Sightings - Tuesday 31st December 2013

On behalf of the Dorset Bird Club I would like to wish you all a very Happy and Bird filled New Year.

Long-tailed Duck - 1 Swineham GP, 1 Portland Hbr.

Velvet Scoter - 1 off Sandsfoot Castle Portland Hbr.

Black-throated Diver - 2 Portland Hbr, 1 Durlston CP.

Great Northern Diver - 15 reported Portland Hbr, 1 Durlston CP.

Red-necked Grebe - 3 Portland Hbr.

Slavonian Grebe - 7 Portland Hbr.

Glossy Ibis - 1 Radipole Park

Common Crane - 2 again between Athelhampton and Burleston

Glaucous Gull - 1 prob 2nd/W past Mudeford Quay

BRUNNICH'S GUILLEMOT - 1 again Portland Hbr.

Black Guillemot - Portland Hbr.

Little Auk - 1 http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=FRQEkgGIwHM. Portland Hbr.

Firecrest - 1 Durlston CP.

Snow Bunting - 3 West Bexington

Sightings - Monday 30th December 2013

Long-tailed Duck - 1 Swineham GP, 1 Portland Hbr.

Surf Scoter - 1 Brand's Bay

Velvet Scoter - 1 Portland Hbr.

Great Northern Diver - 2 Portland Hbr, 1 Durlston CP.

Sooty Shearwater - 1 Durlston CP.

Balearic Shearwater - 1 Durlston CP.

Glossy Ibis - 1 still Radipole Park.

Common Crane - 2 imm. between Athelhampton & Burleston

Great Skua - 3 past Old Harry

Sandwich Tern - 1 Durlston CP.

BRUNNICH'S GUILLEMOT - 1 Portland Hbr.

Black Guillemot - 1 Portland Hbr.

Snow Bunting- 3 West Bexington

Sightings - Sunday 29th December 2013

Eider - 2 past Portland Bill
Smew - 1 redhead at Swineham GPs
Surf Scoter - 1 still in Brand's Bay
Red-throated Diver - 36 past Portland Bill, 4 Durlston
Black-throated Diver - 3 Portland Harbour, 2 Brand's Bay, 1 Durlston, 1 Portland Bill
Great Northern Diver - 7 Brand's Bay, 3 Portland Harbour, 1 Durlston, 1 Shell Bay
Red-necked Grebe - 1 Portland Harbour
Slavonian Grebe - 2 Portland Harbour
Black-necked Grebe - 2 Shell Bay, 1 Portland Harbour
Balearic Shearwater - 1 past Portland Bill
Glossy Ibis - 1 Weymouth (north end of Radipole Park Drive)
Spoonbill - 16 Poole Harbour
Hen Harrier - 3 Middlebere, 2 Arne
Merlin - 1 Lytchetts Bay, 1 Fitzworth, 1 Middlebere
Crane - 2 south of Cheselbourne
Spotted Redshank - 2 Swineham Point, 1 Stanpit
Pomarine Skua - 1 past Durlston
Little Gull - 2 Bestwell RSPB (Wareham)
Glaucous Gull - 1 West Bexington, 1 Northe Fort/Portland Harbour
Sandwich Tern - 2 Swanage Bay
BRÜNNICH'S GUILLEMOT - 1 still in Portland Harbour
Black Guillemot - 1 Portland Harbour
Short-eared Owl - 2 Wyke Down
Water Pipit - 1 Wytch Causeway (Poole Harbour)
Black Redstart - 1 Hengistbury Head

