Saturday 21st February 2026

Pintail - 1 drake at Silverlake
Goosander - 2 Silverlake
Green Sandpiper - 1 Silverlake
Purple Sandpiper - 19 Hengistbury Head
Goshawk - 1 over Wareham Causeway
Marsh Tit - 1 Leeson Wood near Langton Matravers
Yellowhammer - 1 over Lytchett Fields RSPB

Yesterday : c95 Cattle Egret at Portesham

Friday 20th February 2026

Long-tailed Duck - 1 on the Fleet at Littlesea
Black-necked Grebe - 4 Portland Harbour from Sandsfoot Castle, 1 Arne Lake, 1 Longham Lakes (South Lake)
Green Sandpiper - 1 Arne Moors RSPB
Whimbrel - 1 long stayer on the Fleet at Littlesea
Little Gull - 1st winter at Lodmoor RSPB, 1 Holes Bay NE
Sandwich Tern - 2 Poole Harbour off Baiter Park
Red-throated Diver - 3 Hengistbury
Great Northern Diver - 9 in Poole Harbour, 2 on the Fleet at Littlesea, 1 Portland Harbour off Portland Castle
Spoonbill - 16 at Shipstal Point, Arne RSPB
Cattle Egret - 58 Abbotsbury Swannery
White-tailed Eagle - 2 Poole Harbour, 1 over Blacknor (Portland), 1 Littlesea (The Fleet)
Red Kite - 1 Abbotsbury Swannery
Brambling - 1 Christchurch Harbour over 'No Dogs Field' 

Little Gull, Holes Bay © Clive Hargrave

 

Thursday 19th February 2026

Goosander - 1 Holes Bay NE
Slavonian Grebe - 3 on the Fleet at Chickerell, 1 Portland Harbour from Sandsfoot Castle
Black-necked Grebe - 4 Portland Harbour from Sandsfoot Castle, 1 Longham Lakes
Sanderling - 1 Sandbanks beach
Purple Sandpiper -1 Sandbanks beach
Little Gull - 1 Holes Bay
Great Northern Diver - 8 Portland Harbour (6 from Sandsfoot Castle and 2 off Hamm Beach),
     2 in Poole Harbour off Baiter Park
Glossy Ibis - 10 Bestwell Meadows behind rugby club
Cattle Egret - 62 Wareham Common

Wednesday 18th February 2026

Grim weather conditions today. Only reports were  :
 
Kittiwake - 3 Branksome Chine
Black-throated Diver - 1 Portland Harbour off Portland Castle

Late news from yesterday :  10 Black-necked Grebes and 4 Great Northern Divers off Jerry’s Point, 1 Black-necked Grebe and 1 Great Northern Diver in Studland Bay.

Yesterday a Bullfinch, Thorncombe Wood  © Alan Membury

 

 

Tuesday 17th February 2026

Goldeneye - 1 Wareham Channel.
Goosander - 3 Holmebridge.
Black-necked Grebe - 8 Brands Bay.
Slavonian Grebe - 3 Brands Bay.
Grey Plover - 1 Stanpit.
Sanderling - 38 Brands Bay.
Green Sandpiper - 1 Lytchett Fields.
Purple Sandpiper - 10 Hengistbury sandspit, 4 Lyme Regis (The Cobb).
Spotted Redshank - 1 Lytchett Fields.
Greenshank - 6 Lytchett Fields.
Great Northern Diver - 3 Brands Bay.
Cattle Egret - 65 west of Abbotsbury behind the beach.
White-tailed Eagle - 2 Brands Bay, 1 Hengistbury Head, 1 St Aldhelm's Head.
Marsh Harrier - 1 Arne, 1 Christchurch Hbr.
Red Kite - 1 Arne, 1 St Aldhelm's Head.
Goshawk - 1 Poole Harbour.
Merlin - 1 Arne.
Siberian Chiffchaff - 1 Abbotsbury.
Hawfinch - 2 Sixpenny Handley (Chase Woods).
Redpoll - 35 Sixpenny Handley (Chase Woods), 1 Stanpit.

Late news:  Black Redstart, The Nothe, yesterday 16th Feb.

