Dorset Birds: Thursday 2nd January 2025

Goldeneye - 2 Poole Harbour, 1 drake at Lodmoor RSPB
Eider - 1 Jerry's Point and later in Shell Bay

Long-tailed Duck - 1 flew into Poole Harbour again at dawn and was later off Jerry's Point

Slavonian Grebe - 1 off Jerry's Point

Black-necked Grebe - 8 Portland Harbour, 5 Jerry's Point, 3 off Shipstal Point, 2 Studland Bay

Sanderling - 19 Pilot's Point

Purple Sandpiper - 8 Christchurch Harbour Sandspit, 2 Sandbanks

Spotted Redshank - 2 Middlebere, 1 Lytchett Bay

Black-throated Diver - 2 Parkstone Bay

Great Northern Diver - 6 Portland Harbour, 5 Jerry's Point, 3 Shell Bay, 2 Studland Bay from Middle Beach, 1 off Hamworthy Park

Spoonbill - 25 Shipstal Point (Arne RSPB), 2 Middlebere

Great White Egret - 2 Longham Lakes
Short-eared Owl - 4 Wyke Down

Black Redstart - 1 Portland Harbour near Marina, 1 in a Canford Cliffs garden
Water Pipit - 1 Lytchett Fields RSPB in New Pools Field, 1 Swineham Point
Snow Bunting - 1 male still at Hamworthy Beach

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.