Crane near Cheselborne © Mark Wright

Skylark at Ferrybridge yesterday © Mike Trew

Sightings - Saturday 28th December 2013

Mandarin Duck - 10 Canford Heath
Eider - 1 Portland Harbour
Long-tailed Duck - 1 Portland Harbour (from Sandsfoot Castle)
Surf Scoter - Brand's Bay
Black-throated Diver - 4 Portland Harbour, 2 Weymouth Bay
Great Northern Diver -6 Poole Harbour, 3 Portland Harbour, 3 Weymouth Bay
Red-necked Grebe - 3 Portland Harbour
Slavonian Grebe - 7 Portland Harbour
Black-necked Grebe - 21 Poole Harbour, 16 Portland Harbour
Glossy Ibis - 1 Weymouth (by Radipole Park Drive)
Crane - 2 over A35 at Puddletown, then south of Cheselbourne
Purple Sandpiper - 7 Hengistbury Head
Iceland Gull - 1 Ferrybridge
Glaucous Gull - 1 West Bexington
BRÜNNICH'S GUILLEMOT - 1 Portland Harbour (moving between Osprey Quay & Portland Castle)
Black Guillemot - 1 Portland Harbour (from Portland Castle)
Swallow - 1 Mudeford Quay
Firecrest - 1 West Knighton Heath
Snow Bunting - 3 West Bexington


Glaucous Gull at West Bexington © Mike Morse 



Glaucous Gull at West Bexington © Steve Carey




Brünnich's Guillemot in Portland Harbour © Katie Horrocks






Glossy Ibis in Weymouth © Katie Horrocks

 

Sightings - Friday 27th December 2013

Eider - 2 Hengistbury Head
Red-throated Diver - 3 from Hengistbury Head
Black-throated Diver - 3 Portland Harbour
Great Northern Diver -2 Portland Harbour
Glossy Ibis - 1 Weymouth (by Radipole Park Drive)
Spoonbill - 22 Shipstal Point, Arne
Marsh Harrier - 6 Wareham Channel
Hen Harrier - 3 Wareham Channel
Merlin - 1 Hartland Moor
Purple Sandpiper - 22 Hengistbury Head
Grey Phalarope - 1 Hengistbury Head/Mudeford Quay
Great Skua - 2 Portland Bill
Iceland Gull - 1 Ferrybridge/Chesil Cove
BRÜNNICH'S GUILLEMOT - 1 Portland Harbour
Black Guillemot - 1 Portland Harbour
Snow Bunting - 3 West Bexington

Little Grebe from Hengistbury Head © Joe Murphy

Sightings - Thursday 26th November 2013

Black-throated Diver - 2 Portland Harbour
Red-throated Diver - 1 Swineham GPs
Red-necked Grebe - 1 Weymouth Harbour
GLOSSY IBIS - 1 Weymouth
Iceland Gull - 1 past West Bexington and Abbotsbury
BRUNNICH'S GUILLEMOT - 1 Portland Harbour
Black Guillemot  - 1 Portland Harbour
Water Pipit - 1 Lodmoor

Brunnich's Guillemot © Steve Carey

 

Sightings - Tuesday 24th December 2013

Great Northern Diver - 5 past Branksome, 1 Durlston, 2 Portland Harbour
Red-throated Diver - 25+ Hengistbury, 6 Durlston, 10 Portland Bill
Black-throated Diver - 1 Durlston, 5 Portland Harbour
Marsh Harrier - 1 Arne
Hen Harrier - 1 Arne
Purple Sandpiper - 1 Hengistbury Head
Sanderling - 4 Stanpit
Little Auk - 1 from Christchurch harbour sandspit

Sightings - Monday 23rd December 2013

Velvet Scoter - 2 past Hengistbury Head
Great Northern Diver - 2 Portland Harbour
Red-throated Diver - 14 past Hengistbury Head
Black-throated Diver - 5 Portland Harbour
Cory's Shearwater - 1 Weymouth Bay
Sanderling - 3 Christchurch Harbour sandspit
Purple Sandpiper - 5 Christchurch Harbour sandspit
Great Skua - 1 Durlston
Black Guillemot - 1 Portland Harbour
Firecrest - 1 Durlston

