Anna Aubrey

Hydes Heath #rspbarne this morning . 2 mistle thrush cp, crossbills in dead tree just in front of me 🙏 , buzzards, kestrel, ravens,6 Dartford W despite wind,Sparrowhawk, meadowpips,Siskin,Goldcrest +, a lovely hour .
@harbourbirds.bsky.social @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social and then it rained !!

Rain at start of WeBS inland Lower Frome then sunshine . Could not get onto ground for water but Marsh Harrier, Little grebe, shoveler , lapwing , heron, shelduck , gadwall , buzzard , coot, blackcap
and more . Enjoyable after reluctance !
@harbourbirds.bsky.social @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social

Next month we'll find out if this little fella has made it through the winter into his 11th spring. Chances are probably around 50/50.

Fipronil Waterway Pollution Europe Warning Fipronil Waterway Pollution Europe concerns grow as pet flea treatments contaminate rivers, threatening wildlife and drinking water safety.

Nice article on how pet flea & tick treatments end up in rivers:
the-european.eu/story-57030/...

Sharing a video of filming Honey Buzzards (Sussex 2025)...my day job/work. A privileged view into the lives of these secretive birds. The hope is to create a live stream 2026 🤞. www.youtube.com/watch?v=lQcB...

Thank you Martin .

Great trip out to Brownsea yesterday with @dorsetwildlife.bsky.social
Wader heaven . Huge variety and very visible in the lagoon . Lots of knot and bar tail godwit amongst the many .
Always good conversations on these trips . @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social @harbourbirds.bsky.social

Thank you for reminding me about Thorncombe Wood . Sitting by Rushy Pond having lunch and good birding . x

Please download these signs, share them on social media and put them up near you to protect your local wintering birds.

If you would like A4, laminated copies of these signs please e-mail charlie@curlewaction.org, all you need to do is donate for postage.

www.curlewaction.org/wintering-wa...

2 hours no rain !
Upton CP. Waders big and small, (not knots) ducks , avocets etc .Plus the small stuff . Kingfisher (f) Mistle thrush,songthrush,redwing ,Goldcrest ,Treecreeper, Green finch , pied wagtails, stock doves. +
Still no bullfinch !
@dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social @harbourbirds.bsky.social

Dunlin nesting in North Pennines - very cute aren't they? Wait for the second chick to appear.

More detail: blog markavery.info/2026/02/03/r...

#cumbria #peat #moorland #restoration

Composite image. Dog chasing waders along a beach. Screen-grab of front page of blog. Question "How do you measure if disturbance like this is having an effect on local wintering waders?"

Disturbance of wintering waders seems to be an obvious problem but where's the evidence that it really matters?
Blog about important paper by Mark Whittingham et al was published on 3 Feb 2020 🎂5️⃣
wadertales.wordpress.com/2020/02/03/d...
#ornithology

❤️‍🩹 lovely pics .

Tawny owls ‘ chattering ’ a lot in Organford last night . The sound always makes me smile - but wow life must be hard for them this January . @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social @dorsetwildlife.bsky.social

147 Hen Harriers confirmed ‘missing’ or illegally killed in UK since 2018, most of them on or close to grouse moors For anyone who still wants to pretend that the grouse shooting industry isn’t responsible for the systematic extermination of Hen Harriers on grouse moors across the UK, here’s the latest catalogue…

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...

RSPB reports six of its satellite-tagged Hen Harriers ‘disappeared’ on or close to grouse moors in England in 2025 & another was illegally poisoned The RSPB has today issued a press release documenting the suspicious disappearance of six of its satellite-tagged Hen Harriers in 2025, as well as one that had been illegally poisoned. All seven in…

The RSPB reports six of its satellite-tagged Hen Harriers 'disappeared' on or close to grouse moors in England in 2025, and another one was illegally poisoned.

#RaptorResearch #WildlifeCrime 🌍

raptorpersecutionuk.org/2026/01/20/r...

37 white fronts . Lower Frome . Just flew over bypass towards harbour .
@harbourbirds.bsky.social @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social

Lovely two hours Brands Bay perfect tide/winter sun What I noticed was the abundance of all species. Nothing stood out just birds everywhere.
Are we at peak yet ?
@harbourbirds.bsky.social @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social @studlandbirds.bsky.social
Great company and conversation as well .

Shipstal . 21 Spoonbill, 1 male goldeneye , grey plover , Treecreeper, mistle thrush , song thrush, redwing ++
@harbourbirds.bsky.social @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social #rspbarne

The Fingleton Review could strip away vital protections for Dorset’s wildlife - from chalk streams to heathlands and ancient woods. ⚠️

Dorset Wildlife Trust's Chief Exec outlines why this matters and how you can speak up.👉 bit.ly/3NpTcNu ~ Jack

📸 Mark Heighes

😂

Good day Portland and Ferrybridge with @dorset63.bsky.social Saying time to go when a peregrine flew from Chesil bank turned in front of us and snatched a Dunlin in the air. A moment.Flew back onto bank for supper .
@dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social @harbourbirds.bsky.social @portlandbirdobs.bsky.social

Take care Martin . Do what body tells you to, you will then be back in no time . x

Chilly PM walk RSPB Hydes Heath #rspbarne . Crossbill ( trees at Arne moors end ) sparrowhawk + and a favourite lichen . English soldier lichen . @harbourbirds.bsky.social @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social

They mostly gave quiet contact calls, but one gave a series of loud whistles. It’s not the classic ‘toot’, but I don’t recall hearing such a strident call from a British Bullfinch before. Anyone have experience of this call? #NEbirding #birds

A Siskin, a small yellow-green bird with black streaks, clasps the twig of a tree with its feet and the twig hangs down with the weight of the bird.

Siskins! 2024 was an ‘influx year’ & bird ringers caught & ringed 63,815 across the UK! This was the highest number ever recorded. 😮 Among birds caught in the UK were Siskins previously ringed as far away as Russia & the Czech Republic.

📖 www.bto.org/ringing-...

📷 Siskin by Graham Catley / BTO

Weather outside is frightful but - bird song building .
Song thrush and mistle thrush in Organford this morning , nuthatch plus plus . 2 kestrels getting very close . Signs of better to come . @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social @dorsetwildlife.bsky.social

Nature boys and girls – here’s your chance to get published in the Guardian Our wildlife series Young Country Diary is looking for articles written by children, about their winter encounters with nature

Nature boys and girls – here’s your chance to get published in the Guardian

WeBS totals

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

2 With redwings moving in trees between house and just beyond stone bench . ( fields area ) hope that made sense . Distinct sound .