Given its size (50-60cm) and location (top of a fairly mature tree) we're assuming this is a Asian Hornet nest at West Bex. It's been reported and if confirmed is likely to be of significant concern to the local bee keepers...

A glorious morning with a Short-eared Owl out to sea at dawn the highlight. Other good birds included 5/6 Cirl Buntings, Firecrest and Black Redstart.

One of two Black Redstarts around West Bex village this morning.... our first of the autumn. More importantly, we have water in the Mere at long last with Gulls & wildfowl to search through. Happy days...

We've seen this Merlin at West Bex every day since Friday, but this morning was the first time we found it settled... a little cracker.

A Red-necked Grebe was a bit of a surprise off West Bex this morning. A little distant and crap light but still a smart bird...

An Arctic Skua west was the best of this morning's birds....

Cropped and cleaned up pic of this morning's Whooper's Swans as they headed west past West Bex just after 8.00am. The birds are currently at Colyford, Devon.

Six probable Whooper Swans just flown west past West Bex...

Might be of interest... European Storm Petrel carcass at West Bex this morning... very desiccated, so probably from last winter.

Earlish Red-throated Diver off West Bexington this morning...

A peach of 1w Casp at West Bex this morning along with Ring Ouzel, Spot Fly, 7 Wheatears and an exceptional flock of 120 Cormorants flying west at dawn... easily the highest single count we've witnessed here.. 99 in the picture

Some of the 81 Balearics Shearwaters that went east past West Bex this morning...I think I picked up the tail-end of the movement with unidentified birds distantly ahead of them...

Rubbish snatched shot but a Grey Phalarope has just flown east past West Bex...

Juv Sabine's Cogden found b.y @notquitescilly.bsky.social it flew east at around 9.00am...

The Caspian Gull was around West Bex again this morning.... shame about the oil....

Juv Caspian Gull at West Bex this morning... @joestockwell.bsky.social is checking the ring number to see if it's the bird seen at the Swannery yesterday, but it's slightly oiled so I imagine so. Redstart and Bearded Tit the best of the common migrants...

This confiding Dutch ringed Med Gull is back for its third year on the same patch of beach at Cogden this morning... a steady trickle of common migrants through the last few weeks, but nothing to get the pulse racing...yet.

Great to report that Cirl Buntings have bred on patch again this year. Now would be a good time of year to look for juvs, especially in areas where Cirls have been seen during winter. Please send any sighting to [email protected]. Breeding records will be treated in strictest confidence.

Three Yellow Wags at West Bex this morning were the first of the year here (we rarely see them in spring)... also new Wheatear and Whinchat.

Our first Whinchat of the autumn this morning along with 2 Green Sandpipers.... The Wheatear is still around, now in heavy moult and a juv Redshank here yesterday. Things are beginning to happen...

Our first juv Yellow-legged Gulls of the 'autumn' at West Bex this morning along with a juv Wheatear...

Quail singing and seen briefly along track to the old lookout west of Cogden car park. It went quiet around 7.15 however and I've not heard it since, but I'm sure it's still there...

This Corn Bunting was giving it some at West Bex this morning... breeding here is a bit hit and miss but fingers crossed.

A Little Gull at West Bex this morning, first for a week @swannerysteve.bsky.social. Also, Kingfisher through... scare here and as usual it didn't linger.

Watching this sun-bathing juv Stonechat this morning had searching for my copy of The Sunning Behaviour of Birds when I got home... Written by KEL Simmonds and illustrated by Robin Prytherch. I remember reading many 'papers' by them over the years...their contribution to ornithology was immense.

Three 'unaccompanied' juv Bearded Tits at West Bex this morning. We're pretty sure there wasn't a breeding attempt on patch, so dispersing birds, possibly from the Swannery. Also, the GN Diver was again off-shore and showing a lot better and at least one Little Gull still.

West Bex this morning and a very distant blob resolved into this stunning breeding plumaged GN Diver. Can't be many better looking monochrome birds on the British List...

