Dorset Birds: March 2017

Sightings - Friday 31st March 2017

Common Scoter - 56 past Portland Bill, 8 past Hengistbury Head.
Velvet Scoter - 7 past Portland Bill.
Red-throated Diver - 11 past Portland Bill, 3 past Hengistbury Head.
Black-throated Diver - 1 past Portland Bill.
Hen Harrier - 1 Wareham Channel.
Grey Plover - 5 Stanpit Marsh.
Bar-tailed Godwit - 3 Stanpit Marsh.
Greenshank - 1 Stanpit Marsh.
Great Skua - 1 past Portland Bill.
Arctic Skua - 1 past Portland Bill.
Iceland Gull - 1 Portland Bill.
Sandwich Tern - 8 past Portland Bill, 5 past Hengistbury Head.
Common Tern -1 past Portland Bill.
Yellow Wagtail - 1 over Stanpit Marsh.
Reed Warbler - 1 Lodmoor.
Lesser Whitethroat - 1 Lodmoor.
Great Grey Shrike - 1 Hartland Moor.

Mediterranean & Black-headed Gulls – Longham Lakes © Roger Peart.

Dunnock – Hengistbury Head © Joe Murphy.

Great Spotted Woodpecker – Hengistbury Head © David Wareham.

Sightings - Thursday 30th March 2017

Red-throated Diver - 7 past Portland Bill.
Great Northern Diver - 1 Middle Beach Studland.
Black-necked Grebe - 4 Middle Beach Studland.
Cattle Egret - 9 still roosting at Radipole Lake
Great White Egret - 1 Longham Lakes.
Hobby - 1 Hartland Moor.
Grey Plover - 1 Stanpit Marsh.
Little Ringed Plover - 1 South Haven.
Bar-tailed Godwit - 2 Stanpit Marsh.
Great Skua -2 past Portland Bill.
Arctic Skua - 2 Past Portland Bill.
Iceland Gull - 1 Barleycrates Lane Portland, then headed E past Portland Bill back to the port.
Sandwich Tern - 16 South Haven, 13 off Old Harry, 10 past Portland Bill, 7 Middle Beach, 3 Ferrybridge.
Lesser Spotted Woodpecker - 1 heard drumming near Middle Beach.
Humes's Leaf Warbler - 1 still Thumb Lane.
Great Grey Shrike - 1 still Hartland Moor, 1 still Morden Bog.

Mediterranean Gulls – Longham Lakes © Roger Peart.

Reed Bunting – Christchurch Harbour © David Wareham.

Sightings - Wednesday 29th March 2017

Green-winged Teal - 1 still Lytchett Fields.
Common Scoter - 80 past Portland Bill
Red-throated Diver - 12 past Portland Bill..
Cattle Egret - 6 Litton Cheney.
Golden Plover - 150 over Came Down.
Great Skua - 4 past Portland Bill.
Iceland Gull - 1 Portland Port.
Sandwich Tern - 14 past Portland Bill, 2 Weymouth Bay.

Short-eared Owl - 1 Portland Bill.

Swallow - 1 Morden Bog.
Wheatear - 4 Portland Bill..
Great Grey Shrike - 1 still Hartland Moor. 1 still Morden Bog.

Rook on feeder – Oakley Wimborne © Roger Peart.

Treecreeper – Talbot Heath © David Wareham.

Black-tailed Godwits – Hengistbury Head © Clinton Whale.

Rook at nest – Oakley Wimborne © Roger Peart.

Sightings - Tuesday 28th March 2017

Velvet Scoter - 6 Chesil Beach.
Red-Throated Diver - 1 off Portland Bill.
Marsh Harrier - 1 Stanpit.
Hen Harrier - 1 Poole Harbour.
Osprey - 1 Morden Bog.
Grey Plover - 2 Stanpit.
Little Ringed Plover - 1 Lodmoor.
Spotted Redshank - 2 Middlebere, 1 Stanpit.
Green Sandpiper - 1 Lodmoor.
Arctic Skua - 1 Chesil Beach.
Puffin - 1 off the Dorset coast.
Ring Ousel - 1 Stanpit.