Treecreeper, Thorncombe Wood © Alan Membury

Nuthatch, Thorncombe Wood © Alan Membury

Monday 16th February 2026

Black-necked Grebe - 4 Brands Bay (Jerry's Point), 3 Studland Bay.
Slavonian Grebe - 1 Studland Bay.
Grey Plover - 2 Stanpit.
Golden Plover - 1 Lodmoor.
Purple Sandpiper - 14 Highcliffe beach (groyne #10).
Greenshank - 2 Brands Bay (Jerry's Point).
Great Northern Diver - 2 Studland (Shell Bay), 1 Brands Bay (Jerry's Point).
Cattle Egret - 18 Stanpit.
White-tailed Eagle - 2 Brands Bay, 1 Arne.
Marsh Harrier - 1 Lodmoor.
Red Kite - 2 Arne.
Goshawk - 1 Middlebere.
Merlin - 1 Middlebere.
Redpoll - 7 Thorncombe Wood.

Purple Sandpiper, Highcliffe © Clinton Whale.

Sunday 15th February 2026

Egyptian Goose - 3 Fitzworth.

Goosander - 1 still in NE Holes Bay.
Common Scoter - 1 Studland Bay (Middle Beach).
Black-necked Grebe - 4 Brands Bay (Jerry's Point), 3 Studland Bay (Middle Beach).
Slavonian Grebe - 3 Brands Bay (Jerry's Point).
Grey Plover - 16 Brands Bay.
Knot - c10 Wareham Channel, 5 Brands Bay.
Greenshank - 3 Ower Bay, 2 Wareham Channel, 1 Brands Bay (Jerry's Point).
Black-tailed Godwit - at least 5236 in Holes Bay following a careful count.
Little Gull - 1 still in NE Holes Bay.
Glossy Ibis - 10 Swineham.
Great Northern Diver - 3 Brands Bay (Jerry's Point), 1 Studland Bay (Middle Beach), 

     1 NNE from Fitzworth.
Spoonbill - 4 Ower Bay, 3 off Goathorn, 1 Middlebere, 1 Wareham Channel.
White-tailed Eagle - 2 Brands Bay.
Marsh Harrier - 5 Wareham Channel, 1 Ower Bay.

Firecrest - 2 Fitzworth.

Late news from Saturday 14th:
Red-necked Grebe - 1 still Abbotsbury Swannery.
Slavonian Grebe - 7 The Fleet (Littlesea), 1 Abbotsbury Swannery.
Long-tailed Duck - 1 The Fleet (Littlesea).
Pale-bellied Brent - 3 The Fleet (Littlesea).

Firecrest, yesterday © Derek Fowler.

Saturday 14th February 2026

Cattle Egret - c20 from Christchurch Hbr roost.
Marsh Harrier - 3+ Christchurch Hbr.
Brambling - 3 Thorncombe.
Redpoll - 3 Thorncombe Wood.

Late news for Friday:
Black-necked Grebe - 1 still Longham Lakes.
Cattle Egret - 7 flew S at Broadwey, 1 Hampreston Fields.
Golden Plover - 200+ Maiden Castle.

Redpoll, Thorncombe Wood © Alan Membury.

Brambling, Thorncombe © Neil Croton
(licensed ringer).

Friday 13th February 2026

Goosander - 1 Redhead still Holes Bay
Slavonian Grebe - 2 Jerrys Point Poole Harbour
Black-Necked Grebe - 8 Jerrys Point Poole Harbour
Little Gull - 1 Ad, NE Holes Bay around PCW drain outlet
Glossy Ibis - 10 Bestwall Meadows, Swineham.

Glossy Ibis Bestwall Meadows Swineham © Clive Hargrave

Thursday 12th February 2026

Mandarin Duck - 1 Drake small lake Poole Park
Pochard - 1 Drake Poole Park
Common Scoter - 3, 2 drake 1 female, Middle Beach Studland
Slavonian Grebe - 1 Castle Cove Portland Harbour
Black Necked Grebe - 3 Middle Beach Studland, 11 Castle Cove Portland Harbour
Purple Sandpiper - 6 The Cobb Lyme Regis, 12 Highcliffe Groyne H10
Little Gull - 1 NE Holes Bay
Great Northern Diver - 4 Portland Harbour

Wednesday 11th February 2025

Goosander - 1 NE Holes Bay
Ruff - 1 NW Holes Bay viewed from the Stone Bench
Little Gull - 1 Ad Holes Bay around PCW drain outlet, 1 Wareham Bypass Flooded fields
Glossy Ibis - 9 Bestwall Meadows Swineham
Cattle Egret - 8 Bestwall Meadows Swineham
Red Kite - 1 Soldiers Road Arne
Merlin - 1 West Compton

Tuesday 10th February 2026

Goosander - 1 Redhead NE Holes Bay
Purple Sandpiper - 8 The Cobb Lyme Regis
Little Gull - 1 Adult NE Holes Bay, 1 Wareham Bypass floods
Spoonbill - 2 Holes Bay

Ad Little Gull Holes Bay © Phil Bentley 

Monday 9th February 2026

Pale-bellied Brent Geese - 2 Baiter Park

Goosander - 1 redhead Holes Bay NE

Great Northern Diver - 1 west Hengistbury Hd.