Little Gulls still around this morning including this one close in off West Bex.

I've just been sent a picture of a Woodchat Shrike, seen at Downhouse Farm NT, Eype this morning. No other details I'm afraid...

At least two, possibly three, Little Gulls off West Bex this morning. Are they still roosting at the Swannery Steve? @swannerysteve.bsky.social

Trying to get a feel for how common this problem with my binoculars is. Swaro NL Pure and the boss that takes the strap pin has come away from the body on one side They are on their way to Austria for warranty repair. They are worked hard, 5-6 hours every day, but even so it’s a surprising failure!

Tried a sea-watch this morning, nothing spectacular but we did have this distinctive Manx go through close in. Always good to get these sorts of views from the beach.

'Omissus' Herring Gull? This bird at Cogden this morning never looked dark enough for Yellow-legged Gull... Also 2 Little Gulls, 3 Barwits, 43 Sanderling and 9 Common Scoter through.

Great Northern Diver at West Bex this morning.... a breeding plumaged bird would have been nice but since this one was actually our first of the year I'm not complaining. Also, probable Nightingale heard briefly at Cogden...

We only had our first Hairy Hawker two years ago and that was a one day wonder.... our second today appeared to be on territory. This was the only occasion we found it resting, it seemed to have turned its head through 90 degrees or is something else going on?

I noticed this dip-feeding Med Gull at West Bex this morning was colour ringed and managed to get a pic. Turns out it's from a UK scheme. First ring-read of a UK Med we've managed here.

Distant Spoonbill east at around 7.30...

2 or 3 Liitle Gulls at West Bex this morning, presumably the birds from the Swannery @swannerysteve.bsky.social . One a long way out west at around 6.50 and two closer in east at 7.30.

Well this is a first...Like many sites in Dorset we regularly encounter Red Kites these days, but we've never had one on the Farm's roof before. I found it at dawn so presumably it had gone to roost there.

Great to lose the blasting north-easterly. As well as the Common Sandpiper & Green-V Orchids, Sedge Warbler and Whitethroat were NFY and Redstart the first since last weekend.

On 8th April 2023 I found a CR Baltic Gull at West Bex... This morning, virtually two years later to the day, this bird was on the beach. With sooty black plumage and dinky white primary tips it must be another candidate...

Birding was generally slow today although Sandwich Tern, Swallow and Sand Martin numbers all picked up. Our first Early Purple Orchid was noted at Cogden..

It's brilliant to have Cirl Buntings back as part of the Dorset soundscape. This one was singing its heart out yesterday. If you are lucky enough to find one please send in your record to [email protected]. Breeding records will be treated in strict confidence.

Hooded Crow at West Bex late morning, with 50+ Carrion Crows over a newly sown field (red blob) but constantly harassed by a few of them which, unlike the BOU, clearly considered it to be something different. In the end we assume it was chased off as we couldn't find it when the birds landed.

Cracking morning... 4 Wheatears, our first LRP, Dunlin and 8 Red-t Divers. Also, boxing Hares and some nice King Alfred's Cakes.

An article in the March edition of BB prompted me to dig out this picture of a Jackdaw in Bridport a few years ago. Progressive greying, progressive melanising or impossible to say? It wasn't seen again. Our first Dunlin of the year at West Bex this morning...

A familiar and anticipated shape on the beach this morning. This century the average first arrival date here has been: in the first decade 11th Mar and in the second 13th Mar. This decade by year it's been 16th, 14th, 15th & 11th Mar, today the 12th. Impressive timing. Also, migrant Dartford thru.

Great views of Barn Owl the last few days... worth the early starts.

Failed to get a February Wheatear on patch. Rock Pipit was some consolation as it's not resident, so definitely on the move. Adders have been out for a few days now, this is the pick of the bunch pictured with a Paederus Rove Beetle; likely litteroralis (that's the beetle not necessarily the pipit).

Not sure if there are any Whimbrel wintering locally, but one flew over West Bexington calling this morning... @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social