Sightings - Monday 31st July 2017

Common Scoter - 10 past Hengistbury Hd.
Goosander - 6 on the Fleet
Sooty Shearwater - 1 Portland Bill
Balearic Shearwater - 12+ Portland Bill
Cattle Egret - 3 Abbotsbury Swannery (2ad+1juv)
Spoonbill - 5 Middlebere
Montagu's Harrier - 1 ringtail Lytchett Fields p.m.
Osprey - 2 in flight Arne/Middlebere
Whimbrel - 4 Christchurch Hbr.
Common Sandpiper - 3 Christchurch Hbr, 1 past Mudeford Quay
Green Sandpiper - 1+ Lytchett Fields
Greenshank - 4 Lytchett Fields
Arctic Skua - 1 Portland Bill
Bonaparte's Gull - 1 1st/sum, Brownsea Island lagoon
Yellow-legged Gull - 5 juv. Portland Bill
Nightjar - 1 today in a Portesham garden
Hobby - 1 Longham lakes
Firecrest - 2 Hengistbury Hd.
Willow Warbler - 14 Hengistbury Hd.
Whitethroat - 15 Hengistbury Hd.

Nightjar - Portesham garden © Sue Wingett

















Sandwich Tern - Hengistbury Hd, © Joe Murphy

















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Sightings - Sunday 30th July 2017

Common Scoter - 97 west Portland Bill
Quail - 1 heard calling Milton Abbas
Sooty Shearwater - 1 reported Portland Bill (via internet)
Manx Shearwater - 6+ Portland Bill
Balearic Shearwater - 15-20 Portland Bill
Cattle Egret - 3 2ad/1juv. Abbotsbury Swannery
Spoonbill - 5 Middlebere, 1 Stanpit Marsh
Osprey - 1 Arne in dead tree.
Whimbrel - 8 Stanpit Marsh, 1 past west Portland Bill, 1 Hengistbury Head
Common Sandpiper - 8 Stanpit Marsh, 3 Lodmoor, 1 Portland Bill
Arctic Skua - 4 Portland Bill
Kittiwake - 1 Abbots Swannery (first since Feb. 2014)
Bonaparte's Gull - 1 adult Brownsea Island lagoon.
Grasshopper Warbler - 1 Sea Barn Ringstead
Pied Flycatcher - 1 Portland Bill

Spoonbill - Hengistbury Head a.m. © Joe Murphy


Whimbrel - Hengistbury Head a.m. © Joe Murphy

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Sightings - Saturday 29th July 2017


Common Scoter - 9 Portland Bill
Manx Shearwater - 9 Portland Bill
Balearic Shearwater - 12+ Portland Bill
Storm Petrel - 4 Charmouth, 1 Portland  Bill
Spoonbill - 1 Hengistbury Hd at Holloways Dock
Osprey - 1 Poole Hbr.
Whimbrel - 8 Christchurch Hbr, 1 Brownsea Is, 1 Portland Bill
Knot - 2 Ferrybridge
Common Sandpiper - 18 Brownsea Is, 5 Christchurch Her, 2 Longham Lakes
Greenshank - 7 Brownsea Is, 1 Christchurch Hbr.
Arctic Skua - 4 Portland Bill

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Sightings - Friday 28th July 2017

Spoonbill - 1 Stanpit Marsh
Great Shearwater - 1 again off Portland Bill briefly
Balearic Shearwater - 35 past Portland Bill
Sooty Shearwater - 1 past Portland Bill
Spotted Redshank - 2 Brownsea Lagoon
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Sightings - Thursday 27th July 2017

Balearic Shearwater - 12+ off Portland Bill
Spotted Redshank - 2 Middlebere
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Sightings - Wednesday 26th July 2017

Great Shearwater - 1 again off Portland Bill
Balearic Shearwater - 10 off Portland Bill
Osprey - 1 Coombe viewpoint, Arne
Yellow-legged Gull - 1 past Portland Bill, 1 over Oakdale (Poole), 1 Ferrybridge, 1 Radipole

