Later this month new Government legislation comes into force clamping down on harm caused by dogs in the countryside.
The SSSI and Ancient Woodland is home to a range of rare wildflowers, birds, butterflies and other species.
Digiscoped record shot of a Forster's Tern on Brownsea Island lagoon, 4 March 2026.
After a couple of blank years (for me) it was nice to bump into this returning individual again on #BrownseaIsland whilst carrying out a bird survey with @studlandbirds.bsky.social. I imagine there aren't too many places in the UK where you can see Forster's Tern & WT Eagle on the same day 😃
Red-rumped Swallow at Radipole, Weymouth, 2 Mar 2026.
Red-rumped Swallow at Radipole, Weymouth, 2 Mar 2026.
Trying to 📷 today's agile, overhead Red-rumped Swallow at Radipole, Weymouth was always going to be something of a fool's errand. The autofocus on my Nikon P950 never seems to be quite up to the task (user blames tools 🙄). Cracker of a bird tho. Shout out to finder @remblax.bsky.social #DorsetBirds
Pale-bellied Brent Goose on Long Island, Poole Harbour, 24 Feb 2026.
A distant shot of today's lonesome Pale-bellied Brent Goose enjoying the sun (remember that?) + a snack on the Long Island, Poole Harbour sand spit. Nearby, 3 or 4 Firecrests were seen around the Middlebere cottages. Ace to hear lots of resident birds in full voice today.
@harbourbirds.bsky.social
Little Gull, Holes Bay, Poole. 10 Feb 2026
Little Gull, Holes Bay, Poole. 10 Feb 2026
Little Gull, Holes Bay, Poole. 10 Feb 2026
Little Gull, Holes Bay, Poole. 10 Feb 2026
A smart adult Little Gull at Holes Bay, Poole this morning. One of my all-time favourite gulls, despite the dank and dreary weather. Again 🤨
@harbourbirds.bsky.social
@dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social
As a spectacle wearer myself, I totally understand where you're coming from 🤓😅
White-tailed Eagle landing on a gravel track at Arne Moors, Dorset. 31 January 2026.
White-tailed Eagle landing on a gravel track at Arne Moors, Dorset. 31 January 2026.
How it started 👍
How it ended 🤦♂️
White-tailed Eagle (adult) coming in to land at Arne Moors, Dorset.
Also in the wider area: Goshawk, Merlin, Marsh Harrier, Buzzard, Kestrel. All told, a pretty decent morning for raptors.
@harbourbirds.bsky.social #DorsetBirds
🤔😄
Killdeer at Ripley Farm Reservoir, Hampshire, 23 Jan 2026
Killdeer at Ripley Farm Reservoir, Hampshire, 23 Jan 2026
Killdeer at Ripley Farm Reservoir, Hampshire, 23 Jan 2026
So, getting myself goretex'd up to the eyeballs for a 2nd look at the 'Ripley' Killdeer guaranteed not a single drop of the wet stuff. Hurrah! But, ever the whingeing birder, the direct sunlight conspired to thwart the hoped-for frame-filling photos 🙄😅 These were the best I could manage. #HantsBirds
Wet and then some! I haven’t been so completely soaked through whilst birding for many years 🚿😭
Shout out to Graham Armstrong for (re)locating the RN Grebe in Bramble Bush bay.
Brownsea Island lagoon, Poole Harbour
It was an atmospheric scene from the Avocet Hide, #BrownseaIsland early this AM as I joined @studlandbirds.bsky.social for a wildfowl & wader counting session. Plenty of the usual suspects on the lagoon, plus a bonus Red-necked Grebe off south shore later.
@dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social
#DorsetBirds
Brambling at West Morden, Dorset. 3 Jan 2026
Brambling at West Morden, Dorset. 3 Jan 2026
Brambling at West Morden, Dorset. 3 Jan 2026
At least 2 Bramblings in with the large mixed finch flock around stubble fields just N of West Morden Farm. Quite hard to pick out, plus they were fairly camera shy, as these record shots attest. Bitingly cold so I wasn't hanging around for better pics! 🥶.
