previous years:
2023 (88 sp)
2022 (90 sp)
2021 (91 sp)
2020 (103 sp)
2019 (94 sp)
2018 (108 sp)
2017 (94 sp)
2016 (76 sp)
2015 (75 sp)
yearly summaries:
2023 (88 sp)
2022 (90 sp)
2021 (91 sp)
2020 (103 sp)
2019 (94 sp)
2018 (108 sp)
2017 (94 sp)
2016 (76 sp)
2015 (75 sp)
2014 (75 sp)
2013 (66 sp)
2012 (79 sp)
2011 (84 sp)
2010 (99 sp)
2009 (98 sp)
2008 (97 sp)
best months:
Dec 2013 (50 sp)
Jan 2013 (50 sp)
Jan 2010 (60 sp)
Nov 2008 (57 sp)
Oct 2008 (57 sp)
2023 (88 sp)
2022 (90 sp)
2021 (91 sp)
2020 (103 sp)
2019 (94 sp)
2018 (108 sp)
2017 (94 sp)
2016 (76 sp)
2015 (75 sp)
yearly summaries:
2023 (88 sp)
2022 (90 sp)
2021 (91 sp)
2020 (103 sp)
2019 (94 sp)
2018 (108 sp)
2017 (94 sp)
2016 (76 sp)
2015 (75 sp)
2014 (75 sp)
2013 (66 sp)
2012 (79 sp)
2011 (84 sp)
2010 (99 sp)
2009 (98 sp)
2008 (97 sp)
best months:
Dec 2013 (50 sp)
Jan 2013 (50 sp)
Jan 2010 (60 sp)
Nov 2008 (57 sp)
Oct 2008 (57 sp)
Great Northern Diver
Black-throated Diver
Red-throated Diver
Black-necked Grebe
Slavonian Grebe
Great Crested Grebe
Fulmar
Cormorant
Shag
Gannet
Grey Heron
Great White Egret
Little Egret
Dark-bellied Brent Goose
Black Brant
Canada Goose
Shelduck
Mallard
Goosander
Red-breasted Merganser
Eider
Common Scoter
Sparrowhawk
Buzzard
Peregrine
Kestrel
Oystercatcher
Whimbrel
Curlew
Redshank
Common Sandpiper
Long-tailed Skua
Black-headed Gull
Mediterranean Gull >
Common Gull
Herring Gull >
Lesser Black-backed Gull
Great Black-backed Gull
Kittiwake
Sandwich Tern
Common Tern
Little Tern
Guillemot
Razorbill
Wood Pigeon
Feral Pigeon
Stock Dove
Collared Dove
Kingfisher
Green Woodpecker
Great Spotted Woodpecker
Swift
Swallow
Sand Martin
House Martin
Meadow Pipit
Pied Wagtail
Grey Wagtail
Skylark
Wren
Dunnock >
Robin
Stonechat
Black Redstart
Blackbird
Redwing
Song Thrush
Dartford Warbler
Sedge Warbler
Common Whitethroat
Lesser Whitethroat
Blackcap
Chiffchaff
Willow Warbler
Goldcrest
Long-tailed Tit
Coal Tit
Blue Tit
Great Tit
Jay
Magpie
Rook
Raven
Jackdaw >
Carrion Crow
Starling
House Sparrow >
Chaffinch
Bullfinch
Greenfinch
Goldfinch
Linnet
Kestrel, 12th March 2022
All 4 Eider were together off Sandsfoot today along with a couple of Great Northern Divers and 4 Black-necked Grebes. A male Peregrine flew high over Newstead Road and a Goldcrest was with a smallflock of Long-tailed Tits at Rodwell. In total there were about 25 Long-tailed Tits on the northern half of the trail today, one of my highest totals ever,
December 11th
The clear highlight today was an adult male Eider with a female just offshore opposite Wyke Halt. A young male was further offshore and what was almost certainly another bird was further south.
December 7th
A flock of 20 Canada Geese low over Newstead Road early this morning was the only record of this speciex so far this year.
December 5th
A Curlew flying east along the shore past the Sailing Club was the best bird today, along with a Great Northern Diver, two Eider and a female Stonechat. Yesterday a Kestrel at Downclose was the first seen for a while,
November 27th
Calmer conditions today allowed the harbour to be examined more closely, producing at least five Great Northern Divers, four Black-necked Grebes, two Eider and fifty or so mergansers. A Red-throated Diver was just offshore near the Sailing Club, along with the first Kingfisher since last year. A Black Redstart was at Smallmouth. At Marsh Road the first Goldcrest for many weeks was in a mixed tit flock and the resident Rooks have already built their first nest.
November 24th
Strong south-westerlies this morning resulted in a westerly movement of birds through the harbour, with around a hundred Kittiwakes through Ferrybridge a few of which were seen from the southern end of the trail. Smallmouth also produced the first Eider of the winter. In Rodwell Cutting a Grey Wagtail was the first there for several years.
