February 2025

We just missed out on seeing a 100 species in February finishing the month on 98 but we added 9 species to our year list bringing us to a respectable 132 for the year and without travelling too far staying inside Dorset and mainly around Poole.

We started the month going back to Jerry's Point to make another effort at seeing the Long-tailed Duck and after possibly an hour of viewing over Brand's Bay and the South Deep I manage to find it associating with a few Red-breasted Merganser.  I'm not sure if it is the same individual that I saw at the end of 2024 as that one was in totally immature type plumage and the one we were now watching was approaching full summer plumage, checking references it appears that Long-tailed Duck have a variable moult as individuals do not moult at the same time. 

Long-tailed Duck off Jerry's Point Poole Harbour ©Nick Hull

After leaving Jerry's Point Jackie and I dropped into Norden and checked out the Sewage works and heard a Green Woodpecker a species that seems to have declined around the harbour area in the last few years. We also had at least a dozen Chiffchaff, Pied and Grey Wagtail lots of Chaffinch and Goldcrest and Firecrest.

Chiffchaff taking off to catch a fly Norden, © Nick Hull

Firecrest - Norden © Nick Hull

We decide to drive back across to Middlebere and checkout the field the Highland Cattle are in as a Cattle Egret had been with them the day before. As we crossed the railway bridge we could see seven egrets in with the cattle so I moved the van to a good viewing position to see over the hedge and there was still a single Cattle Egret with the Little Egret feeding in the field.

Cattle Egret near Norden © Nick Hull

Winter thrushes have been very scarce this year in general and passing Slepe Copse Jackie spotted a thrush in the field, so we had a brief stop and a scan across the field and in the tree and we managed to find three Fieldfare which made another year tick which made three for the day.

On the 4th we had a morning walk at Middlebere which was very quiet birds wise but we did catchup with two Spotted Redshank from the hide out in the Middlebere channel. 

Duck Mallard, 2 Redshank, Spotted Redshank, Redshank,
Spotted Redshank and Drake Mallard © Nick Hull

Next day we met friends for a walk at Hengistbury Head, the walk out to the beach was fairly unproductive but on the sea off the Head by the beach huts we found the two Velvet Scoter.  Then we walked along the beach keeping and eye on the groynes to find the Purple Sandpipers which added two more species to our year list.

It wasn't until the 19th when we added Guillemot to our list off one of the Birds of Poole Harbour boat trips which added another species, then on the 25th a walk in Wareham Forest added Woodlark and Crossbill.

Male Adder Lytchett Fields © Ian Ballam

Just a reminder if you come across an Adder basking please do not disturb it. Use a long lens to take a photograph. These animals have just emerged and need to warm up in the sun to get into prime breeding condition and to stay healthy.

On our local patch of Lytchett Bay Ian recorded our first Adder on the 22nd February which I think is the earliest record since we have been recording he also had Speckled Wood on the same day. I also had a Brimstone in the garden also on the 22nd.  I recorded my first Solitary bee at Bestwall which turned out to be Andrena clarkella Clark's Mining Bee which is the earliest I've recorded them there.  So it appears the inverts species have started to appear a little earlier this season so hopefully things will be better than 2024 as many species of different taxa were recorded in lower numbers than previous years due to the very wet spring. 

Red Admiral - Home garden © Nick Hull

With Wheatear and Sand Martin having already been seen in Dorset and Stone Curlew seen in back in the UK spring migration has already begun.