Great Shearwater - Portland Bill © Roger Hewitt

Great Shearwater - Portland Bill © Brett Spencer

Great Shearwater - Portland Bill © Brett Spencer

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Sightings - Tuesday 25th July 2017

Cattle Egret - 1 Abbotsbury Swannery
Spoonbill - 5 in the Wareham Channel, 1 Stanpit Marsh
Great Shearwater - 1 lingered briefly for a while off Portland Bill
Stone Curlew - 1 Stanpit Marsh
Osprey - 1 Middlebere

Sandwich Tern - Hengistbury Head © Joe Murphy

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Reports of interest, Monday 24th July 2017.

Spoonbill - 1 Stanpit.
Marsh Harrier -  2 Poole Harbour.
Osprey - 2 Poole Harbour.
Hobby - 1 Poole Harbour.
Whimbrel - 5 Christchurch Harbour.
Common Sandpiper - 3 Christchurch Harbour.
Yellow-Legged Gull - 26 past Portland Bill (a site record).
Whinchat - 1 Winspit.
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Reports of interest, Sunday 23rd July 2017.

Manx Shearwater - 3 Portland Bill.
GREAT SHEARWATER - 1 Portland Bill.
Marsh Harrier - 1 Wick.
Whimbrel - 3-4 Stanpit.
Common Sandpiper - 1 Christchurch Harbour mouth.
Yellow-Legged Gull - 1 Portland Bill, 1 Radipole Lake.

Yellow-Legged Gull at Radipole Lake © Brett Spencer
 
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Reports of interest, Saturday 22nd July 2017.

Quail - 1 Winspit.
Balearic Shearwater - 1+ Portland Bill.
Manx Shearwater - 20+ Portland Bill.
Cory's Shearwater - 1 Portland Bill.
Great Shearwater - 1 Portland Bill.
Whimbrel - 14 Christchurch Harbour, 5 Hengistbury sandspit, 1 Mudeford Quay.
Common Sandpiper - 2 Christchurch Harbour, 6 Hengistbury sandspit.
Arctic Skua - 2 Mudeford Quay, 1 Portland Bill.
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Cattle Egret

We are now able to confirm that 2 pairs of Cattle Egret bred in West Dorset raising 4 young. The best place to view them at the moment is at Modbury Farm (DT6 4NE) in the Bride Valley where there is parking, a public footpath and the egrets feed amongst the Jersey cows.   

Modbury Farm is 2 miles up the valley from Burton Bradstock and parking is available on the roadside or through the double gates on the western edge of the farm (please close them again after parking). Do not park near the bee hives - for obvious reasons! The footpath starts by these gates and heads north – the Cattle Egret follow the herd so can be in any of the fields to the left or right up to the top of the hill. Please don’t enter any of the fields, not only are they private but also the egrets will just fly further away.

With thanks to Alan Barrett, Mike Morse, James Phillips and Nick Urch for arranging access and monitoring the birds. Special thanks are also due to Tim and Julie of Modbury Farm who have been very enthusiastic in giving birders the chance to see these birds. With this in mind please observe all on-site instructions and maybe spend a bit of money in the Farm Shop!
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Reports of interest, Friday 21st July 2017.

Balearic Shearwater - 3 Christchurch Bay, 1+ Portland Bill.
Manx Shearwater - 15 Christchurch Bay.
CORY'S SHEARWATER - c. 25 past Portland Bill.
Sooty Shearwater - 1 past Portland Bill.
GREAT SHEARWATER - 2 Portland Bill, 1 Weymouth Bay.
Whimbrel - 2 Mudeford Quay.
Common Sandpiper - 3 Lytchett Fields.
Greenshank - 3 Lytchett Fields.
Arctic Skua - 1 Weymouth Bay.
Great Shearwater - Weymouth Bay - Peter Moore

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Sightings - Thursday 20th July 2017

Osprey - 1 Middlebere
CATTLE EGRET - 3 Lodmoor
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Sightings - Wednesday 19th July 2017

Common Scoter - 21 past Hengistbury Head
Balearic Shearwater - 1 lingering off Portland Bill
Ruff - 16 Lodmoor
Spotted Redshank - Brownsea Island lagoon
Roseate Tern - 3 Brownsea Island lagoon
Whinchat - 1 Crouch Hill Christchurch Harbour
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Sightings - Tuesday 18th July 2017.

