Phil Bentley

Black-headed Gull perched on the back of a decoy duck!

Just goes to show that decoy ducks can be handy at times 🤣

(Picture taken at Swineham GPs, Dorset back in Sept '25. Came across it again whilst tidying up my photo library this avo)

#DorsetBirds

Also...whilst the pale panel on the inner primaries is kinda right for Caspian, the dark spots at the end of those primaries is probs a better fit for Herring G. Plus the legs appear too short, tho that's hardly definitive from a single photo!

PS: Longham is a gr8 place to up your Larid ID game 😉

Initial vibe from this distant & fairly tatty Larid at #LonghamLakes this AM was of poss Caspian Gull. Pros: clean whitish head, dark 'beady' eye with little or no mask, neck shawl, pale underside to hand. Cons: stubby bill looks all wrong, barring on rump (tail shredded). Probs a pale HG or hybrid.

A Comma butterfly sunbathing on green leaves.

A Great Tit drying off on a tree trunk.

A still-fresh Comma butterfly was braving the chilly conditions at #Middlebere Nat Trust this AM. Later on at #ArneRSPB this Great Tit was drying off in the sun after a wash and scrub-up. Annoyingly my camera battery died shortly after finding a/the smart Brambling around the feeders there 🤦‍♂️

I've just been to the shoreline copse at Moonfleet. There is a Yellow-browed sp in there, flitting around in the canopy with 2 Goldcrest. Completely silent though, so I cannot be sure it's the Hume's. Seems likely though! Absolutely no phone signal down there.

Very instructive sequence of Caspian Gull photos, Gavin. Great stuff 👌

Bittern seen in flight at 16:09h over #LodmoorRSPB. Dropped down into the reeds c50 m out from the western footpath and about halfway along. Plus the usual supporting cast of GWEs, Beardies, Cetti’s, Water Rails, Marsh Harrier, etc etc.
@dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social

#DorsetBirds

West Lake at Silverlake near Dorchester.

Pallington Sculpture Park. My regular coffee + cake stop on the ride home 😋

The prospect of adding Goosander to my non-motorised list (+ some much-needed exercise!) lured me to undertake the 38mi round trip to Silverlake. 5 juv Goosander duly ✅. Several 100 large gulls would have merited close scrutiny, only I was w/o ‘scope 🙄. ☕️🍰 on the way home 😋🚴🏼‍♂️
#lowcarbonbirding

Baikal Teal still present among Teal flock in western embayment.
@birdguides.bsky.social

Hi Steve. The Baikal Teal has reappeared in the western embankment in with the Teal flock, which has lifted up a few times but returned. Showing pretty well, all things considered 🙂
@birdguides.bsky.social

Quite. My 13-year old Zeiss Victory 10x42s are optically equal to, if not better than, the contemporary Swaro’s. I compared both at time of purchase & opted for the Zeiss. Ergonomically they suit my 🙌 size better too. Swaro’s may better suit others for the same reason, I guess.
#BirdingGear

Glossy Ibis at Lodmoor NR, Dorset.

My ongoing quest to see a Bittern at Lodmoor drew a blank for the umpteenth time. Compensation came in the form of this Glossy Ibis which came in to roost just after 6 pm, 3 Great Egrets, 1 Curlew Sand, 2 Hobbys dining on dragons, Marsh Harrier, several Beardies & 3+ Kingfishers. Nice! #DorsetBirds

Glossy Ibis dropped in to the Postbox Pool, Lodmoor at 18:04
@dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social
@birdguides.bsky.social

Clouded Yellow butterfly sp, Purbeck, Dorset.

Clouded Yellow butterfly sp, Purbeck, Dorset.

Managed to fire off a handful of pics of this Pale or Helice-form Clouded Yellow on Purbeck (Dorset) y’day, before it inevitably flew off at breakneck speed. Annoyingly, unable to discern extent of black markings on upperwing. Inseparable on underwing markings, me thinks?
@ukbutterflies.bsky.social

Convolvulus Hawk-moth at Portland Bird Observatory, UK.

As a relative neophyte to the moth-bothering business it was quite a thrill to be pointed in the direction of my first Convolvulus Hawk-moth y’day. This monster specimen - about the length of my little finger - was resting up on the patio wall of the Portland bird observatory.
#TeamMoth

Cornwall - 17,000
Dorset - 0
😫

👍

The, or another, Leach’s feeding off the cove.

@birdguides.bsky.social

Just had a v close Leach’s Petrel past Chesil Cove, viewed for at least 5 mins. Looks to be heading towards the bill. (3 Stormies this morning)
@portlandbirdobs.bsky.social

Ha, thanks for the ID tips. I did question it myself but thought that the white tips to the median coverts, the clean unstreaked back/mantle, and the short dark tail favoured Pied. Every day’s a school day, as the saying goes 🤓

Willow Emerald Damselfly, Woods Mill NR, 11 Aug 2025.

One of my target Odonata species on a recent trip to East Sussex was Willow Emerald Damselfly. Woods Mill nature reserve, home of @sussexwildlife.bsky.social, is reputed to be a good site for them. It took me over 2 hours to find a few individuals, but this male posed nicely on its favoured perch.

Southern Migrant Hawker, River Ouse, East Sussex. 10 Aug 2025.

Southern Migrant Hawker, River Ouse, East Sussex. 10 Aug 2025.

Pleased to find 6+ Southern Migrant Hawkers along the R Ouse near Southease (E Sussex) during a recent visit. Having fired off dozens of pretty poor flight shots it was good to eventually stumble across a v smart perched male. Boots were duly filled!
@britishdragonflies.bsky.social

Common Tern (L) and mystery tern (R)

Common Tern (L) and mystery tern (R)

This odd-looking dark-ish juv tern (right hand bird) seen briefly & distantly on Brownsea today. Initial thoughts were of Black Tern, but lack of obvs dark patch on side of breast, head markings, + similar size to nearby juv Cmn Tern, all seem to suggest that species 🤔
@dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social

Chalkhill Blue butterfly.

Brimstone butterfly.

100s if not 1000s of Chalkhill Blues at a parched Martin Down NNR today. They seemed to be everywhere you looked! Elsewhere a showy Brimstone posed nicely for the camera 👇. Avian interest in the form of Turtle Dove & Quail - both heard only.
@ukbutterflies.bsky.social

😂

Juvenile Purple Heron at Little Sea, Studland.

Definitely not the high point of my faltering wildlife photography career to date, but you get the idea! Not easy holding a heavy Kowa ‘scope in one hand while trying to take a photo with your phone in the other 😆 (Note to self: must ALWAYS carry #1 camera with me 🙄)
@dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social

Durlston Head sea watch. Single Cory’s Shearwater west 10:50-11:00. Also 18 Manx, 5 Balearic.

I’m guessing that the Cory’s will have been picked up later passing Portland 🙂
@dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social
@birdguides.bsky.social

That would have been the icing on the cake; but sadly not. Wasn’t even aware that they occurred at Alners, altho’ I did notice plenty of stands of sallows.