At last
Pair of woodlark . MiddleBere farm track . Yeah .
@dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social @harbourbirds.bsky.social
At last
Pair of woodlark . MiddleBere farm track . Yeah .
@dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social @harbourbirds.bsky.social
Checking up on local nest box cameras the other day I came across something I have not seen before in ~30 years of monitoring barn owl boxes....a tawny owl in a box with a pair of barn owls! Thankfully a couple of days later the barn owls were still present and the tawny owl had moved on.
I wonder if there is a collective noun for Dartford Warblers ? Needed one this morning #hydes #rspbsarne Many singing and displaying . Very busy . Historically they were known as Furze Wrens?
Also 20 RB Merganser in MiddleBere channel . Plus +
@dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social @harbourbirds.bsky.social
Unfortunately weβve had to take the decision to cancel this morningβs Jerryβs Point Pop-up 9am-11am due to staff illness. We have more upcoming free pop-ups, which you can find here: www.birdsofpooleharbourbookings.co.uk/home/walks-i...
Abundance at Ashmore / Stubhampton north Dorset . Barn Owl - cavity in tree . Up to 6 Red kites , buzzards, kestrel, yellowhammer,redpoll, marsh tit , Treecreeper, nuthatch,stonechat plus more . Brown hare x2 .
Never disappoints .
@dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social @dorsetwildlife.bsky.social
#birdtrack
Brilliant , worth the wait for sure . ππ₯³ππΎπ
Very breezy and damp at Bradbury Rings but -
2 green woodpeckers , singing yellowhammers , sparrowhawk chasing a thrush , buzzards , stonechats and skylarks, big flocks of goldfinches and singing goldcrests , mistle thrush . ++
@dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social
Worst possible time to be luring Willow Tits predictably into the open hundreds of times a day, at end of winter. If a Sparrowhawk gets lucky just once, taking a Willow Tit on those hundreds of daily rolls of the dice, then that territory is finished for the whole year - no replacement, no breeding.
Hydes Heath #rspbarne this morning . 2 mistle thrush cp, crossbills in dead tree just in front of me π , buzzards, kestrel, ravens,6 Dartford W despite wind,Sparrowhawk, meadowpips,Siskin,Goldcrest +, a lovely hour .
@harbourbirds.bsky.social @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social and then it rained !!
Rain at start of WeBS inland Lower Frome then sunshine . Could not get onto ground for water but Marsh Harrier, Little grebe, shoveler , lapwing , heron, shelduck , gadwall , buzzard , coot, blackcap
and more . Enjoyable after reluctance !
@harbourbirds.bsky.social @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social
Next month we'll find out if this little fella has made it through the winter into his 11th spring. Chances are probably around 50/50.
Nice article on how pet flea & tick treatments end up in rivers:
the-european.eu/story-57030/...
Sharing a video of filming Honey Buzzards (Sussex 2025)...my day job/work. A privileged view into the lives of these secretive birds. The hope is to create a live stream 2026 π€. www.youtube.com/watch?v=lQcB...
Thank you Martin .
Great trip out to Brownsea yesterday with @dorsetwildlife.bsky.social
Wader heaven . Huge variety and very visible in the lagoon . Lots of knot and bar tail godwit amongst the many .
Always good conversations on these trips . @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social @harbourbirds.bsky.social
Thank you for reminding me about Thorncombe Wood . Sitting by Rushy Pond having lunch and good birding . x
Please download these signs, share them on social media and put them up near you to protect your local wintering birds.
If you would like A4, laminated copies of these signs please e-mail charlie@curlewaction.org, all you need to do is donate for postage.
www.curlewaction.org/wintering-wa...
2 hours no rain !
Upton CP. Waders big and small, (not knots) ducks , avocets etc .Plus the small stuff . Kingfisher (f) Mistle thrush,songthrush,redwing ,Goldcrest ,Treecreeper, Green finch , pied wagtails, stock doves. +
Still no bullfinch !
@dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social @harbourbirds.bsky.social
Dunlin nesting in North Pennines - very cute aren't they? Wait for the second chick to appear.
More detail: blog markavery.info/2026/02/03/r...
#cumbria #peat #moorland #restoration
Composite image. Dog chasing waders along a beach. Screen-grab of front page of blog. Question "How do you measure if disturbance like this is having an effect on local wintering waders?"
Disturbance of wintering waders seems to be an obvious problem but where's the evidence that it really matters?
Blog about important paper by Mark Whittingham et al was published on 3 Feb 2020 π5οΈβ£
wadertales.wordpress.com/2020/02/03/d...
#ornithology
β€οΈβπ©Ή lovely pics .
Tawny owls β chattering β a lot in Organford last night . The sound always makes me smile - but wow life must be hard for them this January . @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social @dorsetwildlife.bsky.social
147 Hen Harriers confirmed 'missing' or illegally killed in UK since 2018 - most of them on or close to grouse moors.
Data extracted from reports by Natural England, RSPB, HSE, various Police forces, National Wildlife Crime Unit.
#RaptorResearch π
raptorpersecutionuk.org/2026/01/21/1...
The RSPB reports six of its satellite-tagged Hen Harriers 'disappeared' on or close to grouse moors in England in 2025, and another one was illegally poisoned.
#RaptorResearch #WildlifeCrime π
raptorpersecutionuk.org/2026/01/20/r...
37 white fronts . Lower Frome . Just flew over bypass towards harbour .
@harbourbirds.bsky.social @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social
Lovely two hours Brands Bay perfect tide/winter sun What I noticed was the abundance of all species. Nothing stood out just birds everywhere.
Are we at peak yet ?
@harbourbirds.bsky.social @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social @studlandbirds.bsky.social
Great company and conversation as well .
Shipstal . 21 Spoonbill, 1 male goldeneye , grey plover , Treecreeper, mistle thrush , song thrush, redwing ++
@harbourbirds.bsky.social @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social #rspbarne
The Fingleton Review could strip away vital protections for Dorsetβs wildlife - from chalk streams to heathlands and ancient woods. β οΈ
Dorset Wildlife Trust's Chief Exec outlines why this matters and how you can speak up.π bit.ly/3NpTcNu ~ Jack
πΈ Mark Heighes
π
Good day Portland and Ferrybridge with @dorset63.bsky.social Saying time to go when a peregrine flew from Chesil bank turned in front of us and snatched a Dunlin in the air. A moment.Flew back onto bank for supper .
@dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social @harbourbirds.bsky.social @portlandbirdobs.bsky.social