Dorset Birds: Reports of interest, Sunday 4th February 2018.

Velvet Scoter - 1 Poole Harbour.
Egyptian Goose - 2 Norris Mill nr. Bockhampton Cross.
Great Northern Diver - 5 Poole Harbour.
Slavonian Grebe - 1 Poole Harbour.
Bittern - 1 Radipole Lake.
Marsh Harrier - 1 Swineham.
Hen Harrier - 1 at Lodmoor was very unusual for the site, 1 Poole Harbour.
Red Kite - 1 Sixpenny Handley.
Sandwich Tern - 3 Christchurch Harbour.
Short-Eared Owl - 1 Portland Bill.
Firecrest - 1 Cattistock Churchyard.
Brambling - 1 Chedington.
Hawfinch - 20+ Bryanston woods (New Road), 25+ Cattistock Churchyard, 3 Cranborne, 6 Edmondsham.

Brambling at Chedington © Terry Girling

Treecreeper at Cattistock Churchyard © Chris Courtaux

Hawfinch at Cattistock Churchyard © Chris Courtaux

Great Crested Grebe at Hengistbury Head © Joe Murphy

Turnstone, Poole Quay © David Wareham

RARE BREEDING BIRDS

Dorset Bird Club and the Rare Breeding Birds Panel advocate special caution when reporting rare breeding birds as they are vulnerable to persecution and disturbance.

Please consider the birds welfare and do not share details of any rare breeding species on X/Twitter, Facebook and WhatsApp groups, personal websites, blogs, or local birdwatching message boards.

We urge all finders of rare birds to consider whether they may be breeding before sharing the news.

Sightings should always be submitted, in confidence, to the county recorder to contribute to long-term national monitoring.

DORSET BIRD REPORT 2023

The Dorset Bird Report 2023, produced by Dorset Bird Club, is now available for purchase by non-members via the DBC website (click on the report cover image below). Featuring a review of the year, a comprehensive systematic list of all species recorded in 2023, rarity finder accounts including the first Moltoni's Warbler and Isabelline Wheatear for Dorset, articles on Baltic Gull, the Alpine Swift influx, Cory's and Great Shearwaters, and the return of the Cirl Bunting. Illustrated throughout with images taken by Dorset's leading photographers. £16 (+ £3 shipping).