#DorsetBirds @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social
Hah, duff gen as usual from the east Dorset birding collective! HHOJ 😂
Of course, no problem. Many of the local birding paparazzi were there today, so I imagine there'll be some fine pics popping up this evening 🙂
Plus a superb supporting cast: 3 Slav + 5 BN Grebes, Several GN Divers, Greater Scaup, c10 Goldeneye, Mergansers, Wigeon, Brents, and a super-close fly-by WTE w/ fish catch. An excellent day's birding, with great company!
🙏
@dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social
#DorsetBirds
A pair of Smew with 2 Wigeon, Poole Harbour, 31 Dec 2025.
A pair of Smew with a Goldeneye (left), Poole Harbour, 31 Dec 2025.
A pair of Smew with a Red-breasted Merganser (left), Poole Harbour, 31 Dec 2025.
A drake Greater Scaup (right) with a Red-breasted Merganser, Poole Harbour, 31 Dec 2025.
Pretty chuffed to find a drake Smew at Brand's Bay, Poole Harbour this morning. c 30 secs later @moorebirdsbybike.bsky.social picked up its redhead mate nearby! First drake in Dorset since one on this exact date in 2008, apparently 😯. Enjoyed/ticked by many local birders.
@harbourbirds.bsky.social
Mm, yes please! I haven’t seen LWFG since one at Slimbridge WWT way back in, let’s see, winter 1980/81 probably. I must have still been in school shorts 😅
@staldhelmsbirder.bsky.social
Would be cool if the 2 Pink-foots which have been knocking around east Dorset in recent weeks would join them. That would make for a tasty 5-setter - and perhaps a county first 🤔
5 Tundra Bean Geese (back row) and 5 Russian White-fronted Geese (front row) at Arne Moors, Dorset.
2 Tundra Bean Geese (back row) with a few Russian White-fronted Geese at Arne Moors, Dorset.
There will be many better photos of the Tundra Bean Geese (at Arne Moors, Dorset) than these mediocre efforts. Nonetheless, having had my county list so rudely truncated a couple of days before Xmas due to the lumping of Teal & GW Teal, it was sweet to claw it back almost immediately 🖕😛
#DorsetBirds
Apparently this was female G818. Fledged from the IoW in 2021 🦅
Thank you for the suggestion, @dizzygirl66.bsky.social. I did have a quick look at their website but couldn’t immediately see an option for searching on time & place. I’ll take another look though.
A couple of pics of the WTE which overflew Lodmoor at around 12:20-12:25 today. No ring visible on either leg so I'm guessing that what I initially assumed to be ruffled feathers on the back is in fact a GPS/SAT transmitter, right?
#DorsetBirds
Adult White-tailed Eagle just flew NE over #LodmoorRSPB reserve.
@dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social
@harbourbirds.bsky.social
The lagoon on Brownsea Island, Poole Harbour.
The lagoon on Brownsea Island, Poole Harbour.
A Mandarin Duck on Poole Park lagoon.
A flat-out gorgeous visit to #BrownseaIsland this AM to survey the waders and wildfowl on the lagoon. Highlights: 980+ Black-tailed Godwits, 550+ Avocet, 300+ Euro Teal, 50+ Gadwall, plus loads more. Called into Poole Park on the way home to see some #plasticfantastic 😄
@dorsetwildlife.bsky.social
Black-headed Gull perched on the back of a decoy duck!
Just goes to show that decoy ducks can be handy at times 🤣
(Picture taken at Swineham GPs, Dorset back in Sept '25. Came across it again whilst tidying up my photo library this avo)
#DorsetBirds
Also...whilst the pale panel on the inner primaries is kinda right for Caspian, the dark spots at the end of those primaries is probs a better fit for Herring G. Plus the legs appear too short, tho that's hardly definitive from a single photo!
PS: Longham is a gr8 place to up your Larid ID game 😉