Osprey with prey © Ian Ballam

Dartford Warbler at Stanpit © Joe Murphy

Little Owl at Portland Bill © Clive Hargrave

Bittern migration

At this time of year a wonderful phenomenon occurs around sunset, when conditions are good, whereby Bittern will depart from the reed beds they've been hiding in and circle around the site uttering their gentle bark-like call before departing in a generally NE direction. Optimum conditions are clear evenings with a light south-westerly wind so Tuesday currently looks ideal whilst Wednesday could be OK too.

Some of these will be birds which have spent the winter here but some birds are probably using these sites as staging posts before migrating towards their breeding grounds.

This is where we need your help please. Any reed bed, regardless of size, could potentially hold a Bittern or two. Are you able to get to a local reed bed in Dorset this evening (28th) or tomorrow evening to see/hear if any birds depart?

Generally speaking birds will rise from the reed beds half an hour either side of sunset with stragglers occasionally leaving an hour after dusk. The optimum time for birds leaving will be around 8pm.

If you could let me know via recorder@dorsetbirds.org.uk or by replying on Twitter if you are able to cover a site then I can coordinate to ensure that best coverage is achieved.

Good luck!

Sightings - Monday 27th March 2017

Velvet Scoter - 11 passing along Chesil Beach.
Great Northern Diver - 1 passing along Chesil Beach.
Bittern - 1 Radipole Lake.
Osprey - 1 Christchurch Harbour.
Merlin - 1 Morden Bog.
Hobby - 1 on Hartland Moor is a very early arrival.
Grey Plover - c. 40 Brownsea Island.
Little Ringed Plover - 5 Lodmoor.
Greenshank - 1+ Brownsea Island.
Spotted Redshank - 1+ Brownsea Island.
Common Sandpiper - 2 Swineham.
Puffin - 5 off the coast.
Swallow - 2 Ferrybridge.
Sand Martin - 14 Ferrybridge.
Great Grey Shrike - 1 Morden Bog.
Black Redstart - 1 in a Portland garden.

Rook building nest in Wimborne © Roger Peart

Goldfinch on Talbot Heath © David Wareham

Sightings - Sunday 26th March 2017

Black-Necked Grebe - 1 in summer plumage off Studland.
Goldeneye - 1 past Studland.
Merlin - 1 Rodden Hive.
Hen Harrier - 1 Coombe valley (Weymouth).
Red Kite - several reports evidently of migrant birds from across Dorset today.
Grey Plover - 3 Ferrybridge.
Meadow Pipit arrived in numbers on the Dorset coast today.
Wheatear - 2 Durlston Head, 2 Hengistbury Head.
Great Grey Shrike - 1 Hartland Moor.

Firecrest at Warren Common © Colin and Gail Davis

Sightings -Saturday 25th March 2017

Green-Winged Teal - 1 Lytchett Bay.
Long-tailed Duck - 5 Abbotsbury Swannery
Great White Egret - 1 Longham Lakes, 1 Hampreston
Osprey - 1 north over Durlston.
Little Ringed Plover - 1 Lytchett Bay.
Knot - 2 past Hengistbury Head.
Great Grey Shrike - 1 Slepe, 1 Bailey's Plantation Verwood, 1 Hartland Moor.
House Martin - 2 Blacknor (Portland).
Swallow - 1 Portland Bill.
Meadow Pipit arrived in some numbers today, with e.g. 1500 past Blacknor (Portland) in three hours.
White Wagtail - 1 Portland Bill.
Ring Ouzel - 1 Blacknor (Portland), c. 5 Portland Bill
Black Redstart - 1 Tilly Whim.
Siberian Chiffchaff - 1 Kinson Sewage Farm
Hume's Warbler - 1 Thumb Lane (Portland).