Great White Egret - 2 Woodsford

Spoonbill - 12 Arne RSPB (Shipstal point)

Black-necked Grebe - 1 Longham Lakes

Red Kite - 2 Woodsford

White-tailed Eagle - 2 over Christchurch Hbr am.

Little Gull - 2 on floods west of Stoborough, 1 Holes Bay SE.

Redpoll - 15 Hengistbury Hd.

Peregrine - Woodsford © Paul Harris

Oystercatcher - Highcliffe © Clinton Whale

Sunday 8th February 2026

Common Scoter - 2 South Beach Studland

Goosander - 1 redhead Holes Bay

Red-throated Diver - 13 east Hengistbury Head

Great Northern Diver - 12 spread over Poole Harbour

Cattle Egret - 15 Hengistbury Head.

Glossy Ibis - 1 behind the Rugby ground at Bestwall

Spoonbill - 12 Shipstal Arne RSPB, 6 Wareham Channel

Red-necked Grebe - 1 from Jerry's Point

Slavonian Grebe - 3 from Jerry's Point

Black-necked Grebe - 5 from Jerry's Point, 3 off South Beach

Ruff - 1 with lapwing Piddle Valley

Sanderling - 40 Shell Bay

Purple Sandpiper - 14 Hengistbury Hd (from Beach huts)

Little Gull - 1 ad Holes Bay

Saturday 7th February 2026

Long-tailed Duck - 1 fem The Fleet at Chickerell

Common Scoter - 34 0n sea off Mudeford

Red-throated Diver - 12 past Mudeford

Great Northern Diver - 6 Portland Hbr, 3 The Fleet at Chickerell, 1 east Mudeford

Glossy Ibis - 10 Swineham Point (in paddocks)

Slavonian Grebe - 6 on The Fleet at Chickerell

White-tailed Eagle - 2 over Brownsea Is. 1 over Portland Bill, 1 Christchurch Hbr

Purple Sandpiper - 11 Portland Bill,  3 Sandbanks on groynes (end of FP 86)

Little Gull - 1 1st/w Lodmoor RSPB

Redpoll - 20 south of Holloway's Dock

Friday 6th February 2026

Goosander - 1 Holes Bay pm.

Glossy Ibis - 10 Swineham Point (in paddock)

Spoonbill - 22 Shipstal Point Arne RSPB

Red-necked Grebe - 1 Castle Cove Sandsfoot, 1 Abbotsbury Swannery

White-tailed Eagle - 1 Stanpit Marsh

Golden Plover - 500+ Maiden Castle

Purple Sandpiper - 3 on grottoes Sandbanks

Little Gull - 1 1st/w Lodmoor RSPB

Thursday 5th February 2026

Dark-bellied Brent Goose - 4 Newton's Cove

Black-necked Grebe - 1 still off South beach Studland Bay, 2 off Sandsfoot Castle Portland Harbour

Golden Plover - c.600 still in field adjacent to Maiden Castle car park

Purple Sandpiper - 3 on groyne Sandbanks, 11 Portland Bill

Little Gull - 1 Lodmoor

Spoonbill - 20 still Shipstal Point

Firecrest - Thorncombe Wood 

Black Redstart - 1 Bridging Camp Wyke Regis

Wednesday 4th February 2026

Garganey - female Abbotsbury Swannery

Scaup - 1st winter drake Abbotsbury Swannery

Long-tailed Duck - 1st winter female Abbotsbury Swannery

Red.necked Grebe - 1 still in Castle Cove Portland Harbour

Slavonian Grebe - 3 Jerry's Point

Black-necked Grebe - 6 Jerry's Point, 1 off Middle Beach Studland Bay, 1 South Lake Longham Lakes

