Norfolk Hawker in Littlesea garden, FFY, and 3rd consecutive year one has appeared. Typical date for here.

Male Redstart in Littlesea garden yesterday, female today. Today is best day of spring for Swallow moving into strong NE wind. First Swift for year today also.

Red Kite circling low over Lynch Lane area. 5 minutes ago.

11 wheatear Camp Road, usual field on left. 11.30 to 12.00. Feeding, not moving through.

Littlesea, East Fleet, Dorset. Two White-tailed Eagles ca. 1130h this morning. With thanks to Fred for alerting me to them.

Littlesea, Weymouth: first frog spawn for 2026; exactly two weeks earlier than last year.

Worthwhile trip to East Fleet, Dorset this morning with three bunting species trapped - Reed Bunting (no photo), Yellowhammer and Cirl Bunting. The latter was colour ringed as part of a Dorset-wide project that started this year.

Yellow-browed Warbler trapped at Chickerell this morning. Also ringed 2 Firecrest and 2 Goldcrest. With thanks to Sarah Faulkner for the photo.

LITTLE BUNTING trapped this morning at East Fleet, nr Weymouth, Dorset. With thanks to Sarah F. for a couple of the photos. Also trapped: 2 Cetti's, 1 Reed Warbler and 1 Dartford.

Littlesea, Weymouth: a bit of a surprise considering the Force 6 to 7 in the garden all day to see a Humming-bird Hawk-moth feeding on Abelia flowers 5 minutes ago.

Glossy Ibis, 1 Cuttcleaves Cove now. 4 Knot, 15 Dulin at 0600h.

Cuttcleaves Cove this morning: Greenshank 2 Common sand. 7 + 2 Whimbrel. 1 Dunlin ca.10 Sedge warbler ca.20

Spot Fly. First one of autumn in Littlesea garden.

They're always late reaching the East Fleet compared to further west but 1st Sedge trapped today. Another 2 Grasshopper Warbler also, bringing total for last six days to 4.

East Fleet. First Grasshopper Warbler of autumn; about one week earlier than previous years.

Bearded Tits on the Fleet just to the west of Weymouth: I've always thought they came from Radipole but a pair ringed in October 2024 have just (18th June) been controlled, presumably on breeding grounds, a few miles east of Salisbury. Assumption based on breeding site fidelity.

Juvenile Coal Tit trapped at Littlesea this morning. Scarce here, only the 2nd in the last four years and when they do turn up it's usually October or November.

Norfolk Hawker at Littlesea this morning. Sunning itself on bamboo pole (left) or tree mallow stem. Second consecutive year in garden; first noted last year on 7th June.

In the almost complete absence of birds all day, if not all week, I thought I would share with you some other quality wildlife photos. Left: Grass Snake (probably my earliest ever record); right: frog. A clue for you - target species are dead centre in the photos.

1253h: Hobby SE towards Littlesea Wood.

16.10h. Littlesea, Fleet: 1 Whimbrel calling.

Sea-watch for a change, at Camp Road. 30 minutes: 1720 to 1750h. 27 Gannet E, plus 1 Sandwich Tern W in Narrows. Plus 2 Wheatear in field on left.

5th April, Littlesea: always nice to catch a spring male Redstart.

4th April: first Tree Pipit for year, Littlesea, in garden. Called several times while perched in tree.

23 March: first Willow Warbler for year trapped at Littlesea.

Red Kite, low over garden just now, heading towards Budmouth School, Chickerell.

A good year for Cetti's, with the 2nd one trapped in the garden this autumn and a new annual all-site record of 25.

It's difficult to believe how scarce these are around here; this is the first for 3 years.

Bearded tits. I don't catch these every year so it's a privilege to handle such beautiful birds. Owing to weather conditions only two nets were up this morning so yet another Cetti's and a good-weight (16.7g) Sedge were an added bonus. Only 7 Reed Buntings was poor for mid October.

It's difficult to tire of Firecrest. The second in the garden in three days; more common than Goldcrest at the moment.

First Firecrest of autumn just trapped in garden.

Unexpected appearance of juvenile Dartford Warbler in reedbed this morning. First for year.

Banded Demoiselle (Calopteryx splendens) in garden briefly. First record in 15 years.

Tidmoor: 2 Grasshopper Warblers; otherwise very quiet. Still no Sedge.

Tidmoor: First Grasshopper Warbler of autumn trapped and ringed under licence.

Norfolk Hawker again in Chickerell garden. Owing to scarcity value around here , possibly same one as the 7th June.

I was just going to say how quiet it is (just 5 ringed since 6 o'clock) and then this went into the net .....

Littlesea: ca.110 Swift just gone south in single group. Fairly high.

It came back and managed to get a photo this time.

Littlesea obs: Norfolk Hawker seen very well from about 1 metre, static on bamboo pole. First record :)

Two new species for year in garden today: Spot Fly, which seem to be getting scarcer and scarcer as the years roll by, and Large Red Damselfly.

15 Red Kite NE through Chickerell Firing Range in last 10 minutes.

5 (1 + 4) whimbrel North in last hour. Otherwise really quiet, as usual !