To report your Dorset bird sighting Click Here

Next Outdoor Meeting

Saturday August 30th
Keyhaven (SY309914) 09.30 - morning only. Meet in car park opposite 'The Gun' public house.
Leaders Nick and Jackie Hull
Click Here

This Week in History
July

5th 1982 Squacco Heron Radipole Lake
5th 1997 Melodious Warbler Portland
8th 2006 Great White Egret Sturminster Marshall GP
9th 1972 Red-footed Falcon Cranborne Common
10th 1996 White-winged Black Tern Radipole Lake
11th 1984 Bridled Tern Lodmoor
11th 1995 Caspian Tern Stanpit

The UK breeding population of Common Swifts is in big trouble (down by 42% in the South West and more in some areas) and if action is not taken soon it is likely to reach an unrecoverable level. The most obvious reason for the decline is human interference in the Swifts' traditional nesting habitat, ie. in our homes and other buildings.

An important part of attempting to protect breeding colonies is locating them. Most people will be familiar with the low level, high speed "screaming party" displays with which Swifts announce the presence of a breeding colony. Geoff Beale has established a Google Group (http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/
group/uk-swifts) to enable people to send in details of past and future sightings.

Please see the Conservation Page for more details and support this initiative.

July 2008

Sunday 6th July
Hooded Merganser - 1st summer drake still at Radipole near the Gurkha Restaurant
Cory's Shearwater - 1 past Portland Bill
Manx Shearwater - 35 past Portland Bill
Balearic Shearwater - 11 past Portland Bill, 1 Chesil Cove
Storm Petrel - 11 past Hengistbury Head beach huts, 1 Chesil Cove, 1 past Portland Bill
Whimbrel - 1 Ferrybridge, 1 South Marsh Christchurch Harbour
Common Sandpiper - 2 Christchurch Harbour
Little Gull - the 1st summmer remains at Stanpit Marsh

Juvenile Peregrine at Durlston © Phyl England

JRM

Saturday 5th July
Hooded Merganser - 1st summer drake still Radipole near the Gurkha Restaurant
Manx Shearwater - 11 past Portland Bill
Balearic Shearwater - 30 past Portland Bill
Storm Petrel - at least two off Hengistbury Head beach huts
Whimbrel - 2 past Branksome Chine, 7 past Portland Bill
Greenshank - 1 Christchurch Harbour
Common Sandpiper - 4 Christchurch Harbour
Little Gull - the 1st summmer remains at Stanpit Marsh
Arctic Skua - one lingering and chasing terns between 06:55 and 07:15 off Branksome Chine, 3 past Portland Bill
Wood Sandpiper - 1 Radipole Lake

JRM

Friday 4th July
Hooded Merganser - 1st summer drake still Radipole near the Gurkha Restaurant
Manx Shearwater - 20 Portland Bill
Balearic Shearwater - 65 Portland Bill
Little Ringed Plover - 1 Lodmoor
Whimbrel - 1 past Portland Bill
Spotted Redshank - 3 Brownsea Is.
Greenshank - 1 over Corfe Castle, 1 Portland Bill
Common Sandpiper - 1 Lodmoor, 1 Lytchett Bay
Yellow-legged Gull - 1 remained at Portland Bill
Little Gull - the 1st/sum remains at Stanpit Marsh
Kingfisher - 1 Lytchett Bay
Melodious Warbler - 1 trapped at Portland Bird Observatory this morning.

NJH

Thursday 3rd July
Hooded Merganser - still near Westham Bridge, Weymouth
Manx Shearwater - 80 past Portland Bill
Balearic Shearwater - 40 past Portland Bill
Osprey - 1 yesterday at Middlebere
Spotted Redshank - 1 at Middlebere
Whimbrel - 1 past Portland Bill
Arctic Skua - 1 past Portland Bill
Little Gull - 1 past Stanpit Marsh
Yellow-legged Gull - the usual summer influx has now started with 5 at Lytchett Bay, 4+ at Kerry Foods, Poole and singles at Lodmoor and on Portland
Crossbill - flocks of 9 and 4 over Portland

Sparrowhawk on Soldier's Road, Arne © Aidan Brown

KEL

Wednesday 2nd July
Storm Petrel - Hengistbury Head
Hooded Merganser - 1st summer drake still Radipole near the Gurkha Restaurant
Balearic Shearwater - 2 Durlston, 18 Portland Bill

JDH

Tuesday 1st July
Hooded Merganser - 1st summer drake still Radipole near the Gurkha Restaurant
Balearic Shearwater - 16 Portland Bill
Osprey - 1 over Wareham Channel
Arctic Skua - 1 Portland Bill
Little Gull - 1, 1st/sum Stanpit Marsh
Crossbill - 1 Portland Top Fields

JDH

 

There are limited numbers of the Dorset Bird Reports which are available to non-members each year. For more information and to see availability of back copies.
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