Common Scoter - 77 past Portland Bill, 14 past Mudeford Quay.
Goosander - 7 on River Stour nr. Canford School.
Balearic Shearwater - 1 off Portland Bill.
Great White Egret - 1 over Longham Lakes.
Spoonbill - 7 Lytchett Bay.
Avocet - 8 plus 3 chicks Brownsea.
Lapwing - 87 Lytchett Fields.
Whimbrel - 8 Lytchett Bay, 3 Stanpit Marsh.
Curlew - 3 Brownsea.
Sanderling - 15 Ferrybridge.
Common Sandpiper - 8 Lytchett Fields, 2 Brownsea, 1 Hengistbury Head.
Green Sandpiper - 15 Lytchett Fields.
Greenshank - 4 Lytchett Fields, 1 Brownsea.
Yellow-legged Gull - 2 Hut Fields Portland.
Little Tern - potentially 70+ fledged Chesil Beach.
Common Tern - 34 past Mudeford Quay, 2 Longham Lakes 1 adult feeding a juv.
Swallow - 300+ over Ferrybridge this morning.
Sand Martin - 300+ over Ferrybridge this morning.
Yellow Wagtail - 1 Southwell.
Spotted Flycatcher - 1 pair have raised at least 2 young Portesham.

Common Sandpiper – Brownsea © Clinton Whale.

Pied Wagtail on nest –Canford © Roger Peart.

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Sightings - Monday 17th July 2017.

Brent Goose - Stanpit Marsh.
Shelduck - 1 with a brood of 12 young, Lytchett Fields.
Common Scoter - 52 past Portland Bill, 17 seen from Mudeford Quay.
Manx Shearwater - 200 past Portland Bill.
Spoonbill - 6 Lytchett Fields, 1 Brownsea.
Marsh Harrier - 2 Radipole Lake, 1 adult, 1 juv.
Avocet - only 3 chicks seen today. Brownsea.
Lapwing - 50 Lytchett Fields.
Whimbrel - 4 Christchurch Harbour.
Curlew - 25 Christchurch Harbour.
Black-tailed Godwit - 85 Lytchett Fields, 1 Christchurch Harbour, in full summer plumage.
Sanderling - 2 Ferrybridge.
Common Sandpiper - 6 Lytchett Fields.
Green Sandpiper - 9 Lytchett Fields.
Greenshank - 3 Lytchett Fields.
Sandwich Tern - 24 Christchurch Harbour, 8 Ferrybridge.
Common Tern - 9 Christchurch Harbour, 6 incl. 1 juv. Longham Lakes.
Sand Martin - 80 through Ferrybridge in 90 minutes this morning.
Yellow Wagtail - 1 Ferrybridge.

Brent Goose – Stanpit Marsh © Clinton Whale.

Juvenile Swallow – Gotham © Roger Peart.  

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Cattle Egret

We are pleased to announce that at a private site in the county up to 2 pairs of Cattle Egret have successfully fledged 4 young. More details will be published shortly once parking/access arrangements have been organised. This represents the first breeding record for this species in Dorset and the only previous proven breeding in the country was of 2-3 pairs in Somerset in 2008. This year has also seen pairs breeding successfully in Cheshire (up to 3 pairs) and Somerset (5 pairs).
Marcus Lawson
Dorset Bird Recorder
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Sightings - Sunday 16th July 2017.

