Sightings - Sunday 31st August 2014

Spoonbill - 17 Middlebere, 2 Lytchett
Black Kite - 1 Slepe Heath
Marsh Harrier - 1 Middlebere, 1 Morden, 2 Swineham
Osprey - 2 Middlebere, 2 Morden
Hobby - 2 over Middlebere/ Arne
Ringed Plover - 154 Ferrybridge
Knot - 1 Lytchett, 7 Christchurch Harbour
Little Stint - 1 Lodmoor, 1 Lytchett
Greensandpiper - 2 Swineham
Spotted Redshank - 1 Lodmoor, 5 Middlebere
Greenshank - 6 Middlebere, 3 Christchurch Harbour
Woodsandpiper - 1 Lytchett
Cuckoo - 1 Juvenile Middlebere
Little Owl - 1 West Bexington
Whinchat - 1 Lytchett, 1 Swineham
Wheatear - 3 Ferrybridge, 3 Durlston, 3 West Bexington, 7 Top Fields Portland

Sightings - Saturday 30th August 2014

Sooty Shearwater - 2 West off Portland Bill
Balearic Shearwater - 25 off Portland Bill
Marsh Harrier - 1 juvenile Hartland Moor, 1 juvenile over off Hengistbury
Osprey - 1 Middlebere, 1 Lychett Bay, 1 over Brownsea Island
Knot - 1 Ferrybridge
Common Sandpiper - 1 Middlebere, 1 Holloway's Dock
Spotted Redshank - 3 Middlebere, 1 Brownsea Lagoon
Greenshank - 6 Middlebere, 3 Holloway's Dock
Arctic Tern - 1 juvenile Brownsea Lagoon
Whinchat - 9 Hartland Moor
Melodious Warbler - 1 Top Fields Portland 


Sightings - Friday 29th August 2014

Manx Shearwater - 27 off Portland Bill
Balearic Shearwater - 35 off Portland Bill
Osprey - 1 Middlebere, 1 Lytchett Bay
Hobby - 1 Hilfield
Little Stint - 1 Lytchett Bay
Spotted Redshank - 6 Middlebere
Greenshank - 26 Middlebere
Arctic Skua - 1 off Portland Bill, 2 Hengistbury Head
Great Skua - 1 Hengistbury Head
Arctic Tern - 1 juv Poole Harbour Mouth

Sightings - Thursday 28th August 2014

Osprey - 3 Wareham channel
Little Ringed Plover - 2 Lytchett Bay
Little Stint - 2 Ferrybridge
Curlew Sandpiper - 1 Lytchett Bay
Purple Sandpiper - 1 Ferrybridge
Ruff - 5 Lodmoor, 5 Lytchett Bay, 3 Stanpit
Green Sandpiper - 2 Lodmoor, 1 Wick water Meadows
Spotted Redshank - 3 Brownsea Lagoon
Greenshank - 1 Brownsea Lagoon, 2 on the Marsh at Christchurch
Wood Sandpiper - 1 Lodmoor

Sightings - Wednesday 27th August 2014

Wigeon - 1 Holes Bay
Garganey - 1 Christchurch Harbour
Marsh Harrier - 1 Ferrybridge, 1 West Bexington
Osprey - 1 Ferrybridge, 1 Middlebere
Spoonbill - 7 Middlebere
Balearic Shearwater - 1 past Portland Bill
Wood Sandpiper - 1 Lodmoor
Little Stint - 1 Christchurch Harbour
Wryneck - 1 Culverwell Portand
Yellow Wagtail - 60 Portland Bill, 70 Christchurch Harbour
Sand Martin - 520 over Hengistbury Head
Northern Wheatear - 120 Portland Bill

Sightings - Tuesday 26th August 2014

Osprey - 1 over Verne Common Portland, 1 one over Abbotsbury
Spoonbill - 9 Middlebere
Balearic Shearwater - 1 past Portland Bill
Curlew Sandpiper - 1 Lytchett Bay
Wood Sandpiper - 1 over Portland Bill
Knot - 8 Ferrybridge
Whimbrel - 9 Stanpit Marsh
Great Skua - 1 past Portland Bill
Arctic Skua - 2 past Portland Bill