Avocet - 200 Middlebere

Golden Plover - c.600 again in field adjacent to car park at Maiden Castle

Common Sandpiper - 1 Silverlake

Green Sandpiper - 1 Corfe river floods

Spotted Redshank - 1 Middlebere

Purple Sandpiper - 6 west of obelisk Portland Bill

Little Gull - 1 juvenile Lodmoor

Red-throated Diver - 4 Christchurch
Black-throated Diver - 1 still off Portland Castle

Great Northern Diver - 1 in Castle Cove

Spoonbill - 20 Shipstal Point Arne RSPB

Marsh Harrier - 1 Silverlake

Siberian Chiffchaff - 1 in garden at West Mills Wareham

 Brambling - 2 Thrashers Lane near Corfe

Blackcap, Bridport © Richard Cole

Great Northern Diver, Portland Harbour  © Alan Membbury

Rock Pipit, Chesil Cove  © Alan Membury

 

Red-breasted Merganser, Portland Harbour ©  Alan Membury

Tuesday 3rd February 2026

 Garganey - 1 western embayment Abbotsbury Swannery

Greater Scaup - 2 Abbotsbury Swannery

Long-tailed Duck - 1 Abbotsbury Swannery

Red-necked Grebe - 2 from Jerry's Point, 1 Abbotsbury Swannery (closed for winter)

Black-necked Grebe - 11 from Jerry's Point

Hen Harrier - Ringtail Abbotsbury Swannery

Siberian Chiffchaff - 1 Piddlehinton sewage works

Great White Egret, Woodsford yesterday  ©  Paul Harris

Monday 2nd February 2026

Garganey - female Abbotsbury Swannery

Scaup - 1st winter drake Abbotsbury Swannery

Red-necked Grebe - 1 still Abbotsbury Swannery (closed for winter)

Slavonian Grebe - 1 Shell Bay

Golden Plover - c.600 Maiden Castle, 35 circling above Higher Burnbake

Black-tailed Godwit - 4600+ Holes Bay

Common Sandpiper - 1 Silverlake

Green Sandpiper - 1 Woodsford

Little Gull - 2 off Avon Beach Mudeford, 1 Lytchett Fields, 1 sub adult Lodmoor

Red-throated Diver - 43 from sea at Christchurch

Black-throated Diver - 1 past Kimmeridge

Great Northern Diver - 1 from sea at Christchurch, 4 off Jerry's Point

Glossy Ibis - 10 again on River Piddle floods towards Ferncroft Farm Wareham

Great White Egret - 1 Woodsford

Cattle Egret - 8 Bardolf Farm Athelhampton , 4 Kingston Maurward

Red Kite - 2 over Lytchett Matravers, 2 Red Kite, 1 Wick

Short-eared Owl - up to 4 Arne

Siberian Chiffchaff - 1 still at PC World drain Poole

Firecrest - 2 Thorncombe Wood

Cirl Bunting - at least 9 in cover crop at Old Harry

Sub adult Little Gull, Lodmoor  © John Pritchard

Dartford Warbler, Silverlake   ©  Alan Membury

Common Sandpiper, Silverlake ©   Alan Membury

]

Sunday 1st February 2026

Scaup - 1 Abbotsbury Swannery (NB Swannery closed)
Slavonian Grebe - 1 off Brownsea Island
Red-necked Grebe - 1 Portland Harbour from Bincleaves, 1 Jerry's Point, 1 Abbotsbury Swannery
Black-necked Grebe - 8 Portland Harbour from Sandsfoot Castle, 7 Jerry's Point, 1 Longham Lakes (South Lake)
Golden Plover - 446 Maiden Castle in field east of car park
Purple Sandpier -11 at Highcliffe on groyne H10
Black-tailed Godwit - 3,453 in Holes Bay NW and c200 in NE sector
Little Gull - 1 Hengistbury
Sandwich Tern - 2 Poole Harbour off Whitley Lake
Black-throated Diver - 1 Hengistbury
Red-throated Diver - 19 Hengistbury, 14 Poole Bay
Great Northern Diver - 12 in Poole Harbour
Glossy Ibis - 3 Swineham GPs
Cattle Egret - 7 Puddletown on flooded field near A35
White-tailed Eagle - 2 Poole Harbour
Merlin - 1 Lytchett Fields RSPB
Black Redstart - 1 male at Ridge
Yellowhammer - c30 at Giant Hill ,Cerne Abbas
Corn Bunting - 1 Maiden Castle
Cirl Bunting - 10 in stubble field near Old Harry

Purple Sandpipers, Highcliffe © Clinton Whale

Cirl Buntings, Studland © Phil Bentley