Found this unusual Chiffchaff at Durlston, Dorset yesterday. Bird sounded ok for Iberian Chiffchaff though lacking the end notes. However, decided to do a bit of ‘normal’ Chiff briefly in response to Ib Chiff tape 🤔. The main song it did started below 6kHZ which is good for Iberian…

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

We didn’t expect to catch this Kestrel during a garden winter CES catch in Dorset this morning. Then to find the bird had a Dutch ring and a satellite tag!! (Tracking data in comments below ⬇️)

We're thrilled to be speaking at the 2026 Careys Secret Garden Migration Festival, running from February 13th-15th. We can share with you a 20% discount code for tickets for Friday & Sunday, for BoPH supporters. Enter the code BOPH20 at checkout. www.careyssecretgarden.co.uk/products/mig...

Great views of this stunning adult LITTLE GULL in Holes Bay this afternoon. Also a distant 1st winter amongst 7 species of Gulls present #dorsetbirds @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social @harbourbirds.bsky.social

The Carey ringing year got up and running this morning with 119 birds (71 new) including a local control Siskin, a Jay (after none last year) and a Great Tit from 2022.

We got lucky with the Wyke Regis Desert Wheatear this afternoon in strong winds when it flew across the fleet whilst watching roosting Gulls. It then showed distantly on Chesil Beach before disappearing amongst the pebbles. A cr Oyc from Blakeney Point (8/25) showed a bit better

Have seen photos of a good candidate for Caspian Gull taken by @edjbetteridge.bsky.social on the Brownsea Lagoon on Oct 3rd. @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social @birdguides.bsky.social

Still only small numbers moving/arriving currently but the first Poole Harbour Redwing of the autumn ringed this AM in Lower Piddle Valley by @edjbetteridge.bsky.social . @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social

Forster’s Tern briefly from our Autumn Safari cruise this PM in the Wareham Channel, also 1 Glossy Ibis, 2 BN Grebe, 1 WT Eagle, 3 RB Merg’s (first of autumn), 113 Spoonbill, 3-4 Marsh Harrier, 2 Spotshank @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social @birdguides.bsky.social

A busy month at Carey, Dorset with 3,912 birds caught! This included 1729 Chiffchaffs, 740 Blackcaps, 50 Wilwa, 198 Sedgies, 68 Gropper, 26 Cettis, 302 House Martins, 14 Nightjar, 4 Redstart, 4 Spot Fly, 46 Stonechat, 55 Goldcrest and 13 Firecrest!! #ukbirding

A great bird boat around Poole Harbour yesterday morning with @harbourbirds.bsky.social, highlighted with great views of WT Eagle, 7 Curlew Sand (12 species of wader), Honey Buzzard, Bearded Tit, 62 Spoonbills, Kingfisher etc with great views of more WT Eagles over Carey today #ukbirding

A productive morning at Portland Bill seeing more Balearic Shears in a morning than I ever seen (66+)! Personal totals were 2-3 Grey Phal, 2 LT Skua, Sooty Shear, 9+ Stormies and 2 Arctic Skua @portlandbirdobs.bsky.social

AQUATIC WARBLER!!! Still can’t believe we caught this stunner at Carey this morning! Made it worthwhile giving it a go between weather fronts. The bird was interestingly a good weight of 15g! #ukbirding

A WRYNECK yesterday was a great way to end a busy August at Carey. Overall, 2,847 birds trapped including 281 Gropper and 1261 Sedgies! #ukbirding

Wryneck ringed near Carey Secret Garden this AM. Photo by @edjbetteridge.bsky.social . @birdguides.bsky.social @birdguides.bsky.social

Hit 4000 birds ringed at Carey this autumn today with a monster of a 20.0g Sedge Warbler! However, the stand out highlight of the morning was this stunning HOBBY!! Not something I ever thought I would be lucky enough to catch!

Join us for a Young Birders Autumn Bird Ringing Demonstration on the 13th September 7-9:30am at Carey’s Secret Garden! Free event for 13-18 year olds. More information here: www.birdsofpooleharbourbookings.co.uk/young-birders (Birds ringed and handled under BTO license. Photos by Ed Betteridge.)

Some catches at the Piddle Valley Ringing site recently. Over 2000 birds ringed under license, contributing to long-term monitoring of Autumn migrants. Come along to a Bird Ringing Demo this Sat. 7-9am at Careys Secret Garden! www.birdsofpooleharbourbookings.co.uk/event/autumn... 📸-Ed Betteridge

A busy start to my time running Carey Ringing Station in Dorset with 1147 birds of 32 species caught in the last fortnight! Highlights have been 527 Sedgies, 157 Gropper, 69 Reed, 15 Garwa, 99 Wilwa, 3 Tree Pipit, 9 Kingfisher and 7 Nightjars!! #ukbirding

A busy morning with 162 new birds trapped at Carey. Highlight was this juvenile Nightjar alongside 93 Sedgies, 25 Gropper, 8 Willows and a Garden Warbler! #ukbirding

Coming to the end of my first week working in Dorset. Not a bad start with over 350 birds ringed including 71 Groppers! And last night got lucky with great flight views of the Purple Heron! #ukbirding @birdingfox.bsky.social @harbourbirds.bsky.social

Another great morning for Grasshopper Warbler with 17 ringed in the Lower Piddle Valley this morning by @edjbetteridge.bsky.social . @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social @birdguides.bsky.social

A great start to ringing activities in the Lower Piddle Valley this AM with the first 6 Grasshopper Warbler of the autumn ringed. Last year this site produced 259…..will it be a record breaking year? @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social @birdguides.bsky.social @edjbetteridge.bsky.social

Nice to have my 1st Vagrant Emperor on the Calf of Man the other day, only the 2nd Calf record! #ukbirding

