Happy Birthday Rabbie. Selkirk Grace Some hae meat and canna eat, And some wad eat that want it; But we hae meat, and we can eat, Sae let the Lord be thankit. And time to enjoy the Great chieftain o' the pudding-race! And a wee dram of single malt.

147 Hen Harriers confirmed 'missing' or illegally killed in UK since 2018 - most of them on or close to grouse moors. Data extracted from reports by Natural England, RSPB, HSE, various Police forces, National Wildlife Crime Unit. #RaptorResearch 🌍 raptorpersecutionuk.org/2026/01/21/1...

Killdeer at Ripley Farm Reservoir, Hants. A BoC record shot of a lifer for me. Credit to the finder on a day like this!

Yet another one... #RaptorResearch raptorpersecutionuk.org/2026/01/19/s...

Satellite-tagged Hen Harrier called Edna "suspected illegally killed". Was she killed & dumped at a windfarm in Northumberland as a ploy to cover up the crime? New blog ⬇️ #RaptorResearch #WilldifeCrime 🌍 raptorpersecutionuk.org/2026/01/19/s...

Jerry's Point, Studland: Nice to catch up with the Red-necked Grebe, albeit being distant. Also 2 Slavonian Grebes, Greenshank, 10 Black-necked Grebes, 2 Sandwich Terns, 4 Goldeneye and 3 Great Northern Divers. @harbourbirds.bsky.social @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social

River Frome - Wareham, Dorset: It's not every day that you get to see 15 White-fronted Geese and 10 Glossy Ibis together. Certainly a first for me. @harbourbirds.bsky.social @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social

Isle of Purbeck: A Woodlark back on territory and in full song. A sign spring is only just around the corner. @harbourbirds.bsky.social @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social

It was a fantastic Poole Harbour BTO @webs-gsmp.bsky.social survey at the end of Dec with our highest total of birds recorded since 2011. Four harbour records were broken and there were high counts of important species. Highlights…….. @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social

Whilst out on my Christmas Day walk along the Neckar River, Ladenburg. Germany, it was an absolute joy to come across a flock of 7 White-headed Long-tailed Tits (Aegithalos caudatus caudatus). A sub-species I have wanted to see for a long time. Such cure adorable looking birds.

A lovely Sanderling on the waters edge on Sandbanks Beach. @harbourbirds.bsky.social @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social

3 Purple Sandpipers on the groynes at Sandbanks beach. @harbourbirds.bsky.social @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social

One of eight Glossy Ibis at Curlews Pool, Swineham. @harbourbirds.bsky.social @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social

A Spotted Redshank, Fieldfares and a Firecrest at Middlebere. @harbourbirds.bsky.social @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social

A dash down to Devon before the high winds & rain for the Lesser Crested Tern. Generally distant, but i did see it fly around and catch a fish. A Yellow-browed Warbler on the northern side of the pond was a bonus.

Studland: Jerry's Point at lunchtime - 2 Great Northern Diver, 2 Black necked Grebe and 1 Slavonian Grebe. Middle Beach - 4 Black necked Grebe and 1 Great Northern Diver. @harbourbirds.bsky.social @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social

A Great White Egret, 2 Marsh Harriers, 125 Avocet, A Firecrest a a Snipe and elegant Little Egret were the best of a morning watch at Middlebere. @harbourbirds.bsky.social @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social

Jerry's pt, Studland: 2 Velvet Scoter, 1 Slavonian Grebe, 8 Black neck Grebes, 12 GC Grebes, 16 Merganser and a Grey Plover. @harbourbirds.bsky.social @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social

Whilst walking across Godlingstone Heath, Studland we came across these odd egg like organisms. Thanks to @beardybirder.bsky.social for informing us they are Leocarpus slime moulds. Whilst widespread in Britain, I've not seen it before.

Wareham Two Rivers Walk: Lower Piddle - 316 Greylag Geese (personal record count here), 1 Red Kite. Swineham Meadows & Pools - 12 Glossy Ibis, 460 Blackwit, 1 Sparrowhawk, 1 Cettis, 1 Firecrest and a male Marsh Harrier. @harbourbirds.bsky.social @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social

Middlebere this morning on a incoming tide: 1 Merlin (f past 3 times), 1 Spotted Redshank, 351 Blackwit, 157 Dunlin, 104 Redshank, 120 Avocet, 8 Grey Plover plus usual mix of wildfowl. @harbourbirds.bsky.social @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social

A packed Lower Piddle Floods Fields, Swineham. That was until this pair decided to cause mayhem. 2 Spotted Redshank, 1 Ruff, 120 Lapwing, 600+ Geese and a mix of ducks. @harbourbirds.bsky.social @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social

5 Cattle Egrets with the cows at Holmebridge this morning. @harbourbirds.bsky.social @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social

Nice to see the 12 Glossy Ibis at Ridge, nr Wareham. @harbourbirds.bsky.social @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social

Spotted Redshank was the best of the usual mix of waders and wildfowl at Middlebere during this mornings very high tide. Although this male kestrel was also nice to see sat in front of the hide. @harbourbirds.bsky.social @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social

Swineham 2 Rivers Walk: A White tailed Eagle scattered everything from Stilt / Curlews Pools, but there in the Lower Piddle flood fields were 2 Red Kites, a Ruff, 2 Green Sandpipers, and a Greenshank. 3 Marsh Harriers were quartering Arne Moor. @harbourbirds.bsky.social @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social