Sightings - Sunday 22nd December 2013

Eider - 1 Portland Harbour
Long-tailed Duck - 1 Castle Cove
Great Northern Diver - 5 Branksome, 5 Portland Harbour
Red-throated Diver - 46 past Branksome in 2 hours this morning, 8 Hengistbury Head
Black-throated Diver - 1 Hengistbury Head, 2 Portland Harbour
Hen Harrier - 1 Slepe Moor
Crane - 2 Dewlish
Sanderling - 19 Sandbanks shore, 2 Christchurch Harbour sandspit
Purple Sandpiper - 5 Sandbanks shore, 7 Christchurch Harbour sandspit
Black Guillemot - 1 Portland Harbour
Black Redstart - 2 Hengistbury Head
Firecrest - 1 Abbotsbury Gardens
Snow Bunting - 3 West Bexington

Dartford Warbler at Hengistbury Head © Joe Murphy

Sightings - Saturday 21st December 2013

Eider - 1 Portland Harbour
Great Northern Diver - 1 Portland Harbour
Red-throated Diver  - 1 Durlston Head, c. 20 Hengistbury Head, 1 Portland Bill
Slavonian Grebe - 2 Portland Harbour
Fulmar - 5 off Hengistbury Head are rare there in mid-winter
Storm  Petrel - 1 off Hengistbury Head
Sanderling - 1 Christchurch Harbour sandspit
Purple Sandpiper - 18 around Christchurch Harbour sandspit
Black Guillemot - 1 Portland Harbour
Little Auk - 2 past Hengistbury Head
Black Redstart - 1 Christchurch Harbour sandspit

Sightings - Friday 20th December 2013

Red-throated Diver - about 25 from Hengistbury Head, 11 together past North Haven, 6 past Durlston, 4 past Portland Bill, 1 Poole Harbour entrance
Black-throated Diver - 1 past Durlston, 1 Poole Harbour entrance
Great Northern Diver -1 Poole Harbour entrance, 1 past Hengistbury Head
Slavonian Grebe - 1 Ferrybridge
Sooty Shearwater - 1 past Portland Bill
Crane - 2 still south of Cheselbourne
Purple Sandpiper - 15 Hengistbury Head, 4 Portland Bill, 3 Haven Hotel
Black Redstart - 1 Durlston, 1 Hengistbury Head, 1 Wyke Regis Bridging Camp
Firecrest - 1 Durlston
Great Grey Shrike - 1 briefly from Middlebere hide

Great Grey Shrike at Middlebere © Dom Greves

Sightings - Thursday 19th December 2013

BLACK BRANT - 1 The Fleet, Chickerell
Barnacle Goose - 12 Rodden Hive
Common Scoter - 70 off Hengistbury Head
Red-throated Diver -  39 past Hengistbury Head, 22 past Portland Bill
Black-throated Diver - 1 past Hengistbury Head, 2 past Portland Bill
Firecrest - 1 Hengistbury Head
Snow Bunting - 2 West Bexington

Sightings - Wednesday 18th December 2013

BLACK BRANT - Ferrybridge
Pale-bellied Brent Goose - 10 Ferrybridge
Surf Scoter - 1 Brand's Bay
Red-throated Diver - 8 past Portland Bill, 30 past Hengistbury Head
Black-throated Diver - 1 past Mudeford Quay, 1 past Portland Bill
Red-necked Grebe - 1 off Hengistbury Head
Common Crane - 2 south of Cheselbourne
Kittiwake - 230 past Durlston, 420 past Mudeford Quay
Auks - 686 past Portland Bill in 15 mins, 700 past Durlston
Firecrest - 2 Christchurch Harbour

Sightings - Tuesday 17th December 2013

BLACK BRANT - Ferrybridge
Pale-bellied Brent Goose - 8 Ferrybridge
Surf Scoter - 1 Brand's Bay
Red-throated Diver - 78 past Portland Bill, 26 past Hengistbury Head, 9 past Portland Bill
Black-throated Diver - 1 past Durlston, 2 past Portland Bill
Red-necked Grebe - 1 Weymouth Bay
Bittern - 2 Lodmoor
Spoonbill - 1 Lodmoor
Common Crane - 2 south of Cheselbourne
Ring-billed Gull - 1 from Sandbanks Ferry
Firecrest - 2 Durlston