Rook on garden feeder © Roger Peart

Starlings at Canford Bridge © Roger Peart

Sightings - Friday 24th March 2017

Green-winged Teal - 1 Lytchett Fields
Garganey - 2 male/female briefly Stanpit Marsh, 1 drake West Lexington
Long-tailed Duck - 3 Abbotsbury Swannery
Slavonian Grebe - 1 Sandsfoot Castle
Marsh Harrier - 1 over Blacknor Portland
Little Ringed Plover - 1 Lytchett Fields
Spotted Redshank - 1 Stanpit Marsh
Sand Martin - 50+ Lodmoor
Hume's Leaf Warbler - 1 still Thumb Lane Portland
Siberian Chiffchaff - 2 singing Kinson Sewage Farm
Ring Ouzel - 2 Portland Bill, 1 Thumb Lane
Water Pipit - 1 Lytchett Fields
Meadow Pipit - 500 Hengistbury Hd, 200 Reap Lane Portland, 80+ Lodmoor

Sanderling at Poole Harbour mouth © Clinton Whale

Ringed Plover - Swineham GP © Neil Gibson

Starling - Candford Bridge © Roger Peart

Guided Walk - Seacombe and Dancing Ledge - Saturday 25th March

Join us this Saturday for a leisurely walk from Worth Matravers to Seacombe and Dancing Ledge in search of migrants and also to see the breeding seabirds on the cliffs. The weather looks to be clear and sunny but with a light NE wind it may be chilly.

Telescopes will be on hand to help view the more distant birds on the cliffs and sea.

Meet at 09:30 in the car park in Worth Matravers (SY 974778 or BH19 3LE) – charges apply. Bring a packed lunch as we don't expect to return until mid-afternoon.

Category B/C – some steep hills/stiles.

Non-members welcome.

Sightings - Thursday 23rd March 2017

Green-winged Teal - 1 Lytchett Fields
Eider - 10 Hengistbury Hd.
Red-throated Diver - 1 past Hengistbury Hd.
Iceland Gull - 1 past into the Solent.
Cuckoo - 1 NE reported flying over Lorton Meadows Weymouth 07:38hrs.
Black Redstart - 1 female Lulworth Cove
Wheatear - 5 Hengistbury Hd, 2 Ferrybridge
Water Pipit - 2 Priory Marsh

Sightings - Wednesday 22nd March 2017

Green-winged Teal - 1 still Lytchett Fields
Long-tailed Duck - 2 Abbotsbury Swannery
Great Northern Diver - 1 Ferrybridge
Bittern - 1 Lodmoor leaving towards the east this evening.
Black-necked Grebe - 1 Portland Hbr.
Little Ringed Plover - 3 Little Ringed Plover East Holme (first cattle field on right with all the exposed mud at the Springfield Hotel end Holme Lane), 1 Abbottsbury Swannery
Short-eared Owl - 6 Portland Bill p.m.
Great Grey Shrike - 1 Wareham Forest in pines north of Pylons
Siberian Chiffchaff - 1 Kinson Sewage Works.
Wheatear - 1 Lodmoor
White Wagtail - 1 Kinson Sewage Works.

Wigeon - Hengistbury Head © Joe Murphy

Sightings - Tuesday 21st March 2017

Green-winged Teal - 1 still Lytchett Fields
Long-tailed Duck - 5 Abbotsbury Swannery
Red-throated Diver - 8 past Portland Bill
Spoonbill - 8 Arne
Little Ringed Plover - 1 Priory Marsh
Purple Sandpiper - 13 Lyme Regis
Spotted Redshank - 1 Stanpit Marsh
Great Grey Shrike - 1 Wareham Forest on Sika Trail
Hume's Leaf Warbler - 1 Thumb Lane, Portland
Siberian Chiffchaff - 1 Kinson Sewage Farm, 1 retraced Fleets Corner Poole.
Willow Warbler - 1 Kinson Sewage Farm
Wheatear - 1 Portland Bill, 1 Whites Pit Christchurch.
Water Pipit - 2 Priory Marsh Christchurch