Sanderling Mudeford Sandspit © Dave Hill

Sightings - Monday 25th August 2014

Scaup - 1 Abbotsbury
Spoonbill - 7 Middlebere
Balearic Shearwater - 11 past Portland Bill
Curlew Sandpiper - 1 Lytchett Bay
Black Tern - 1 Mudeford Quay
Arctic Tern - 1 Mudeford Quay
Great Skua - 10 past Portland Bill
Arctic Skua - 3 past Portland Bill

Sightings - Sunday 24th August 2014

Osprey -  2 Poole Harbour
Spoonbill - 3 Arne
Curlew Sandpiper - 1 Stanpit Marsh
Spotted Redshank - 3 Brownsea Island lagoon
Yellow Wagtail - 45 over Hengistbury Head
Tree Pipit -23 over Hengistbury Head

Sightings - Saturday 23rd August 2014.

Little Egret - 65 Brownsea Lagoon.
Osprey - 1 Middlebere.
Knot - 10 Brownsea Lagoon.
Greenshank - 12 Brownsea Lagoon, 2 Brands Bay.
Spotted Redshank - 1 Middlebere, 1 Brands Bay.
Black-tailed Godwit - 329 Brands Bay.
Dunlin - 54 Brands Bay.
Cuckoo - 1 Juv. Wick Hams.
Kingfisher - 2 Barn Field, 1 Brownsea Lagoon.
Swallow - 50 Christchurch Harbour.
Sand Martin - 115 Christchurch Harbour.
Wheatear - 6 Hengistbury, 5 Crouch Hill, 3 Tarrant Rushden Airfield.

Sightings - Friday 22nd August 2014.

Dunlin - 28 Holloway's Dock.
Mediterranean Gull - 5 Juveniles Holloway's Dock.
Roseate Tern - 2 an adult & a juvenile Christchurch Harbour.
Sandwich Tern - 180 Holloway's Dock, 90+ Stanpit Bight.
Common Tern - 40+ Stanpit Bight.
Marsh Harrier - 1 Hartland Moor.
Redstart - 7 Hartland Moor, 2 Durlston, 2 Sturminster Marshall, 2 Ryland Barn Farm.
Whinchat - 4 Ryland Barn Farm, 1 Hartland Moor.
Common Whitethroat - 15 Durlston, 6 Ryland Barn Farm, 3 Hartland Moor.
Lesser Whitethroat - 2 Durlston.
Corn Bunting - 7 Ryland Barn Farm.

Late reports from yesterday.
Curlew Sandpiper - 1 Juv. Lychett Bay.  Ruff - 1 Juv. Lychett Bay. Little Ringed Plover - 3 Lychett Bay.
Dunlin - 9 Lychett Bay.
Ringed Plover - 172 Ferrybridge.

HELP WANTED to load up the daily sightings page

I'm sure that those of you who regularly follow this daily sightings page have noticed recently that there have been more frequent 'gaps' appearing. We have recently lost a couple of people from the rota to update the page and are looking for others to come forward to help. Obviously the more people that help the less of a burden it is on individuals.

If you can help please contact Jol Mitchell jolmitchell@btopenworld.com who will be able to let you know what is involved and can sign you into the system.

[thank you to those who have recently joined the team - one or two extra bodies would still be welcomed]

Farmland bird declines - neonicotinoids

Just received.
Please take the time to read the article and if you agree with the concerns please consider signing the petition (see links below).

Dear Neil & Jol

As chairman and conservation officer of Dorset Bird Club, you may be aware of a study published last week in Nature magazine which identifies neonicitinoids in the food chain as an important cause in the decline of farmland birds. The study is reported in the national press here http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2014/jul/09/neonicotinoids-farmland-birds

In response to this a government e-petition has been raised asking for a complete ban on these pesticides. It is to be found here http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/67350 So far, the rate at which the petition is being signed is relatively slow - less than 500 to date - and 100,000 signatures are needed before the petition will be considered for parliamentary debate. With a new Environment Secretary taking office this week, now would be an ideal time to raise the issue in Westminster. I would hope that the target could be reached if the petition was widely publicised among bird watchers, and I wonder if you would be willing to promote it on the Dorset Bird Club website.