Black-tailed Godwits © John Hammick

Sightings - Monday 16th December 2013

Black-throated Diver - 2 Portland; 3 Durlston
Spotted Redshank - 5 Brownsea Island
Little Gull - 1 Durlston
Great Skua - 1 Mudeford

Sightings - Sunday 15th December 2013

Surf Scoter - 1 Brand's Bay
Balck-throated Diver - 1 Portland; 1 Mudeford
Great Northern Diver - 2 Portland
Crane - 2 in field south of Cheselbourne again
Purple Sandpiper - 13 Mudeford Quay
Black Redstart - 1 Hengistbury Head

Sightings - Saturday 14th December 2013

Black-necked Grebe - 26 Studland
Slavonian Grebe - 2 Ringstead Bay
Black Brant - 1 Ferrybridge
Surf Scoter - 1 Brand's Bay
Hen Harrier - 1 Arne: 1 Wool
Little Auk - 1 Mudeford
Great Grey shrike - 1 Morden Bog
Black Redstart - 1 Hengistbury Head
Snow bunting - 2 West Bexington

Sightings - Friday 13th December 2013

Surf Scoter - 1 imm Brand's Bay
Red-throated Diver - 1 past Hengistbury Hd.
Great Northern Diver - 1 off Mudeford Quay
Bittern - 1 Radipole Lake
Purple Sandpiper - 18 from Mudeford Quay on sandspit.
Black Redstart 2 Hengistbury Hd.

Black Redstart - Hengistbury Head © Chris Roughley

Sightings - Thursday 12th December 2013

Surf Scoter - 1 imm again Brand's Bay

Spoonbill - 3 Holes Bay; 1 Lodmoor

Black Redstart - 1 Sherborne; 1 Portland; 1 Seacombe; 1 The Nothe; 1 Hengistbury Head

Yellow-browed Warbler - 1 Winspit Valley
Firecrest - 1 Portland



Hybrid hooded x carrion crow, Hengistbury Head,  (c) Joe Murphy



Meadow pipit, Hengistbury Head,  (c) Joe Murphy



Skylark, Hengistbury Head,  (c) Joe Murphy



Bleack redstart, Hengistbury Head,  (c) Chris Roughley

Sightings - Wednesday 11th December 2013

Surf Scoter - 1 imm again Brand's Bay

Red-throated Diver - 6 Portland Bill

Red-necked Grebe - 1 Weymouth Bay (gull roost)

Spoonbill - 12 Holes Bay

Purple Sandpiper - 3 Sandbank Ferry
Black Redstart - 2 Winspit Valley

Yellow-browed Warbler - 1 Winspit Valley

Siberian Chiffchaff - 1 Winspit Valley

Great Grey Shrike - 1 Morden Bog

Snow Bunting - 3 West Bexington

Ring-billed Gull - Radipole Lake © Dave Chown

Sightings - Tuesday 10th December 2013

Long-tailed Duck - 1 Portland Hbr.
Black-necked Grebe - 16 Portland Hbr.
Spoonbill - 4 Lytchett Bay
Hen Harrier - 1 Lytchett Bay
Merlin - 1 Lytchett Bay, 1 near Cheselbourne
Common Crane - 2 juv near Cheselbourne a.m. only
Ring-billed Gull - 1 Radipole Lake
Yellow-browed Warbler - 1 Ringstead Bay (by car park), 1 still in Winspit Valley.
Great Grey Shrike - 2 Morden Bog area.
Snow Bunting - 4 West Bexington

One of two Great Grey Shrike - Morden Bog © Ian Ballam

Shoveler - Hengistbury Head © Joe Murphy

Sightings - Monday 9th December 2013

Spoonbill - 20+ Poole Hbr.

Bittern - 1 Radipole Lake, 1 Lodmoor

Marsh Harrier - 3 Poole Hbr.

Hen Harrier - 3 Poole Hbr

Merlin - 1 Milborne St. Andrew, 1 Brownsea Is. lagoon

Common Crane - 2 juv. Field off Cheselbourne rd. since 15.30hrs.

Woodcock - 7 Arne Moors.

