Dorset Birds: Saturday 5th February 2022

White-fronted Goose - 3 still on Charminster water meadows

Scaup - 2 Abbotsbury Swannery

Lesser Scaup - 1st winter female still Abbotsbury Swannery

Spotted Redshank - 2 Middlebere

Spoonbill - 1 Lodmoor

Cattle Egret - 24 Abbotsbury Swannery

Goshawk - 1 Middlebere, 1 Wyke Down

Hen Harrier - Male and Ringtail Wyke Down

Red Kite - 6 Wyke Down, 4 Tarrant Rushton airfield

Merlin - 1 Wyke Down

Black Redstart - 1 Blacknor Portland, 1 Nothe Fort Weymouth, 1 Durlston CP

Water Pipit - 2 Lodmoor, 1 Lytchett Fields RSPB

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.