Yours sincerely
Rory MacKay

Sightings - Thursday 21st August 2014.

Knot - 6 Stanpit.
Green Sandpiper - 1 Longham Lakes, 1 Stanpit.
Common Tern - 22 Stanpit Bight.
Sandwich Tern - 93 Holloway's Dock.
Swallow - 100 Durlston, 150 Stanpit.
Sand Martin - 430 Stanpit.
Tree Pipit - 25 Durlston, 21 Stanpit.
Yellow Wagtail - 4 Durlston, 30+ Stanpit.
Willow Warbler - 65 Hengistbury.
Crossbill - 2 Durlston.

Juvenile Common Tern. Hengistbury © Joseph Murphy.

Sightings - Wednesday 20th August 2014.

Osprey - out at sea going west Hengistbury Head.
Bar-tailed Godwit - 2 Lodmoor.
Wood Sandpiper - 1 Lodmoor.
Sand Martin - 200 Hengistbury Head.
Tree Pipit - 12 Hengistbury Head, 3 Durlston, 2 West Bexington.
Yellow Wagtail - 15 Hengistbury Head, 13 West Bexington.
Redstart - 2 Hengistbury Head, 2 Rylands Barn Farm, 1 Langton Matravers.
Black Redstart - 2 Langton Matravers.
Whinchat - 3 Rylands Barn Farm, 3 West Bexington, 2 Hengistbury Head.
Wheatear - 11 West Bexington, 6 Hengistbury Head, 4 Rylands Barn Farm.
Willow Warbler - 85 Hengistbury Head.

Sightings - Tuesday 19th August 2014

Mandarin Duck - 1 on R.Stour near Longham
Spoonbill - 3 Arne
Osprey - 1 Wareham Channel
Redshank - 138 Stanpit
Spotted Redshank - 1 Brownsea Island
Knot - 1 Ferrybridge, 1 Brownsea Island, 1 Stanpit
Whimbrel - 1 Ferrybridge, 1 Stanpit
Yellow-legged Gull - 2 Ferrybridge
Little Gull - 1 Stanpit
Sandwich Tern - 210 Christchurch Harbour
Redstart - 3 Monkey's Jump/Maiden Castle, 2 Harland Moor, 2 Martinstown, 1 Portland Bill, 1 Rushcombe/Barrow Hill, 1 Christchurch Harbour
Whinchat - 1 Harland Moor, 1 Portland Bill, 1 Studland Heath NNR, 1 Rushcombe/Barrow Hill
Spotted Flycatcher - 3 Hartland Moor, 2 Martinstown, 1 Acton/Hedbury
Pied Flycatcher - 1 Portland, 1 Arne
Hooded Crow - 1 Admiralty Quarry (Portland)

Sightings - Monday 18th August 2014

Cuckoo - 1 Middlebere
Redstart - 4 Durlston, 1 Portland Bill, 1 Wick Fields (Christchurch Harbour)
Whinchat - 1 Portland Bill, 1 Studland Heath NNR
Grasshopper Warbler - 1 Portland Bill
Spotted Flycatcher - 1 Portland Bill
 

Sightings - Sunday 17th August 2014

 
Balearic Shearwater - several past Portland Bill
Hobby - 1 Christchurch Harbour
Whimbrel - 1 Ferrybridge,1 Stanpit
Ruff - 1 Lytchett Bay
Little Ringed Plover - 3 Lytchett Bay
Green Sandpiper - 13 Lytchett Bay
Greenshank - 9 Lytchett Bay
Great Skua - 1 Portland Bill
Little Gull - 1 Christchurch Harbour
Common Tern - 530 Christchurch Harbour
Arctic Tern 1 Ferrybridge, 1 Christchurch Harbour
Sandwich Tern - 450+ Christchurch Harbour
Firecrest - 1 Kingston Lacy
 
