February Birding catching up on what was missed in January

February birding was trying to get out when it wasn't raining. The 1st was one of these days at for a while it kept dry and Jackie and I tried for the Red-necked Grebe which had been seen from Jerry's Point but we ended in failure. We did have 3 Great Northern Diver which are always nice to see otherwise just the usual suspects.

On the 4th we decided to meet with friends at Thorncombe Wood near Dorchester and as we were passing Tolpuddle on the by-pass a Red Kite decided to soar over the road and head off south our first for the year. Thornecombe didn't really produce, the overcast damp morning kept the birds quiet.

On the 8th Jackie and I went down to Holes Bay as it gave me the chance to catch up on Goosander and Jackie wanted to see the Little Gull both of which had been seen there a number of time over the previous week.  Of course after arriving it start to drizzle then it cleared enough to scan the bay and I found the female Goosander way out in the bay. Then it was then to find the Little Gull which we eventually did, sat on the water out in the middle of the northeast end of the bay.

Distant shot of the same Little Gull when it visited Lytchett Bay © Nick Hull

On the 12th we birded the local patch (Lytchett Bay) for an hour viewing from Rock Lea view point and the feeding station in the Pools field. We managed to add Cetti's Warbler to our Dorset List and a year tick with two Reed Bunting coming into the feeding station.  

The 13th was another moist day and we popped into Hampshire to Blashford Lakes to see if the Bittern was still around but it hadn't been seen all morning and the hide was somewhat packed so we decided not to stay and started walking back to the van and came across a number of Scarlet Elfcup which seemed to brighting the drab leafy woodland banks.

Scarlet Elf Cup - Blasford Lakes © Nick Hull

we decide to drive into the forest across Ocknell Plain to see if the Great Grey Shrike was around but no luck.  We had lunch at Eyeworth Pond and somebody had placed seed on various posts and various tits and chaffinch were coming in to feed on what was provided. Not the best thing to do in a wild situation but it was enjoyable to watch and see what species were being attracted to a food source.  The site is good for Marsh Tit and the seed was attracting a couple of individuals in. So I took advantage and managed a few shots from the van window so not to disturb the bird coming in to feed.

Marsh Tit - Eyeworth Pond © Nick Hull

After Eyeworth we decided to visit Breamore Church on our way home this is a site that sometime attracts

the odd Hawfinch in winter but none were there for us this year but Jackie managed to catch up on Red Kite which I found sat at the top of a pine calling.

Red Kite - Breamore © Nick Hull

On the 16th I went to Arne and helped on a reptile search for emerging Adder, and though it appeared to be a perfect day none were found but I did see a few Dartford Warbler, two Red Kite and one of the adult White-tailed Eagle so couldn't complain really. Next day Jackie and I were joined by Margaret for a walk at Middlebere,, it was another quiet day though we did have our first singing Woodlark always a delight to hear.  We also had a couple of Fieldfare in the cottages garden orchard which was very nice as they have been very thin on the ground this year at least locally.

Fieldfare - Middlebere © Nick Hull

On the walk back we saw one of the White Sika Deer out in the marsh, there are several in the herds around Poole Harbour basin and the do stand out from the crowd.

White Sika Deer - Middlebere © Nick Hull

We met friends at Hengistbury on the 23rd with the intention of finding Purple Sandpipers and perhaps some birds on the sea. Well we were successful and found the Purple Sandpipers on the far groyne on the sandspit and had six Common Scoter flying off the head adding two species for the year list which stand at 128 species just a couple down on 2025, hopefully that will be remedied in March.

Common Scoter  off Hengistbury Head from archive 

January and a British Mega

As is usual for many birders the 1st of January is a day that is required for you to go birding regardless of the weather.  We started locally checking off a few species in and around the garden before moving round to Ridge Farm to take a look at the Russian White-fronted Geese, which went to plan but no Tundra Bean Geese.  It was then off to Brand's Bay and Studland South Beach which saw us checking off Great Northern Diver, White-tailed Eagle, Black-necked and Slavonian Grebes and Goldeneye a species that has become scarcer in recent years in the harbour.