Dunnock-Bournemouth © David Wareham

Oystercatcher - Hengistbury Head © Joe Murphy

Sightings - Monday 20th March 2017

Long-tailed Duck - 5 Abbotsbury
Cattle Egret - 1 still at Clifton Maybank (ST577138)
Grey Plover - 2 Lodmoor, 1 Lytchett Bay
Little Ringed Plover - 2 Stanpit, 1 Lodmoor
Ruff - 1 Upton CP
Hume's Leaf Warbler - 1 Thumb Lane (Portland)
Siberian Chiffchaff - 1 Kinson SW (Bournemouth)

Wheatear at Lytchett Fields © Trevor Wilkinson

Sightings - Sunday 19th March 2017

Green-winged Teal - 1 Lytchett Fields
Long-tailed Duck - 4+ Abbotsbury
Cattle Egret - 1 at Clifton Maybank (ST577138)
Grey Plover - 1 Lodmoor
Little Ringed Plover - 2 Lodmoor, 2 Priory Marsh (Christchurch Harbour)
Lesser Yellowlegs - 1 Lytchett Bay
Iceland Gull - 1 briefly at Barleycrates Lane
Great Grey Shrike - 1 Morden Bog
Hume's Leaf Warbler - 1 heard at Thumb Lane (Portland)
Waxwing - 4 again at Hanham Road (Corfe Mullen)
Water Pipit - 1 Priory Marsh (Christchurch Harbour)

Female Teal at Hengistbury Head © Joe Murphy

Sightings - Saturday 18th March 2017

Green-winged Teal - 1 Lytchett Fields
Cattle Egret - 2 Norris Mill Farm (nr Lower Bockhampton)
Great White Egret - 1 Longham Lakes
Slavonian Grebe - 2 Portland Harbour
Black-necked Grebe - 8 Studland Bay, 2 Portland Harbour
Purple Sandpiper - 1 Sandbanks
Swallow - 1 Swineham GPs
House Martin - 1 Durlston CP
Great Grey Shrike - 1 Morden Bog
Hume's Leaf Warbler - 1 Thumb Lane (Portland)
Siberian Chiffchaff - 1 Kinson SW (Bournemouth)
Black Redstart - 3 Portland Bill

Purple Sandpiper near the Haven Hotel, Sandbanks © Clinton Whale

Sanderlings near the Haven Hotel, Sandbanks © Clinton Whale

Sanderling near the Haven Hotel, Sandbanks © Clinton Whale

Sightings - Friday 17th March 2017

Green-winged Teal - 1 drake Lytchett Fields
Garganey - 1 drake Stanpit
Scaup - 1 Poole Park
Long-tailed Duck - 5 Abbotsbury
Cattle Egret - 1 Lodmoor
Green Sandpiper - 1 Lodmoor
Little Ringed Plover - 2 Lodmoor
Great Grey Shrike - 1 Morden Bog
Sand Martin - 12 Lodmoor
Swallow - 1 Lytchett Fields
Willow Warbler - 1 Upton CP
Black Redstart - 1 West Bexington, 1 Durdle Door

Crossbill at Oakers Wood © Roger Hewitt

Greenfinch at Hengistbury Head © Joe Murphy

Sand Martin at Hengistbury Head © Joe Murphy

Sightings - Thursday 16th March 2017

Green-winged Teal - 1 Lytchett Fields
Long-tailed Duck - 5 Abbotsbury
CATTLE EGRET - 9 roosted at Radipole Lake, 1 over Swineham GPs
Lesser Yellowlegs - 1 Lytchett Fields
Yellow Wagtail - 1 north over Blacknor Portland
Swallow - 1 Radipole Lake
Sand Martin - 60+ Radipole Lake, 50 Swineham GP
House Martin - 1 Swineham GP
Meadow Pipit - 500 disorientated birds Hengistbury Head
Great Grey Shrike - 1 Morden Bog
Ring Ouzel - 1 Portland Obs
Waxwing - 4 Hanham Road Corfe Mullen, 4 Northbrook Road Broadstone
Hume's Leaf Warbler - 1 Thumb Lane Portland
Willow Warbler - 1 Portland Obs
Siberian Chiffchaff - 1 Kinson Sewage Works Bournemouth

