Its time that England introduces the same law as Scotland, where rogue shooting estates & owners can be prosecuted, when their gamekeepers illegaliy kill birds of prey Scottish law allows estates to stop all Grouse shooting as a penalty England fines if the gamekeepers is convicted are minimal

Concerning

Hello Geoff ! The 1st Hedge Beauty(Alabonia geoffrella) of the year along the Dorset Way 05/05/26

2 Little Terns briefly & 2 Rosy Terns on the Brownsea Boomerang this PM @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social @harbourbirds.bsky.social #DorsetBirds

Female Osprey in Poole harbour today protecting breakfast from the local [email protected] @nyrak62.bsky.social @alisoncopland.bsky.social @kayakpoole.bsky.social @paulathorpe20.bsky.social @ukoi.bsky.social @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social @dorsetraptors.bsky.social

Amazing how fast those Poole Peregrines grow! Seems like only the other day we were joined by DRSG volunteer @heliehels.bsky.social to visit the nest under licence for ringing. Read Hellie's piece on her experience with these magical birds. @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social @dorsetwildlife.bsky.social

💚 Southern Damselflies 💚 Purbeck NNR @dorsetwildlife.bsky.social @britishdragonflies.bsky.social

Honey Buzzard just flown straight over Poole Quay heading towards Holes Bsy @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social @birdguides.bsky.social

My first Small Red Damsels of the year, plus Black-tailed and Keeled Skimmers on Brownsea today @britishdragonflies.bsky.social @dorsetwildlife.bsky.social @nationaltrust.org.uk

Tern! Tern! Tern! For all things there is a season, and a time for every purpose under heaven 🙏💚🐣😍 @harbourbirds.bsky.social @dorsetwildlife.bsky.social @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social @rspb.bsky.social

Unsuccessful attempt at feeding the first Common Tern chick of the season on Brownsea! 💚🐣🙏 @harbourbirds.bsky.social @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social @nationaltrust.org.uk @rspb.bsky.social

Roseate Tern at the Swannery this evening. @joestockwell.bsky.social @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social

The first couple of common tern chicks have hatched. Plus Sandwich tern chicks growing fast #WildBrownsea @dorsetwildlife.bsky.social @harbourbirds.bsky.social @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social

Poole Peregrines growing fast!

Didn't expect the 1st Darter sp. of the year to be a Red-veined Darter at #LytchettFields , only maybe the 2nd or 3rd record here @lytchettbirder.bsky.social @narwhalsh.bsky.social @mick666.bsky.social

DNA samples were taken of the 4 Poole Peregrine chicks at the time of ringing. Samples are known as buccal swabs, akin to a saliva swab. These will be sent to the Raptor Forensic DNA Project based in Edinburgh and used to assist possible persecution/theft cases.

The UK’s strangest avian couple at the Long Nanny, Northumberland this morning - the female American Black Tern with the same male Arctic Tern she bred (unsuccessfully) with in 2024. A small nest scrape but no eggs as yet. #NEbirding #rarebirdsUK

The first Sandwich tern chicks have arrived on Brownsea! At least 8 on the Avocet Hide islands this afternoon 🩵 #WildBrownsea @dorsetwildlife.bsky.social @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social @harbourbirds.bsky.social @birdguides.bsky.social

It was nice to see several Small Red Damselflies amongst the 10 spp of Odonata on the wing at Powerstock Common NR this afternoon, although the sight of a Norfolk Hawker hunting the woodland edge was slightly less expected! #odonata

13 butterfly spp were on the wing at Powerstock Common NR this afternoon, despite the overcast and breezy conditions, incl'g my 1st Meadow Brown & Large Skipper of the yr, plus Dingy & Grizzled Skippers, Brown Argus, & a host of Common Blues @dorsetbutterflies.bsky.social

This morning's moth trap held one unusual visitor...agrotera nemoralis one of few records for the island, but got away pre-photo! The rest... green silver-lines, beautiful hook-tip, scorched wing and diaperis boleti. Not a bad haul #WildBrownsea @dorsetwildlife.bsky.social @dorsetmoths.bsky.social

Lots of youngsters about at the moment... blue tit, greylag and gs woodpecker parents very busy! #WildBrownsea @dorsetwildlife.bsky.social @harbourbirds.bsky.social @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social

😬

A Silver-studded Blue caterpillar in the company of its symbiotic Lasius niger ants at Wheal Maid last Sunday.