Slavonian Grebe off Jerry's Point © Nick Hull

After Studland we headed to Norden and checked out the sewage works for Chiffs and Grey Wagtail and news came through that the Bean Geese had been found in the Frome Valley at Stokeford.  So we headed there first and as we passed by Worgret Manor we saw a handful of Cattle Egret feeding in the field next to the house.  When we arrived at Stokeford the Tundra Bean Geese were still present in the field behind the cottage feeding along with Egyptian Geese and a few more Cattle Egret.

Next we popped into Holme Bridge where we got lucky with a Great White Egret, Lapwing flock, Fieldfare and a pair of Little Grebe. We then headed for the home patch via East Holme gravel pit then onto Lytchett Bay.  Viewing from Turlin View Point added Avocets and other common winter waterfowl and Spoonbills which do not visit that often.  Then it was back home and have a coffee and add up our species list for the day.  The final count wasn't bad at 62 species a pretty good start for the year.

A walk around home at footpath 12 opposite on the 4th provided us with two really good species Green Woodpecker, rare here on the Lytchett patch, and Lesser Redpoll with the Siskin.  Later in the morning we followed up on some info that came our way about a flock of Golden Plover near Bere Regis but our hunt to find them proved fruitless, though by luck stopping in a farm gateway saw us add Yellowhammer and Corn Bunting in a flock of feeding Chaffinch.

On the 7th we had a trip down to Hatch Pond as at the north end by the footpath a Yellow-browed Warbler had been found.  We arrived and spent about 30 minutes before it showed up and performed for us and it gave us some real close views.  

Yellow-browed Warbler - Hatch Pond © Nick Hull

Our next outing was a quick visit down to Waddock Cross Cressbeds as the frosty cold weather had pushed the Glossy Ibis up the Frome Valley to find unfrozen area to feed and they reported using the watercress beds.  When we arrived we found them without any trouble as well as a number of Green Sandpiper. Then Jackie said shall we pop down to Weymouth for the Black Redstart at the Bridging Camp which turned out successful.

On the 21st news broke of a Killdeer at Ripley just over the border into Hampshire, a species that Jackie had always wanted to see in Britain but we couldn't go on the first day and had to wait until the next day.

We travelled to Ripley without too much traffic but had a little problem finding somewhere to park so Jackie didn't have to far to walk as she couldn't use her scooter.  It was a wet day but we were lucky as it cleared a little and we had a dry spell whilst we were there.  The Killdeer was on the far side of an old gravel pit resting when we arrived it was partially out of sight from where we were viewing but eventually it went for a little run and a feed.  Then a Sparrowhawk flew across the middle of the lake and the Killdeer took flight and gave us good flight view as it passed in front of us and turned and went back to nearly where it had taken off from.   Oddly the first British record of this species was from Christchurch Harbour when it was Hampshire in 1859 and since then there has been in the region of 78 accepted records.for Britain and Ireland.

Killdeer - Ripley Hants 

We ended the month with a visit to Slimbridge WWT with friends David and Fran.  Jackie and I haven't been for many years in fact our last visit was a twitch to see a Little Crake back in 2005.  We managed to add seven species to our year list with Barnacle Goose, Bewick's Swan, Common Crane, Golden Plover, Ruff, and Cetti's Warbler. We ended our visit with a Kingfisher whilst having breakfast next morning before we move on for a morning visit to the Somerset Levels on the way home to Dorset.

Flight of Bewick's Swan Slimbridge © Nick Hull

We had little success on the levels as water levels were high though we saw several Great White Egret and the two large flocks of Cattle Egret which collectively exceeded 150 birds. we ended the month on the 31st with a Mandarin drake in Poole Park a real tarts tick to end the month with 120 species.

