver - 1 past Chesil Beach, 1 past Portland Bill, 1 past Hengistbury Head
Balearic Shearwater - 1 off Portland Bill
Cattle Egret - 1 on the meadows at Abbotsbury Swannery before flying off east
Black Stork - 1 seen over Lytchett Bay/Bakers Arms and later over Moreton Forest
Osprey - 2+ commuting between Lytchett Bay and Sherford Bridge, 1 over Brownsea Island
Red Kite - 1 Charlton Marshall, 1 Chalbury, 1 Walditch
Marsh Harrier - singles over Abbotsbury and Lytchett Bay
Avocet - 1 at Abbotsbury Swannery
Little Ringed Plover - 1 at Hengistbury Head
Purple Sandpiper - 12 at The Cobb, Lyme Regis, 1 at Portland Bill
Bar-tailed Godwit - c400 past Chesil Beach, 140 at Ferrybridge, 110 over Lytchett Bay, 85 past Camp Road, Wyke Regis, 55 past Portland Bill
Arctic Skua - 9 past Portland Bill, 2 past Chesil Beach, 2 past Hengistbury Head, 1 past Camp Road, Wyke Regis
Pomarine Skua - up to 15 in Christchurch Bay, 5 past Durlston, 3 past Portland Bill
Little Tern - 2 on Brownsea Lagoon
Black Tern - 1 past Chesil Beach
Short-eared Owl - 1 at Hengistbury Head, 1 Camp Road, Wyke Regis
Turtle Dove - 1 on Brownsea Island
Cuckoo - 2 at Portland Bill
Black Redstart - 1 at Reap Lane, Portland
Whinchat - 22 on Portland, 7 at Durlston, 4 at Hengistbury Head
Ring Ouzel - 1 on Portland
Wood Warbler - 1 at Reap Lane, Portland
Pied Flycatcher - 1 at Durlston

Wood Warbler on territory © Kevin Lane

Avocet at Abbotsbury Swannery © Brett Spencer

Knot at Ferrybridge © Paul Baker

Bar-tailed Godwit at Ferrybridge © Paul Baker