Willow Warbler at Holton Heath © Tim Balmer
 

Sightings - Saturday 16th August 2014

Manx Shearwater - 16 Portland Bill
Osprey - 1 Keysworth
Hobby - 1 Forston
Greenshank - 8 Christchurch Harbour, 5 Lytchett Bay
WESTERN BONELLI'S WARBLER - 1 trapped and ringed at Portland Bird Obs
Whinchat - 1 West Knighton Heath
Pied Flycatcher - 1 Acton (near Langton Matravers), 1 Portland Bill
 
Curlew at Hengistbury Head © Joe Murphy
 

Sightings - Friday 15th August 2014

Garganey - 1 Christchurch Harbour
Great White Egret - 1 Studland
Marsh Harrier - 1 Poole Harbour, 1 Portland (Blacknor)
Golden Plover - 1 Hengistbury Head
Knot - 2 Brownsea
Whimbrel - 1 Ferrybridge, 4 Stanpit
Sanderling - 4 Ferrybridge, 3 Studland
Common Sandpiper - 1 Stanpit, 2 West Knighton Heath
Greenshank - 3 Stanpit
Green Sandpiper -  2 Hengistbury Head, 1 West Knighton Heath
Arctic Tern - 1 Ferrybridge
Little Tern - 1 Ferrybridge
Tree Pipit - 2 Durlston CP, 19 Hengistbury Head, 1 Studland
Yellow Wagtail - 1 Durlston CP,  4 Hengistbury Head
Swift - 2 roosting in a nestbox Blandford, 2 Hengistbury Head
Common Redstart - 5 Durlston CP, 1 Hengistbury Head, 1 Studland
 

Pied Flycatcher - 1 Durlston CP
Grasshopper Warbler - 1 Durlston CP
Willow Warbler - 100+ Hengistbury Head
Whitethroat - 90+ Hengistbury Head
Firecrest - 1 Durlston CP

Greenshank at Hengistbury Head © Joe Murphy

Whitethroat at Hengistbury Head © Joe Murphy

Sightings - Thursday 14th August 2014

Manx Shearwater - 5 Portland Bill
Balearic Shearwater - 2 Portland Bill
Knot - 5 Ferrybridge
Whimbrel - 7 Stanpit
Sanderling - 5 Ferrybridge
Common Sandpiper - 4 Stanpit
Green Sandpiper - 1 West Bexington
Little Gull - 1 Christchurch Harbour
Little Tern - 1 Christchurch Harbour
Tree Pipit - 1 Durlston CP, 5 Portland Bill
Yellow Wagtail - 2 Durlston CP, 1 Portland Bill
Wheatear - 40+ Stonehill Down
Common Redstart - 1 Portland Bill
Grasshopper Warbler - 1 Durlston CP


Green Sandpiper at West Bexington today © Mike Morse


Sightings - Wednesday 13th August 2014

Great White Egret - 1 west over Lodmoor in the early evening.
Sanderling - 11 Ferrybridge, 9 Hengistbury sandspit
Greenshank - 2 Christchurch Harbour
Arctic Skua - 2 Chesil Cove
Yellow-Legged Gull - 1 Portland Bill
Little Gull - 1 Christchurch Harbour
Sandwich Tern - c. 300 Christchurch Harbour
Arctic Tern - 1 Hengistbury beach
Swift - 2 Christchurch Harbour, 1 Durlston CP
Cuckoo - 1 Hengistbury Head
Tree Pipit - 2 Christchurch Harbour
Yellow Wagtail - 3 Christchurch Harbour
Common Redstart - 1 Durlston CP
Pied Flycatcher - 1 Hengistbury Head
Grasshopper Warbler - 1 Culverwell (Portland), 4 Durlston CP

Sightings - Tuesday 12th August 2014

CORY'S SHEARWATER - 1 west past Portland Bill
Montagu's Harrier - 1 possible reported at Arne
Whimbrel - 2 Christchurch Harbour
Sanderling - 4 Ferrybridge
Common Sandpiper - 2 Christchurch Harbour
Great Skua - 1 Durlston CP
Little Gull - 1 Christchurch Harbour.
Little Tern - 2 Ferrybridge
Swift - 1 Christchurch Harbour
Tree Pipit - 1 Christchurch Harbour

Late news:  hen Cuckoo at Turnerspuddle on Sunday 10th August.