Sightings - Wednesday 15th March 2017

Long-tailed Duck - 5 Abbotsbury
CATTLE EGRET - 2 Bockhampton, 9 in flight Radipole Lake
Meditteranean Gull - 111 Brownsea island lagoon
Great Grey Shrike - 1 Morden Bog

Sightings - Tuesday 14th March 2017

Green-winged Teal - 1 Lytchett Fields

Long-tailed Duck - 5 Abbotsbury
CATTLE EGRET - 1 left roost at Abbbotsbury, 1 Swineham GPs
AMERICAN HERRING GULL - possible late pm at Abbotsbury Swannery
Great Grey Shrike - 1 Morden Bog, 1 Bailey's Plantation Verwood
Waxwing - 4 Hanham Road Corfe Mullen

Grey Heron & Great White Egret Longham Lakes copyright David Harrop

Lesser Black-backed Gulls copyright David Wareham

Sightings - Monday 13th March 2017

Green-winged Teal - drake on Lytchett Fields
Long-tailed Duck - 5 still at Abbotsbury (view only from New Barn Road)
Cattle Egret - 1 still at Norris Mill Farm, 2 Abbotsbury roost, 1 Swineham GP
Bittern - 3 departed Swineham around dusk
Lesser Yellowlegs - on Lytchett Fields
Ring-billed Gull - 1 Wareham Channel (last night)
White Wagtail - 2 Suckthumb Portland
Siberian Chiffchaff - 1 Radipole Lake
Waxwing - 4 briefly Hanham Road Corfe Mullen

Turnstone Hengistbury Head copyright Joe Murphy

Sightings - Sunday 12th March 2017

Green-winged Teal - drakes on Lytchett Fields and at Rodden Hive
Pintail - 500 at Rodden Hive
Long-tailed Duck - 5 still at Abbotsbury (view only from New Barn Road)
Cattle Egret - 9 at Tatton (Langton Herring), 4 still at Norris Mill Farm, 3 still near the Old Engine Room at Portesham,
Great White Egret - 1 flew over Chard Junction GP
Little Ringed Plover - 1 Lytchett Fields
Lesser Yellowlegs - on Lytchett Fields at high tide then from Turlin Moor viewing screen later.
Caspian Gull - 1 1st-winter at Radipole late afternoon
Waxwing - 4 still on Northbrook Road (BH18 8HD)
House Martin - 1 Durlston CP
Hume's Warbler - 1 still at Thumb Lane (Portland)
Siberian Chiffchaff - singles still at West Bexington and Radipole Lake
Great Grey Shrike - 1 still Verwood (SU106104), 1 still Hartland Moor, 1 still Wytch Causeway

Also good numbers of Chiffchaff today along the coast as well as several Wheatear and a few Black Redstart.

Sightings - Saturday 11th March 2017

Green-winged Teal - drake still on Lytchett Fields
Long-tailed Duck - 5 at Abbotsbury (view only from New Barn Road)
Black-necked Grebe - 1 Pilot's Point
Cattle Egret - 6 at Ford Farm (Litton Cheney), 3 at Littlebredy, 4 Norris Mill Farm (DT2 8QL), 1 Hurst Green (DT2 8RA), 2 New Barn Farm (DT3 4JG)
Great White Egret - 2 at Longham Lakes
Spoonbill - 9 in the Wych Channel
Litte Ringed Plover - 1 Swineham at dusk
Purple Sandpiper - 13 Lyme Cobb
Lesser Yellowlegs - still on Lytchett Fields but only briefly
Hoopoe - 1 in a private area of Poole Harbour
White Wagtail - 1 Studland village
Waxwing - 4 Northbrook Road (BH18 8HD), 1 flew over Verwood
Wheatear - several along the coast today
Hume's Warbler - 1 still Thumb Lane (Portland)
Siberian Chiffchaff - singles at Kinson Sewage Works and Radipole Lake
Great Grey Shrike - 1 from Wytch Causeway (Rempstone Forest)
Brambling - 2 Sadborow
Snow Bunting - 1 Pilot's Point again but elusive