Drake Mandarin - Poole Park © Nick Hull

December 2025

December is a time when you always go through your list and see what is missing and are they still a possibility.  One glaring miss to our year list was Goosander, a species that we usually do not need to make an effort to see but come across at sometime through the year.  So on the 9th we had an early Christmas dinner arranged at Charlton Marshal and we had been told there had been Goosander on the river at Blandford Forum.  As it happened we left home and found the traffic was very light and we were very early for our pub lunch so we headed into Blandford for a quick walk to see if we could find the Goosander.  Did we see it - no we didn't, but we did see an Otter swimming and hunting along the weir which was a very nice consolation.

Otter Blandford Forum © Nick Hull

With Christmas approaching most of the rest of the month was taken up with sorting out all the arrangements presents etc, etc. So our next available day for doing any kind of birding was on the 26th when we received information that there was a flock of White-fronted Geese and a few Tundra Bean Geese on the field at Ridge.  For the sake of getting a couple of extra year ticks Jackie and I decided on a quick twitch just in case they moved on before the New Years Day, they are two species that have become quite scarce in the river valleys here in Dorset over recent years.  So after a 20 minute drive we pulled up in a gateway and scanned the field and there they were 5 Tundra Bean and 33 Russian White-Fronted Geese. I took a few images and headed back home to get ready to entertain family. 

A few Russian White-fronted Geese + 5 Tundra Bean Geese - Ridge © Nick Hull

Jackie and I always set ourselves the challenge of getting 200 species in a year and usually we do succeed and most of them will be found around Poole Harbour and the Isle of Purbeck, with a few which will be in Dorset but away from our local area.  Then a handful will be from the odd holidays or weekends away up in Yorkshire, Somerset and Europe, though in 2025 we holidayed in Cyprus, which technically falls in Western Asia though part of the EU.  

This year we finished on 206 species plus a further 30 species seen in Cyprus.

Our bird highlights were:-

Green-winged Teal - 14th January at Lodmoor.

Cirl Bunting - 14th January at the Bridging Camp Wyke Regis plus Durlston later in the year.

Lesser Scaup - Longham Lakes on 17th January.

Temminck's Stint at Siddlesham Ferry Pool, 30th April, whilst visiting West Sussex.

Great Reed Warbler - 18th May at Hornsea Mere  East Yorkshire.

Honey Buzzard - 20th May at Wykeham Forest North Yorkshire.

Wryneck - Stoborough Heath.

Glossy Ibis - Lytchett Bay/Fields 8th September.

Caspian Gull - 15th October  at Hornsea Mere  East Yorkshire.

Ring Ouzel - 18th October Bempton Cliffs East Yorkshire.

Ring-necked Duck - 20th November Shapwick Heath NNR Somerset Levels.

Desert Wheatear - 24th November Bridging Camp Wyke Regis.

Tundra Bean Geese - 26th December Ridge Farm.

Russian White-fronted Geese - 26th December Ridge Farm.

So no UK lifers this year the only lifers were those seen in Cyprus:-

Spur-winged Lapwing

Cyprus Scops Owl (Only heard)

Cyprus Warbler

Isabelline Wheatear

Cyprus Wheatear

Cretzschmar's Bunting

As for moths well I recorded 315 species in the garden in 2025, 18 of those were recorded for the first time.  Of course a number of those are relatively common species which just haven't ventured into my trap. Though this year I have been using a blue LED bulb as well as the usual MV so this may have had an effect. As it appears my moth totals caught had also increased which may be the combination of the better summer as well as the using the blue UV LED. 

My 2025 Moth highlights were:-

Current Clearwing Synanthedon tipuliformis -  Purple Marbled Eublemma ostrina

Migrant Sable Diasemiopsis ramburialis         - Ghost Moth Hepialus humuli

Blair's Mocha Cyclophora puppillaria           - Langman's Yellow Underwing Noctua janthia