Dorset Birds: Tuesday 23rd September 2025

Scaup - 1 Keysworth.
Swift - 1+ Christchurch, 1 heard Hengistbury.
Common Sandpiper - 1 Hengistbury, 1 St Aldhelm's Head.
Green Sandpiper - 2 Arne Moors, 2 Magiston cressbeds.
Curlew Sandpiper - 1 Radipole Lake.
Little Stint - 1 Brownsea Island, 1 Lodmoor, 1 St Aldhelm's Head, probables at Arne Moors and Swineham.
Greenshank - 8 Brownsea Island, 2 Hengistbury.
Glossy Ibis - 10 past Abbotsbury, well offshore; 3 Lodmoor, 2 Arne Moors.
Spoonbill - 73 Brownsea Island, 1 Swineham.
Great White Egret - 1 Keysworth.
Cattle Egret - 1 Wick.
Little Gull - 1 Lodmoor.
Black Tern - 1 E past Hengistbury.
Osprey - 1 Lytchett Bay, 1 Wareham Channel.
White-tailed Eagle - 6 Poole Harbour, 3 Chapman's Pool, 2 reported Weymouth.
Marsh Harrier - 4+ Keysworth and Swineham, 1 Lytchett Bay.
Red Kite - 5 Sydling St Nicholas, 1 Longham Lakes, 1 Wyke Down.
Merlin - 1 Hengistbury, 1 St Aldhelm's Head.
Hobby - 1 Arne.
Swallow - Migrating in large numbers including e.g. 8500 Hengistbury, 3500 Durlston CP.
House Martin - Migrating in large numbers including e.g. 12000 Durlston CP, 2500 Hengistbury.
Redstart - 1 Portland Bill, 1 Hengistbury/Wick.
Pied Flycatcher - 2 Hengistbury/Wick.
Spotted Flycatcher - 6-10 Badbury Rings, 4 Hengistbury/Wick.
Whinchat - 1 Badbury Rings, 1 Hengistbury/Wick.
Ring Ouzel - 1 Durlston CP.
Chiffchaff - Many migrating birds across the county, including e.g. 222 ringed in the Piddle Valley.
Grasshopper Warbler - 2 Piddle Valley.
Firecrest - 3 Hengistbury/Wick, 2 Badbury Rings, 2 Durlston CP, 1 Piddle Valley.
Linnet - 750+ St Aldhelm's Head.
Siskin - 300 Durlston CP, 248 N across Poole Harbour mouth.
Crossbill - 2 Poole Harbour mouth.

Little Gull, Lodmoor © Dave Chown.

Sparrowhawk, Tuckton © Dave Hill.

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).