LAUGHING GULL found by @edjbetteridge.bsky.social this afternoon! Smart summer-plumage adult, very vocal circling with other gulls for 15mins before heading towards the Isle of Man. @manxwildlifetrust.bsky.social @britishbirds.bsky.social @rarebirder.bsky.social @birdguides.bsky.social

Didn’t expect to have a very vocal LAUGHING GULL fly around above me whilst I went to ring gull chicks on the Calf of Man this afternoon!! The bird stayed around just long enough for others to get there and bring a camera before it headed high north! #ukbirding

I did not expect to flush not 1 but 2 Quails, metres apart from the cliffs on the Calf of Man this afternoon!! Not typical Quail habitat right next to a Herring Gull colony! #ukbirding

📣 NEW BLOG POST! 🦆 We had some great birding highlights throughout May, and the Ornithology Team have been busy following the progress of our breeding birds. Head over to our new blog to find out more... 👇 www.mwt.im/blog/calf-ma... @manxwildlifetrust.bsky.social #calfofman #ManxNature

With migration slowing recently on the Calf of Man, I’ve been putting effort into nest finding especially Wheatears with the 100th pulli ringed today!!! #ukbirding

Yesterday the Calf of Man was visited by this stunning white Hen Harrier!!!! The bird spent a short while hunting before gaining a lot of height a disappearing north. What a bird!!!! #ukbirding

WESTERN SUBALPINE WARBLER trapped on the Calf of Man this morning!! #ukbirding @calfofmanbirdobs.bsky.social

Red-rumped Swallow over the Calf this morning! Showed well for around 10 mins circling the Obs, amazingly the 1st Calf and Isle of Man record!! Also Yellow Wag, c20 Spot Fly, Whinchat, Sib Chiff and Swift #ukbirding

Breeding Eiders are starting to pick up on the Calf of Man now with females starting to lay across the island. Slowly getting my eye in to this rather cryptic species #ukbirding

Just like buses! Two French Sedge Warblers trapped today following the Spanish bird the other day!! Amongst a small arrival of Sedgies, Whitethroat and Spot Fly with 2 Whinchats including the 4th of the year trapped and my first Swifts. #ukbirding

First Spotted Flycatcher of the year trapped on the Calf this morning had a Norwegian ring!! This is only the 2nd Norwegian Spot Fly to be recovered in the UK following one in 1992 on North Ron with only three UK ringed birds from North Ron/Isle of May being recovered in Norway!! #ukbirding

Another good night dazzling on the Calf of Man. Starting with a Whimbrel (2nd ever ringed here) and 3 GBB Gulls (2S,4S,4S). Before catching 8 Eiders (6 drakes beating the total ever caught on the Calf), including the 1st ever control!! Also an Oyc and 5 Wheatears.

Nice to have the returning Bonxie back on the Calf of Man and now a regular feature of census. Thought to be it’s 10th year! Hopefully this year it will be the one it finds a mate and breeds! #ukbirding

Quality over quantity today on the Calf of Man with a couple of Gropper, Whitethroat, Lesser Redpolls and 2 House Sparrow (scarcity here) the ringing highlights amongst a small arrival of Willow Warblers and Blackcaps #ukbirding

A successful attempt at dazzling the Eider on the Calf of Man last night produced 7 new birds including 4 rather smart drakes!!! #ukbirding

Strong easterlies and rain produced a decent arrival with 60 birds caught in the traps including a rather nice male Whinchat (nfy), a Whitethroat (nfy), 30 Willow Warblers, 5 Chiffs, 8 Blackcaps, 12 Goldfinches (1 control), a Wheatear and 2 Robins

Lots arrival on the Calf of Man recently including a Xbill, Black Red, Tree Pipit, Sib Chiff, 2 Rouzels, Blue Tit, 100’s of Hirundines and good numbers of Phylloscs.

A partially leucistic Ring Ouzel was new in this morning on the Calf of Man with a Black Redstart at the lighthouses and the start of the Greenland Wheatear passage with a handful of birds around recently #ukbirding #manxbirding

A record breaking March for the Calf of Man continues with a vocal Lapland Bunting low north this morning and the first House Martins (2) this afternoon with 7 Swallows! #ukbirding

Spring is starting to pick up on the Calf of Man with a Willow Warbler and 2 Blackcaps amongst an arrival of Chiffs and Robins today. With a nice male Black Redstart yesterday followed by the 5th Teal to be ringed on the Calf #ukbirding @calfofmanbirdobs.bsky.social

A nice flock of 22 Whooper Swans south over the Calf of Man this afternoon. A record island count! #ukbirding

My first week on the Calf of Man has come to an end. Some Wheatears, Chiffs and Sand Martins trickling through with the island 16th Red Kite, the first Water Rail to be ringed since 2019 and the first recapture of a Great Tit from 2017 the highlights. #ukbirding

Highlights of the first full day on the Calf of Man produced 3 Wheatears, Hen Harrier, Sand Martin, Greenfinch, 5 Siskins, Red Kite, Fieldfare and 4 Chiffs. Also Woodcock on arrival yesterday. Not a bad start to the session. #ukbirding

Thermal Survey in Evesham last night by @EdJBetteridge produced 2 Grey Partridge, 18 Skylark inc 6 retraps, 1 Fieldfare, 1 Woodcock, 1 Song Thrush and an unexpected Mallard. Not sure who was more surprised. @tj-focus.bsky.social @thermal4birding.bsky.social

An increase in LBB Gulls at Throckmorton has included birds from Iceland, Norway and the Netherlands however the standout highlight was a bird I ringed on Bardsey this summer!! My first recovery of a Gull I actually ringed and the first Bardsey bird to the West Mids! #worcsbirding