Dorset Birds: Monday 16th June 2025

Nightjar - 6+ Purbeck Heath NR last night, 1 heard on Coombe Heath today
Cuckoo - 1 Wick Fields this morning, 1 Middlebere, 1 Higher Hyde Heath DWT
Greenshank - 1 Stanpit Marsh
Whimbrel - 3 Portland Bill
Little Gull - 1 Coward's Marsh
Arctic Skua - 1 Portland Bill
Puffin - 1 Portland Bill
Great Northern Diver - 1 in full breeding plumage off West Bexington this morning
Balearic Shearwater - 8 Portland Bill
Spoonbill - 4 Brownsea Lagoon
Osprey - 1 over Stanpit Marsh this afternoon
Red Kite - 1 over Wareham Causeway

Hobby - 1 Higher Hyde Heath DWT

Nightjar, last night at Purbeck Heath NR © Garry Hayman

RARE BREEDING BIRDS

Dorset Bird Club and the Rare Breeding Birds Panel advocate special caution when reporting rare breeding birds as they are vulnerable to persecution and disturbance.

Please consider the birds welfare and do not share details of any rare breeding species on X/Twitter, Facebook and WhatsApp groups, personal websites, blogs, or local birdwatching message boards.

We urge all finders of rare birds to consider whether they may be breeding before sharing the news.

Sightings should always be submitted, in confidence, to the county recorder to contribute to long-term national monitoring.

DORSET BIRD REPORT 2023

The Dorset Bird Report 2023, produced by Dorset Bird Club, is now available for purchase by non-members via the DBC website (click on the report cover image below). Featuring a review of the year, a comprehensive systematic list of all species recorded in 2023, rarity finder accounts including the first Moltoni's Warbler and Isabelline Wheatear for Dorset, articles on Baltic Gull, the Alpine Swift influx, Cory's and Great Shearwaters, and the return of the Cirl Bunting. Illustrated throughout with images taken by Dorset's leading photographers. £16 (+ £3 shipping).