Goosander - 1 over Wick Fields.
Marsh Harrier - 5 Christchurch 2 adults & 3 juvs. 1 passage juv. Poole Harbour.
Avocet - now 4 Chicks Brownsea.
Whimbrel - 1 Christchurch Harbour.
Common Sandpiper - 1 Lodmoor.
Yellow-legged Gull - 1 Ferrybridge.
Sandwich Tern - 7 Ferrybridge.
Common Tern - 2 Longham Lakes.
Roseate Tern - 2 Ferrybridge.
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Sightings - Saturday 15th July 2017.

Common Scoter - 40 past Portland Bill.
Manx Shearwater - 350 past Portland Bill.
Balearic Shearwater - 11 past Portland Bill.
Cattle Egret - 1 Abbotsbury Swannery.
Great White Egret - 1 Keysworth.
Spoonbill - 7 Brownsea.
Avocet - 3 chicks thought to be 2 days old. Brownsea.
Whimbrel - 5 Christchurch Harbour.
Sanderling - 2 Ferrybridge.
Common Sandpiper - 11 Brownsea, 4 Portland Bill, 1 Longham Lakes.
Great Skua - 1 past Portland Bill.
Mediterranean Gull - 3 past Portland Bill.
Sandwich Tern - 2 Ferrybridge, 2 past Portland Bill, 1 briefly Longham Lakes.
Common Tern - 2 one adult feeding a juv. Longham Lakes.
Roseate Tern - 2 Ferrybridge.

Spotted Flycatchers – Briantspuddle © Roger Hewitt.

Buzzard – Winton © Geoff Norquoy. 

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Sightings - Friday 14th July 2017

Manx Shearwater - 15 Portland Bill
Spoonbill - 6 Lytchett Fields
Osprey - 1 Middlebere
Whimbrel - 3 Christchurch Harbour
Common Sandpiper - 5 Abbotsbury Swannery
Greenshank - 4 Middlebere
Arctic Skua - 1 Portland Bill
Roseate Tern - 2 Ferrybridge

Lapwing at Stanpit Marsh © Joe Murphy




Roseate Terns at Ferrybridge © Tony Edwardes


Roseate Terns at Ferrybridge © Will Bown
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Sightings - Thursday 13th July 2017

Manx Shearwater - 25 Portland Bill
Spoonbill - 6 Lytchett Fields
Whimbrel - 6 Stanpit
Common Sandpiper - 4 Lytchett Bay
Roseate Tern - 1 Abbotsbury Swannery

Kestrel at Hengistbury Head © Geoff Norquoy
Kestrel on Portland © Trevor Wilkinson
Linnet on Portland © Trevor Wilkinson

Goldfinch at Hengistbury Head © Geoff Norquoy

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Sightings - Wednesday 12th July 2017

Manx Shearwater - 200+ Portland Bill
Cattle Egret - 10 briefly at Abbotsbury Swannery
Spoonbill - 6 Lytchett Fields
Knot - 1 Portland Bill
Sanderling - 2 Ferrybridge
Common Sandpiper - 12 Christchurch Harbour, 4 Abbotsbury Swannery
Greenshank - 1 Christchurch Harbour
Roseate Tern - 3+ on Brownsea Island lagoon, 1 Abbotsbury Swannery

Roseate Tern on Brownsea © Clinton Whale

Roseate Terns on Brownsea © Clinton Whale
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Sightings - Tuesday 11th July 2017

Manx Shearwater - c30 West Bexington, 4 Portland Bill
Spoonbill - 6 Brownsea Island
Whimbrel - 1 Christchurch Harbour, 1 Ferrybridge
Knot - 3 Ferrybridge
Sanderling - 2 Ferrybridge
Common Sandpiper - 2 Ferrybridge, 1 Brownsea Island
Green Sandpiper - 20 Lytchett Fields
Spotted Redshank - 2 Brownsea Island
Arctic Skua - 1 Portland Bill
Roseate Tern - 1 RSPB Lodmoor

Avocet on Brownsea Island lagoon © Clinton Whale
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Sightings - Monday 10th July 2017