Kestrel at Hengistbury Head © Joe Murphy

Sightings - Monday 11th August 2014

CORY'S SHEARWATER - 1 past Portland Bill
Manx Shearwater - 35 Portland Bill
Balearic Shearwater - 14 Portland Bill
Spoonbill - 6 Middlebere
Wood Sandpiper - 1 Lodmoor
Great Skua - 1 Portland Bill
Arctic Skua - 1 Portland Bill
Sabine's Gull - 1 juv west Abbotsbury Swannery

Black-tailed Godwit - Stanpit Marsh © Clinton Whale

Hen Harrier - Middlebere © Ann Rashley

Sighting - Sunday 10th August 2014

Everyone must have been supporting Hen Harrier Day as few reports today.

Manx Shearwater - 12 West Bexington, 3 Branksome Chine
Balearic Shearwater - 11 Portland Bill, 6 Ferrybridge pos same 6 Chesil Cove, 3 West Bexington
Sanderling - 25 Hengistbury Hd.
Whimbrel - 2 Lytchett Bay, 1 West Bexington
Greenshank - 5 Lytchett Bay
Lesser Yellowlegs - 1 possible reported from Stanpit Marsh
Green Sandpiper - 5 Lytchett Bay
Wood Sandpiper - 1 Lytchett Bay
Common Sandpiper - 2 Lytchett Bay
Pomarine Skua - 1 Chesil Cove
Great Skua - 1 Hengistbury Hd, 1 Portland Bill
Arctic Skua - 1 Branksome Chine
Swift - 2 Hengistbury Hd.
Sand Martin - 19 Hengistbury Hd.
Common Redstart - 1 East Lulworth
alba Wagtail - c50 Lytchett Bay



Supporters of Hen Harrier Day at Radipole © Luke Phillips 
Supporters of Hen Harrier Day at Radipole © Luke Phillips


Sightings - Saturday 9th August 2014

Scaup - 1 Abbotsbury Swannery
Balearic Shearwater - 1 Portland Bill
Osprey - 1 Arne, 1 Wareham Channel
Golden Plover - 1 Ferrybridge
Whimbrel - 6 Stanpit Marsh
Arctic Skua - 1 Portland Bill
Common Redstart - 2 Hartland Moor, 1 Radipole Lake
Whinchat - 1 Ringstead
Wheatear - 3 Hartland Moor
Spotted Flycatcher - 1 Ringstead
Pied Flycatcher - 1 Durlston CP.

Sightings - Friday 8th August 2014

Red-necked Grebe - 1 Portland Hbr.
Manx Sheawater - 500 east Portland Bill
Balearic Shearwater - 10 east Portland Bill
Great White Egret - 1 Christchurch Hbr.
Spoonbill - 7 Middlebere
Hobby - 1 over Stanpit Marsh
Stone Curlew - 1 early a.m. Portland Bill
Sanderling - 15 Hengistbury Hd.
Whimbrel - 6 Stanpit Marsh
Common Sandpiper - 2 Middlebere
Swift - 22 Christchurch Hbr, 1 Swanage
Swallow - 60+ Middlebere
Wheatear - 5 Hengistbury Hd, 2 Stanpit Marsh
Pied Flycatcher - 1 Hengistbury Hd, 1 Stanpit Marsh, 1 Southwell.

Late news - 7th August - 1 Cuckoo Longham Lakes.