Sightings - Friday 10th March 2017

Green-winged Teal - 1 Lytchett Fields
Garganey - 3 (2 drakes) Abbotsbury (view only from New Barn Road)
Long-tailed Duck - 5 Abbotsbury (view only from New Barn Road)
Black-necked Grebe - 3 Pilot's Point (Shell Bay)
Cattle Egret - 1 to roost at Abbotsbury, 1 Christchurch Harbour
Great White Egret - 1 Shipstal Point
Spoonbill - 9 Shipstal Point
Siberian Chiffchaff - 1 West Bexington
Snow Bunting - 1 Pilot's Point (Shell Bay)

Sightings - Thursday 9th March 2017

Green-winged Teal - drake still Lytchett Fields
Scaup - 3 Abbotsbury (view only from New Barn Road), 1 female Poole Park
Long-tailed Duck - 5 Abbotsbury (view only from New Barn Road)
Slavonian Grebe - 1 Abbotsbury (view only from New Barn Road)
Black-necked Grebe - 2 Pilot's Point (Shell Bay)
Bittern - at dusk 2 left Lodmoor with singles departing Radipole and Swineham GPs
Purple Sandpiper - 3 Portland Bill
Black Redstart - 2 Portland Bill
Hume's Warbler - 1 still Thumb Lane (Portland)
Siberian Chiffchaff - 1 West Bexington
Great Grey Shrike - 1 Hartland Moor
Snow Bunting - 1 still Pilot's Point (Shell Bay)

Sightings - Wednesday 8th March 2017

Green-winged Teal - drake still on Lytchett Fields
Long-tailed Duck - 5 still at Abbotsbury (view only from New Barn Road)
Scaup - 3 still at Abbotsbury (view only from New Barn Road)
Black-necked Grebe - 2 Pilot's Point
Cattle Egret - 2 Wool (seen from train east of village)
Lesser Yellowlegs - still in Lytchett Bay
Sand Martin - 2 Swineham GPs
Snow Bunting - 1 Pilot's Point (Studland)

Sightings - Tuesday 7th March 2017

Eider - 1 Studland.
Yellow-billed Teal - 1 Lodmoor (escaped bird).
Black-necked Grebe - 4 off Studland.
Hen Harrier - 3 Poole Harbour.
Merlin - 2 Poole Harbour.
Crane - 1 flew SW towards Bindon Abbey.
Green Sandpiper - 1 Lodmoor.
Sandwich Tern - 1 Sandbanks.
Waxwing - 4 Corfe Mullen (Hanham Road).
Great Grey Shrike - 1 Ringwood Forest (Baileys Plantation).
Snow Bunting - 1 Pilot's Point (Studland).

Sightings - Monday 6th March 2017

Common Scoter - 3 Studland.
Eider - 1 Pilot's Point (Studland).
Great Northern Diver - 1 Pilot's Point (Studland).
Black-Necked Grebe - 5 off Pilot's Point included one in full summer plumage.
Marsh Harrier - 2 through Christchurch Harbour.
Crane - 1 flew S over Wimborne St. Giles.
Grey Plover - 8 Stanpit.
Sanderling - 46 Pilot's Point (Studland).
Spotted Redshank - 1 Stanpit.
Sandwich Tern - 1 Pilot's Point (Studland).
Sand Martin - 2 Swineham GPs
Waxwing - 4 Corfe Mullen (Hanham Road).
Great Grey Shrike - 1 Ringwood Forest (Baileys Plantation).
Wheatear - 1 Ower (Poole Harbour).
Snow Bunting - 1 Pilot's Point (Studland).