Little Gull - 1 1st/w Lodmoor

Yellow-legged Gull - 1 1st/w Lodmoor

Swallow - 2 Radipole Lake

Melodious Warbler - 1 still Winspit Valley

Yellow-browed Warbler - 1 still Winspit Valley

Siberian Chiffchaff - 2+ Winspit Valley

Firecrest - 2 Durlston CP, 1 Portland Bill

Black Redstart - Newton's Cove © Will Bown

Common Scoter off Hengistbury Head - © Joe Murphy

Sightings - Sunday 8th December 2013

Eider - 2 Poole Harbour, 1 Portland Harbour
Long-tailed Duck - 1 Portland Harbour (from Sandsfoot Castle)
Black-necked Grebe - 16 Portland Harbour
Spoonbill - 8 Brownsea Island lagoon, 3 Arne
Hen Harrier - 1 Lytchett Bay, 1 Arne Moors
Merlin - 1 Lytchett Bay
Crane - 2 south of Cheselbourne
Purple Sandpiper - 4 Hengistbury Head
Great Skua - 2 past Portland Bill
Ring-billed Gull - 1 first winter briefly at Swineham
Melodious Warbler - 1 immature still in Winspit Valley
Yellow-browed Warbler - 1 heard Winspit Valley
Siberian Chiffchaff - 2 Winspit Valley
Firecrest - 1 Pennsylvania Castle (Portland)
Snow Bunting - 4 West Bexington

Bearded Tit at Radipole © Angela Trew

Water Rail at Radipole © Angela Trew

Sightings - Saturday 7th December 2013

Black Brant - 2 Butterstreet Cove
Surf Scoter - 1 Brand's Bay
Velvet Scoter - 1 off Hengistbury Head
Eider - 1 Portland Harbour
Slavonian Grebe - 2 Portland Harbour
Black-necked Grebe - 14 Portland Harbour
Crane - 2 still in stubble field south of Cheselbourne
Purple Sandpiper - 16 Hengistbury Head
Water Pipit - 2 possibly 3 on Priory Marsh (Stanpit)
Black Redstart - 1 Hengistbury Head
Melodious Warbler - 1 immature still in Winspit Valley
Yellow-browed Warbler - 1 Winspit Valley, 1 heard on Hengistbury Head
Siberian Chiffchaff - 2 Winspit Valley
Firecrest - 5 Abbotsbury Gardens, 2 Hengistbury Head, 1 Winspit Valley, 1 Pennsylvania Castle (Portland)

Sightings - Friday 6th December 2013

Eider - 2 Mudeford Quay
Slavonian Grebe - 2 Portland Harbour
Red-necked Grebe - 1 Portland Harbour
Black-necked Grebe - 23 Portland Harbour
Bittern - 2 Lodmoor
Red Kite - 3, possibly up to 7, in Melbury Hill/Compton Down area
Hen Harrier - 1 male at Wyke Down, 1 sub adult male at Lytchett Bay
Crane - 2 south of Cheselbourne, (seen in stubble fields by road to Puddletown and in Dewlish Park meadows)
Common Sandpiper - 1 Lodmoor
Purple Sandpiper - 13 Hengistbury Head
Little Gull - 1 Hengistbury Head
Water Pipit - 1 Priory Marsh
Black Redstart - 4 Nothe Fort (Weymouth), 2 Winspit Valley, 1 Hengisbury Head
Melodious Warbler - 1 immature in Winspit Valley
Yellow-browed Warbler - 1 Winspit Valley
Siberian Chiffchaff - 1 Winspit Valley
Willow Warbler - 1 Winspit Valley
Firecrest - 1 Winspit Valley
Snow Bunting - 4 West Bexington

Late news : a Ringed-bill Gull seen briefly near Holes Bay yesterday.