30 Cattle Egrets on Marazion Marsh and a female Goldeneye on Longrock Pool. @cbwps.org.uk

A great Pendeen seawatch: 2 Long tail, 3 Great and c30 Arctic Skua. c140+ Sooty, 3 Great, 3 Balearic and loads Manx Shearwaters. 1 Arctic, 1 Black & 2 Sandwich Terns. 4 Little Auk, 3 Eider, Cm Scoter, Tufted ducks, 2 Teal, 2 Storm Petrel and 14 Chough. @cbwps.org.uk

Cattle Egrets and a Jack snipe at Marazion Marsh. Also 3 Water Rail, 4 Common snipe, a Little Egret and a Starling murmuration. @cbwps.org.uk

Coronation Lake, Helston: Juv Male Ring-necked Duck and a Common Sandpiper . @cbwps.org.uk

Steppe Great Grey Shrike on the SW Coast Path, Mullion Cove. Also a female Ring Ouzel and a Chough. @cbwps.org.uk

A very showy Lesser Yellowlegs on the Truro River behind Tesco. Also 2 Greenshank and a redshank. @cbwps.org.uk

Ryans Field, Hayle: Ringed Spoonbill V463, 34 Bar-tailed Godwit and 2 Kingfisher. Brent Goose, 5 Ringed Plover Hayle estuary, 1 Dunlin. @cbwps.org.uk

patience was a virtue in waiting 4 hours for the rain to ease and fog to clear at Colliford lake. Eventually got reat views of the Baird's Sandpiper.

Best of a falling tide at Middlebere. c550 Avocet c 450 Blackwit 7 Curlew Sandpiper 2 Spotted Redshank 65 Redshank 5 Knot 2 Great White Egret 1 Green Sandpiper 1 Merlin 1 Marsh Harrier @harbourbirds.bsky.social @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social

Fast rising tide at Middlebere with highlights being: 7 Curlew Sandpiper 20 Knot 1 Spotted Redshank 480 Avocet, 240 Blckwit, 16 Pintail 1 Green Sandpiper. 24 Shelduck 1 Peregrine @harbourbirds.bsky.social @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social

Tide rapidly dropping at Middlebere. 4 Spotted Redshank still but 8 Curlew Sandpipers. Knot are further down the Channel. Had a Goshawk bomb through and 1 Marsh Harrier. @harbourbirds.bsky.social @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social

Sunrise at Middlebere NT hide: Highlights were - 5 Curlew Sandpiper, 1 Spotted Redshank, 12 Knot, 280 Avocet, 270 Black T Gotwits, 85 Redshank, 2 Great White Egrets, 7 Pintail, 1 Peregrine and 1 Kingfisher. @harbourbirds.bsky.social @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social

This was a massive distraction project, intended to draw attention away from the ongoing illegal killing on northern UK grouse moors. Maybe now NE & Defra will put their (our!) money where it really needs to go - on ramped up enforcement. #RaptorResearch raptorpersecutionuk.org/2025/09/16/g...

A few back of the camera shots of the West Bay Juv Sabines Gull, which was showing well just off the beach. @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social

5 Glossy Ibis in the Frome flood field by the A352 Wareham bypass with 6 Lapwing, 1 Black tail Godwit. Also 26 Cattle Egrets in the valley. @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social @harbourbirds.bsky.social

Fantastic news! Defra Ministers listened to the science rather than the hysteria & rhetoric of the grouse shooting industry. Ban comes in to force 30 Sept 2025. raptorpersecutionuk.org/2025/09/09/m...

After watching Ospreys on my guided Dart 'Osprey' Cruise and telling the group to look out for possible Glossy Ibis's this happens!! I estimated 70 but there were 91! perhaps the Wadebridge flock? at least 3 Ospreys, Kingfisher Mandarin Ducks, Common Sandpipers too.

One of six Curlew Sandpipers with the usual mix of waders between Redhorn Quay and Jerry's pt, Brand's Bay. Also 4 Yellow Wagtails and 2 Wheatear. @harbourbirds.bsky.social @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social

A Little Stint was the best from the Brand's Bay Webs count. Otherwise just the usual mix. @harbourbirds.bsky.social

Best of the incoming tide at Middlebere: 525 Blackwits, 5 Avocet, 5 Greenshank, 1 Spoonbill, 1 Great Egret. @harbourbirds.bsky.social

Well done RSPB, raptor fieldworkers and everyone else involved with protecting breeding Hen Harriers on United Utilities land in Bowland. Elsewhere, HH breeding results on privately-owned grouse moors are down for another year. #RaptorResearch raptorpersecutionuk.org/2025/09/05/r...

Seaton Marshes: Popped in on the way to Argyle. Unfortunately no sign of the Marsh Sandpiper but 2 Little Stint, 1 Wood Sandpiper, 1 Common Sandpiper and a Water Rail were still nice to see.

Great to bump into @moorebirdsbybike.bsky.social & Colin Chainey on my wander around Hartland Moor. Birding highlights were: 5 Whinchat 3 Wheatear 2 common Redstart 2 Willow Warbler (1 juv) 5 Dartford warbler 1 Common Whitethroat @harbourbirds.bsky.social @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social

Highlights from an early morning low tide at at Brands Bay and Studland Heath were: 1 Ruff, 21 ringed Plover, 3 Whimbrel and an early returning Wigeon in eclipse. on the heath were 2 Wheatear and a juv Dartford warble. @harbourbirds.bsky.social @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social