Sanderling - Hengistbury Hd © Clinton Whale
    
Sanderling - Hengistbury Hd © Clinton Whale

Sightings - Thursday 7th August 2014

Good numbers of common migrants were present at coastal sites today and such numbers may indicate a good breeding season for many species.  Sedge Warblers seemed to be present in particularly high numbers, but other migrants included Redstarts, Tree Pipits, Wheatears, and Grasshopper Warblers.  It was the first day of the autumn with more than 100 birds ringed on Portland.  Other birds included:

Balearic Shearwater - 1, Portland
Osprey - 1, Middlebere
Wood Sandpiper - 2, Lodmoor
Stone Curlew - 1, Portland Bill
Swift - 22, Christchurch Harbour; 6 Durlston

Peregrine, Bournemouth.  Copyright David Wareham

Stonechat, Hengistbury Head.  Copyright Joe Murphy.

Sightings - Wednesday 6th August 2014

Long-tailed Skua - 1, Portland
Pomarine Skua - 1, Portland
Osprey - 1, Wareham Channel
Wood Sandpiper - 3, Christchurch Harbour
Spoonbill - 2, Christchurch Harbour
Turtle Dove - 1, Hengistbury Head
Grasshopper Warbler - 5+ Portland; 1 Durlston; 1, Hengistbury Head

Sightings - Tuesday 5th August 2014

Balearic Shearwater - 1, Portland; 1 Durlston
Spoonbill - 4, Arne
Osprey - 1, Arne
Curlew Sandpiper - 1, Christchurch Harbour
Pied Flycatcher - 1, Durlston; 1 Corfe Castle
Redstart - 1, Hengistbury Head; 1 Durlston
Hooded Crow - 1, Portland

Sightings - Monday 4th August 2014

Balearic Shearwater - 1, Durlston
Spoonbill - 7, Wareham Channel
Osprey - 2, Wareham Channel
Little Gull - 1. Stanpit

Whimbrel, Hengistbury Head.  Copyright Joe Murphy.

Sightings - Sunday 3rd August 2014

Garganey - 2 juveniles at Stanpit
Red-necked Grebe - 1 Portland Harbour
Manx Shearwater - 1 Portland Bill
Balearic Shearwater - 1 Hengistbury Head
Osprey - 1 Rodden Hive, 1 Wareham Channel, 1 over Stanpit
Hobby - 1 Swineham GPs
Whimbrel - 9 Stanpit
Green Sandpiper - 4 Stanpit
Wood Sandpiper - 2 Lodmoor
Little Gull - 1 first summer still at Stanpit
Black Tern - 1 juvenile Abbotsbury Swannery
Redstart - 1 Slepe Heath
Garden Warbler - 9 trapped & ringed at Durlston

Lapwing at Stanpit Marsh © Clinton Whale


Wood Sandpiper at Lodmoor © Will Bown

Sightings - Saturday 2nd August 2014

Scaup - female still at Abbotsbury Swannery
Red-necked Grebe - 1 Portland Harbour
Cory's Shearwater - 2 west past Portland Bill
Manx Shearwater - 1 past Durlston
Balearic Shearwater - 1 past Portland Bill
Little Ringed Plover -1 Lodmoor
Whimbrel - 12 together past Hengistbury Head, 2 Stanpit, 1 Lodmoor, 1 Durlston
Green Sandpiper - 4 Lodmoor
Wood Sandpiper - 2 Lodmoor
Arctic Skua - 1 past Durlston
Great Skua 1 Portland Bill
Little Gull - 1 Stanpit
Hoopoe - 1 Lodmoor (in area of old tip & rugby ground)
Melodious Warbler - 1 trapped & ringed at Portland Bill

Sightings - Friday 1st August 2014

Balearic Shearwater - 1 past Durlston
Great White Egret - 3 over Lodmoor
Osprey - 2 in Wareham Channel
Arctic Skua - 1 past Durlston
Redstart - 1 Stanpit
Grasshopper Warbler - 1 Durlston

Late news from yesterday: a possible Cattle Egret was seen near Stinsford (NE of Dorchester)

Common Sandpiper on Brownsea Is. © Clinton Whale


Young Swallow at Edmondsham © Roger Peart