Crane at Dewlish Park © Vaughan & Svetlana Ashby

Crane at Dewlish Park © Vaughan & Svetlana Ashby

Crane at Dewlish Park © Vaughan & Svetlana Ashby

Hen Harrier at Middlebere on 4th December © Dave Hill

Sightings - Thursday 5th December 2013

Black Brant - 1 Ferrybridge
Black-necked Grebe - 15 Portland Harbour
Balearic Shearwater - 2 past Portland Bill
Marsh Harrier - 5 Swineham
Hen Harrier - 3 Swineham
Crane - 2 south of Cheselbourne (seen from road to Puddletown)
Golden Plover - 420 Maiden Castle
Purple Sandpiper - 6 Mudeford Quay
Water Pipit - 3 Priory Marsh (Christchurch Harbour)
Firecrest - 1 Hengistbury Head

Late news : a Velvet Scoter in Portland Harbour yesterday.

Crane near Cheselbourne © Jon Ross



Juvenile Kingfisher at Hengistbury Head © Joe Murphy

Sightings - Wednesday 4th December 2013

Velvet Scoter - 5 past Portland Bill, 1 in Weymouth Bay
Long-tailed Duck - 1 Mudeford/Hengistbury Head
Goosander - 1 Hamworthy Beach
Red-Necked Grebe - 1 Weymouth Bay
Bittern - 1+ Lodmoor
Marsh Harrier - 2-3 Lodmoor
Ruff - 1 past Hengistbury Head
Little Auk - 1 past Hengistbury Head
Water Pipit - 5 Priory Marsh
Black Redstart - 1 Hengistbury Head

Late news: 5 Woodcock at Came on 23 November.

Sightings - Tuesday 3rd December 2013

SURF SCOTER - 1 still in Poole Harbour (Goathorn area)
Egyptian Goose - 2 Longham Lakes
Balearic Shearwater - 2 Portland Bill
Spoonbill - 20 Brownsea (am), 4 Holes Bay (pm), 6 Shipstal Point (am)
Hen Harrier - 1 Middlebere, 1 Milborne St Andrew
Marsh Harrier - 1 Christchurch Harbour
Merlin - 1 West Compton
Grey Plover - 50+ Poole Harbour, 34 Stanpit
Greenshank - 12 Poole Harbour
Spotted Redshank - 3 Holes Bay, 1 Stanpit
Great Skua - 1 Portland Bill
Black Redstart - 1 Durlston, 1 Hengistbury Head
Waxwing - 6 reported Westbourne but could not be confirmed
Yellow-Browed Warbler - 1 Portland (Avalanche Rd)
Great Grey Shrike - 1 Milborne St Andrew

Sightings - Monday 2nd December 2013

Hen Harrier - 2 Middlebere, 3 Wareham Channel
Marsh Harrier - 1 Middlebere, 1 Stanpit, 4 Swineham
Grey Plover - 31 Stanpit
Golden Plover - 60 Osmington White Horse
Knot - 2 Stanpit
Jack Snipe - 1 Stanpit
Green Sandpiper - 2 Middlebere
Spotted Redshank - 1 Stanpit
Water Pipit - 1 Stanpit
Black Redstart - 1 Hengistbury Head
Firecrest - 1 Durlston Head, 4 Hengistbury Head
Snow Bunting - 4 West Bexington

Late news: Swallow at Swanage and Great Grey Shrike at Middlebere yesterday

Sightings - Sunday 1st December 2013

Velvet Scoter - 1 Weymouth Bay
SURF SCOTER - 1 Brands Bay
Black-Necked Grebe - 40 Studland Bay
Red-Necked Grebe - 1 Weymouth Bay
Hen Harrier - 1 Lytchett Bay, 1 Middlebere
Marsh Harrier - 1 Brands Bay, 1 Middlebere
Merlin - 1 Middlebere
Common Sandpiper - 1 Lodmoor
Green Sandpiper - 1 Middlebere
Greenshank - 2 Lytchett Bay
Spotted Redshank - 1 Stanpit
Great Skua - 1 Portland Bill
Caspian Gull - 1 Hilfield briefly
Black Redstart - 1 Hengistbury Head, 1 Portland Bill
PENDULINE TIT - 1 Longham Lakes
Great Grey Shrike - 1 Milborne St Andrew, 1 Morden Bog
Firecrest - 1 Hengistbury Head
Crossbill - 7+ Morden Bog