Nice to find this White-spotted Bluethroat at Swineham this evening feeding with 3-4 Stonechat @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social @birdguides.bsky.social 📸 Ed Betteridge

Just dropped through my Dorset letterbox this morning. Great work by all involved, plenty of art to add to the excellent photos. If the web has drawn you away from County bird reports & bird clubs, have a rethink. They are an essential part of our birding communities culture 🙏

A couple of better shots of todays 1st record of Large Tortoiseshell for Lytchett Bay (these from my camera rather than my phone!!)

Occasionally you get lucky taking flight shots with a bridge camera. Just to show its not impossible..... Long staying Ad Little Gull showing well at Lytchett Bay this morning. Its a beaut. #Dorsetbirds

Home after an amazing time in wonderful Japan. I said it before and I will say it again. Where did we go wrong? The last part of our trip was around Tokyo and included a trip out to the Izu Islands. A must do at this time of year for the chance of an albatross spectacular on the return ferry.

Is this the biggest ever single species count on eBird? Gobsmacking photos of an estimated 2.75M Snow Geese in North Dakota (HT @evornithology.bsky.social) ebird.org/checklist/S2...

Visit to eastern Hokkaido complete. The weather and temperatures were on the whole very kind. Seeing the eagles on the drift ice is one of THE wildlife spectacles of our amazing planet. Life is very tough up here in winter so the birding was all about quality rather than quantity.

The Woodpecker Network is encouraging birders to detect Lesser Spotted Woodpeckers by using passive acoustic sound recorders:

And my last Kyushu post goes to another town embracing & protecting "their" iconic species. Reminded me of home & the work done by @harbourbirds.bsky.social in making Poole & Osprey two words that lie expectedly in the same sentence. Kadogawa & Japanese Murrelet. This vulnerable alcid is celebrated.

The real draw in Kyushu for a birder are the Cranes, c14,000 of them wintering around Izumi alone. 6 species were possible, we found 5. Missing the single Demoiselle that is somewhere in the feeding flocks. In addition to a single figure number of Common here are the others.....

Our time in Kyushu, Japan has come to an end. Loved it all. Nagasaki memorial 😥,Great weather and some tremendous birding.

Fab morning @careyssecretgarden.bsky.social Migration Festival Part Two Had a chance to learn more about bird ringing with @harbourbirds.bsky.social & hear from Chris Packham & Megan McGubbin about bird slaughter in Malta & Cyprus & recent work against North Dorset Hunt www.operationdeadair.org

Mammals in Honshu were thin on the ground but quality was high. The Japanese Macaque (aka Snow Monkeys) might be a tourist bun fight but they are unmissable and a lot of fun. Japanese Serow and Japanese Racoon Dog were more surprising and very welcome.

End of Honshu (Japan) leg, part 1. Super enjoyable. Safe, friendly, clean, efficient, respectful country. Where did we go wrong? Birding has been lovely with lots of palearctic migrants. Almost all target species seen. Copper Pheasants (no pics 😥), Crested Ibis, Japanese Waxwings chief among them.

Rolling back the years... #UKBirding

Early days in Japan & wasn't expecting so much snow so soon. Special to seen this iconic species though. Well worth the trip out to Sado. #CrestedIbis now doing incredibly well having been rescued from Japanese extinction with re-introduction project. The whole island has embraced their return.

BREAKING: A Gamekeeper has pleaded guilty in England’s first-ever Hen Harrier persecution case. Covert video and audio gathered lawfully by the RSPB Investigations team has helped expose the deliberate targeting of a Hen Harrier, leading to a landmark guilty plea: www.rspb.org.uk/whats-happen... 👈

There are few Baikal Teal (Sibirionetta formosa 花脸鸭 Huāliǎn yā) wintering at the Yellow River estuary in Shandong Province. Photo by "菜小hua". #birds #china #yellowriver

Please spread this far and wide, as stories don't get much bigger than this. When the government blocks even the intelligence services from telling us we're heading for environmental catastrophe, you know we have a problem. A very big problem. Thank you. www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

Tears of joy! SCOTLAND HAS JUST PASSED SWIFT BRICKS INTO LAW unanimously! 4 years of asking England & Scotland sorts it in a month led by ACE ⁦‪ MARK RUSKELL MSP‬⁩ ♥️The RELIEF is unreal! Tell England to follow 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿by emailing [email protected] now!WOOP!

Delighted to share the Lytchett Bay Bird and Wildlife Report for 2025. Thanks to @lytchettbirder.bsky.social for non-bird taxa, @harbourbirds.bsky.social for hosting & @markwright12002.bsky.social for cover pic. www.birdsofpooleharbour.co.uk/wp-content/u...