CATTLE EGRET - 3 Arne Moors, 1 Stanpit Marsh
Osprey - 1 Middlebere
Black Tern - 1 Brownsea Island

Common Tern Radipole Lake copyright Joe Murphy


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Sightings - Sunday 9th July 2017

Osprey - 1 Middlebere
Common Sandpiper - 6 Peveril Point, 4 Stanpit Marsh
Roseate Tern - 1 Brownsea Island, 1 Abbotsbury Swannery
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Sightings - Saturday 8th July 2017

Little Ringed Plover - 1 Lytchett Fields
Whimbrel - 2 Stanpit
Common Sandpiper -1 Lytchett Fields, 3 Abbotsbury
Green Sandpiper - 14  Lytchett Fields
Greenshank - 3 Lytchett Fields
Roseate Tern - 2 Brownsea Island

Carrion Crow at Fontmell Down © Roger Peart




Kestrels at Durlston © David Wareham

Lapwing at Stanpit © Clinton Whale
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Sightings - Friday 7th July 2017

Little Ringed Plover - 1 Abbotsbury
Whimbrel - 1 Stanpit
Common Sandpiper - 4 Abbotsbury
Greenshank - 1 Stanpit

Juvenile House Martin at Canford © Roger Peart
Juvenile Green Woodpecker at Colehill © Trevor Wilkinson

Marsh Harrier at Lodmoor © Joe Murphy
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Sightings - Thursday 6th July 2017

Garganey - 3 flying Coward's Marsh
Osprey - 2  Arne a.m.
Common Sandpiper - 1 Barn Bight Hengistbury Hd. 1 Longham Lake.
Roseate Tern - 1 Abbotsbury Swannery

Yellowhammer - Holt Heath © Nick Hull

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Sightings - Wednesday 5th July 2017

Manx Shearwater - 100 Portland Bill
Storm Petrel - 8 netted/ringed Portland Bill (last night)
Osprey - 2 Wareham Channel, 1 Middlebere
Whimbrel - 1 Stanpit Marsh
Knot - 3 over Christchurch Hbr.
Great Skua - 1 Portland Bill
Roseate Tern - 1 Brownsea Is, 1 Abbotsbury Swannery.
Blue-headed Wagtail - 1 Portland Bill
Common Tern - Lytchett Bay © Nick Hull

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Sightings - Tuesday 4th July 2017

Spoonbill - 6 Brownsea Is.
Osprey - 3 today Arne
Avocet - 8 Brownsea Is.
Whimbrel - 2 Stanpit Marsh
Common Sandpiper - 5 Stanpit Marsh, 1 Lodmoor
Green Sandpiper - 1 Lodmoor
Spotted Redshank - 2 Brownsea Is.
Roseate Tern - 1 Brownsea Is.
Cuckoo - 1 singing Lodmoor

Puffin off Isle of Purbeck © Nick Hull
















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Sightings - Monday 3rd July 2017

Balearic Shearwater - 3 past Portland Bill.
Spoonbill - 6 commuting between Lytchett Bay and Brownsea Lagoon.
Osprey - 2 at Middlebere.
Common Rosefinch - 1 in a Southwell garden again briefly.

Black-tailed Godwit - Brownsea Lagoon © Clinton Whale

Redshank - Brownsea Lagoon © Clinton Whale

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Sightings - Sunday 2nd July 2017

Osprey - 1 Middlebere
Little Ringed Plover - 9 Lytchett Fields
Yellow-legged Gull - 1 juv at Blacknor
Roseate Tern - 1 Brownsea Island lagoon
Quail - 1 Cranbourne
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Sightings - Saturday 1st July 2017

Osprey - 2 Middlebere
Storm Petrel - 4 off Portland Bill
Balearic Shearwater - 9 past Portland Bill
Little Ringed Plover - 7 Lytchett Fields
Quail - 1 CheselbourneSwift - 500 through Christchurch Harbour
Common Rosefinch - 1 Southwell Portland
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