Dorset Birds: Thursday 8th May 2025

Barnacle Goose - 2 Woodsford

White Fronted Goose - 1 Wareham Channel off Swineham Point

Goosander - 1 River Piddle Carey

Grey Plover - 7 Stanpit Marsh, 1 Brownsea Lagoon DWT

Ringed Plover - 22 Lytchett Fields RSPB

Little Ringed Plover 3 Lytchett Fields RSPB, 2 Stilt Pools Swineham

Whimbrel - 42 through Stanpit Marsh but 12 settled, 11 Holes Bay SW sector, 6 Brands Bay

Curlew Sandpiper - 2 Brownsea Lagoon DWT

Greenshank - 6 Stanpit Marsh, 4 Holes Bay by the stone bench

Little Gull - 3 Abbotsbury Swannery

Great Northern Diver - 1 past Hengisbury Head

Red Kite - 1 over Brands Bay

Hobby - over Little Sea Studland

Woodchat Shrike - 1 Cowards Marsh

Grasshopper Warbler - 1 Mapperton Wildlands

Spotted Flycatcher - 1 Christchurch Harbour

Yellow Wagtail - 4 Standpit Marsh

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).