Raining so hard for the #Biggardenbirdwatch. Birds were heading for the Ark!! They came 2 by 2 😁 2x Blackcap, Firecrest, Bullfinch, Nuthatch, Great Spot Wood! Also more quality thanks to our regular Cettis 😁 #Dorsetbirds

We were at Lytchett Fields RLV on New Year's Eve and this Fox walked straight past the Marsh Harrier, feet away! They didn't seem interested in each other at all. (Dodgy phone held up to scope photo) @narwhalsh.bsky.social @ianballam.bsky.social @harbourbirds.bsky.social #LytchettBay

Bearded Reedling in full splits position this morning at Lytchett Heath

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

Watching these beautiful Greater White-fronted Geese, hoping for the Tundra Bean Geese to arrive, and eventually they did! A lifer for me and 13th addition to my Dorset life list during 2025! Lytchett Bay WeBS on Sunday! @harbourbirds.bsky.social @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social #DorsetBirds #ukbirding

A belated Christmas present from @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social has just arrived. Something to keep me busy reading in the coming days If you would like a copy, there are some good memberships from DBC

Fine Christmas Eve on patch. Brilliant to see successful impact of partnership work to discourage recreational disturbance and protect roost on Turlin Point. 2 Spoonbill, 75 Avocet, 60 Oystercatcher, Wigeon and more benefiting. Merry Christmas to all followers, look forward to your nature stories 26

Bird filled short break to Southern Portugal. Uplifting to see so much habitat being utilised by so many larks, buntings, sparrows, ducks, waders and gulls. If you wondered where our autumn Chiffchaff wave went...we found them in abundance. ebird.org/tripreport/4...

Membership subscriptions for 2025 are now due. Membership benefits include supporting local wildlife conservation. To join: www.chog.org.uk/join-chog-pa...

Support your county bird club! Dorset Bird Club is a fantastic organisation that funds conservation initiatives, collates ornithological data from across the county, & provides a social & focal hub for local birders. If you're not one already, DBC have a fab new membership offer for the next... 1/n

A Narwhal has washed up on the Irish coast for the first time:

Coming very very soon. To get hold of one quickly why not take advantage of our offer and join us. dorsetbirds.co.uk/membership/ 2/2

Membership offer, just click dorsetbirds.co.uk/membership/ 1/2

NEW BLOG - the RBBP reviews what species we should collect data on regularly. Here’s an explanation of what we consider when species are removed, and why Avocet and Mediterranean Gull are staying on our list, for now rbbp.org.uk/2025/11/25/r...

Good day on Lytchett patch. Great to finally have some clear cold(er) weather. 2 Glossy Ibis, 6 Spoonbill, 2 Goosander, 22 Fieldfare, 86 Brent and generally rather birdy. @harbourbirds.bsky.social #Dorsetbirds

Species recovery comes in many forms. Targeted reintroductions, long term legal protection & habitat creation/restoration. All are as important as each other. It doesn’t matter how it’s done as long as it gets done. During our WeBS survey today we saw the benefits of all three methods. 🙌

The eyes of the world should be on Ecuador tomorrow. The Trump-backed government is holding a referendum to permit US military bases in the Galapagos, and allow changes to the country's unique constitution to facilitate mining, threatening the rights of nature and indigenous people. Disastrous! 🦤🐢🌎

A record 8 Water Pipit have been colour ringed by Stour Ringing Group this winter at RSPB Lytchett. This is part of a UK scheme to find out more about Water Pipit migration across Europe. www.birdsofpooleharbour.co.uk/winter-birdi... @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social Photos by @narwhalsh.bsky.social

Having a brill day on patch! @joestockwell.bsky.social picked up a Yellow-browed Warbler (1st this year) & then he found a Pallas’s Warbler! First site record! Also 2 Siberian Chiffchaff & a late Garden Warbler present. Then I refound the drake Baikal Teal! @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social

Our first nocturnal ringing demo of the winter is coming up on 19th November, where we'll hope to show you birds like Woodcock, Jack Snipe and Common Snipe being ringed under BTO license. www.birdsofpooleharbourbookings.co.uk/event/sunnys... Photo of Jack Snipe being ringed - Steve Grundy

UPDATE.A prompt response from Finland confirms that this is only the Fourth recovery of a Finnish ringed Rock Pipit in England.Ringed as a Nestling in Saltvic Archipelago SW Finland 27,06,2025. and recorded Lowestoft 03,11,2025 #suffolkbirdgroup #bto #ukbirding #birdingfinland #rockpipit

Our report for 2023 is out now in @britishbirds.bsky.social. There's a summary at rbbp.org.uk/2023-report-... but if you prefer to watch rather than read then here's RBBP secretary @markaeaton.bsky.social with a few key points and some lovely photos! #ornithology #ukbirds youtu.be/arj1m7NfKmY

A nice garden visitor this morning. Pics taken through kitchen window. Our 3rd record since moving here 18 years ago. Not so sure our newts were too impressed...there are a couple less now 😱😆 @harbourbirds.bsky.social @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social #Dorsetbirds

Hellllllloooo? Are you there? Please help birds by sharing this if you also want to ensure swifts & other urban birds have homes alongside us. People power works but only if we work together. SAVE OUR SWIFTS.

Our November e-Bulletin should be arriving in Member's inboxes this evening. Lots to enjoy and discover. Nature's Recovery, news of 3 firsts for Dorset and more. Not a member yet? Join here dorsetbirds.co.uk/membership/ Tx @joestockwell.bsky.social for the pic

Snow Bunting still 50m north of where main track emerges onto nudist beach at Studland Bay @harbourbirds.bsky.social @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social

The #LytchettFields winter feeding station is up and running again. We'd love to hear your sightings so tag me or @NarwhalSh on any of your posts

Our colour ringing season at Lytchett Bay is off to a great start with 5 Water Pipit & 5 Rock Pipit marked (under license) already. Please look out for yellow (Water) and white (Rock) marked birds and report all sightings 🙏 #Dorsetbirds

#WaderWednesday A reprise from this day 2020 of ‘Tom’s Amblings’ Wonderful waders on Alnmouth Beach, please give them space. @webs-gsmp.bsky.social @wadertales.bsky.social