I had to get really close before I realised why this Noon Fly at Lodmoor was hanging in such an odd position - incredible camouflage from the Flower Crab Spider! @britishspiders.bsky.social @rspb.bsky.social @dorsetwildlife.bsky.social

First Keeled Skimmers and Emperors of the year in Wareham Forest this morning (24/5) Didn't get a picture of adult Emperor but this exuvia looked good one @britishdragonflies.bsky.social @dorsetwildlife.bsky.social

Seems early for Silver-studded Blue @dorsetbutterflies.bsky.social ? Today (24/5) with Green Hairstreak in Wareham Forest. Steady stream of Painted Ladies heading N up the Morden valley, and a few in Weymouth (pictured) yesterday @savebutterflies.bsky.social @dorsetwildlife.bsky.social

Lots of Orange-tips around. My favourite butterfly, so I thought I’d paint a male on Cuckoo Flower, with egg from a visiting female.

A Dainty Damselfy emerging from @Sandwichbirdobs a few years ago. A privilege that not many people in recent years have ever witnessed and 📸. @britishdragonflies.bsky.social @smallshire.bsky.social #KentDragonflies

A quiet day on @dorsetwildlife.bsky.social Brownsea today Avocet 5 Dunlin 20 It was good to see 21 Juv BH Gulls and sitting Common & Sandwich Terns. It was too busy for counts during the day Com Lizard 1 Southern Marsh Orchid first 3 seen @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social #DorsetBirds

Very privileged to find a Silver-studded Blue larva being tended by ants on Studland Heath today. Also one pupa which suggests they might be flying before the end of May! The ants protect them and they have been thriving on this reserve. @savebutterflies.bsky.social @dorsetbutterflies.bsky.social

Poole peregrine chicks ringed yesterday. 3 females and 1 male (same as last year). All healthy weights and doing well. 3 females colour ringed white on blue HJ, MS and HH. 1 male black on blue WZ.

And then a male Beautiful Demoiselle(Calopteryx virgo) today at #LytchettFields 17/05/26

A warning to Poole birders 😀 There may be a few more strange looking Shelduck appearing over the coming months as one of the Hybrid birds that have been around a couple of years has bred with a standard bird! 5 normal looking(at moment) ducklings in Lytchett Bay @harbourbirds.bsky.social

Is this the Nationally Scarce Black-headed Mason Wasp (Odynerus melanocephalus) @ianbeavis.bsky.social @ianballam.bsky.social @georgemcgavin.bsky.social ? Swineham, Dorset 17/5/26

The 4 Poole Peregrine chicks are growing well and fast. Here being fed a late breakfast by the adult male.

britainsfavouritebutterfly.co.uk/butterfly/si... The Bling Blue!

For the friend who wrote to me, exhausted and demoralised, at 0448, this is why we carry on, against all odds. Because whatever little we save is precious. Because, somehow, undeserving, we get to share this world with song thrushes.

Surveying this lunchtime we ended up with a record count of 369 Med Gull nests this PM when surveying the gull islands in the Wareham Channel. The previous record count was 278 in 2023 & a lot better than last years survey that only yielded 43 nests! @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social

4 roseate terns on the Brownsea boomerang this afternoon (no proper pics as too far away) #WildBrownsea @dorsetwildlife.bsky.social @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social @harbourbirds.bsky.social

Earomyia netherlandica at #LytchettBay , only the 6th UK record

Several low passes by Ravens over the @dorsetwildlife.bsky.social Brownsea lagoon but didnt land Damage already done with @wildontheroad.bsky.social 230ish Sarnie Tern nests reduced to c55 after Raven's robbed eggs 100ish Common Tern nests scattered over the lagoon @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social

Waders on @dorsetwildlife.bsky.social Brownsea lagoon Avocet 2 R Plover 1 Blackwit 8 Dunlin 11 Sanderling 1 Plus c20 small Waders departed before I could check them @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.so

IMPORTANT: We’ll be out tomorrow morning between 6am & 9am surveying Poole Harbours important Black-headed & Mediterranean Gull colony on the gull islands in the Wareham Channel, so if you see us don’t worry, we’re not egg thieves! This is a fully licensed survey as Med Gulls are schedule 1 species

Not bothering with trapping at the moment as it’s so cold at night, but finding a few moths by day, including Geoff at a local site on Sunday evening. Alabonia geoffrella (Hedge Beauty) #teammoth

Osprey over Oakdale 17:05 headed SW towards Holes Bay. @harbourbirds.bsky.social

That's worrying. The Ravens forced the first UK Little Egret colony to desert Brownsea and they cause high losses on the Purbeck Auk colony @wildontheroad.bsky.social

A bad year for terns... first the gbbgs, now the ravens taking 2-3 eggs every 10 mins. It's all part of the natural ebb and flow of breeding seasons but it's still hard to watch 😫 #WildBrownsea @dorsetwildlife.bsky.social @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social @harbourbirds.bsky.social

Group of 5 raven flying together over north shore. Could be that our nestling have fledged already? #WildBrownsea @dorsetwildlife.bsky.social @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social @harbourbirds.bsky.social