November 20th
The first significant flock of mergansers (30) were off Downclose this morning with a Goosander nearbly, close in to the shore as usual. At Newstead Road a Chiffchaff was in the Hazel by the bridge, the first seen for a week or two.
November 10th
The first Great Northern Divers arrived today, with a group of three out in the middke of the harbour off Sandsfoot.
November 6th
Bird species no. 161 today when a juv Long-tailed Skua headed west through the harbour this morning, the first skua seen since 2008 but not entirely surprising after a week of south-westerly gales.
November 4th
A couple of species turned up today thathave not been seen on the trail for several years - a Dartford Warbler at Wyke Halt and a Bullfinch at The Marsh. Wyke Halt also produced a pair of Stonechats whilst nearby a Curlew was on the beach near the Sailing Club. Hundreds of Wood Pigeons have been flying south and west thus week and today they were joined by a group of ten Stock Doves. Finally a bird calling just south of Buxton Road may well have been a Firecrest.
October 26th
The first Black Redstart of the year appeared on a rooftop this morning at the northern end of the trail.
October 22nd
A flock of 20 Redwings that flew over Newstead Road early this morning were the first for the year.
October 8th
There have been lots of Chiffchaffs on the trail for the last week or so but today the first Blackcap of the autumn was opposite Asda. At Downclose Cutting a pair of Stonechats were the first seen on the trail since January.
October 7th
Still some migration evident at the southern end of trail with a few Pied Wagtails, Meadow Pipits and Linnets flying south. Three Sandwich Terns were off the Sailing Club, also flying south. A count of 33 Rooks on the playing field at the Marsh may well be a record.
October 3rd
A large movement of birds this morning into the easterly wind, mostly Swallows but also lots of Meadow Pipits and Linnets along with a few Pied Wagtails and Skylarks. A Kestrel hunting over the Sailing Club was the first since June and at Rodwell a calling Jay was the first since April.
September 19th
A Great White Egret dropping in to Radipole this afternoon was visible from the northern end of the trail and was the 160th species seen since 2007.
September 17th
A Buzzard soaring over Downclose was one of a very few sightings this year.
August 7th
Rodwell Cutting has been very quiet lately but did produce a calling Green Woodpecker this morning with a singing Coal Tit in the usual spot just the other side of Buxton Road.
July 31st
On the first windy day for a while a Gannet was feeding in the harbour off Downclose and a Heron was flying along the breakwater.
July 19th
For a week or two now there has been no passage of Common Terns through the harbour from Lodmoor to Chesil Beach. Instead all the terns, adults and young, have been at Ferrybridge and around the mussel beds in the Fleet. At Chickerell Road a Green Woodpecker gave a single call in response to a passing ambulance, the first sign of any woodpeckers for weeks.
July 15th
Two Common Scoter were in the middle of the harbour this morning. A Coal Tit has been singing at Rodwell Halt and Old Castle Road this week and a Goldcrest was singing in the same spot at Downclose that it was in April/May.
July 10th
A Redshank calling opposite Wyke Halt was the first record of the year.
July 3rd
A flock of five Common Sandpipers on the shore opposite Wyke Halt was a clear indication that autumn migration is underway, at least amongst waders. In the harbour the first juvenile Sandwich Tern of the year was flying west with four adults.
June 19th
Three young Rooks were on the Marsh thus morning, presumably all from the three-nest colony nearby.
June 4th
A pair of Stock Doves flew over Wyke Cutting this morning. Later on a Kestrel and a Peregrine were both huntingin the Hillcrest Road area.
June 2nd
The annual singing Stock Dove was back again this morning, in the usual spot at the northern end of the platform at Rodwell Halt. Previous records have all been since 2015 and on a variety of dates between February and October.
May 27th
The first fledgeling Rook was in the trees by Asda this morning, with one adult in attendance. At Wyke Cutting the Common Whitethroat is still on territory although no Lessers have been singing there this year.
Little Egret, 27th May 2022
The first Lesser Whitethroat of the year was singing above the Sailing Club this morning and out in the harbour the first Common Terns could be seen, along with several Sandwich and Little Terns.
April 29th
The first Sedge Warblers of the year were singing at Downclose and Wyke Cutting, where there was also a singing male Whitethroat. The Whimbrel heard yesterday was still on the shore nearby, along with four Oystercatchers which appeared to be two pairs defending territories. Other evidence of breeding noticed today:
pairs of Greenfinches at Downclose and Wyke Cutting
pairs of Long-tailed Tits at Downclose, Buxton Road and Wyke Road
calling Great Spotted Woodpecker at Rodwell Halt near Wyke Road
singing Goldcrest at Downclose
all three Rook nests occupied at Asda.
Oystercatcher and Whibrel, 2nd May 2022
The first Little Tern of the year was fishing off the Sailing Club this morning, with a Whimbrel heard there also.
April 24th
The southern end of the trail added two new birds for the year with a Whitethroat singing in a typical site in Wyke Cutting and a few Swallows heading north. A pair of Pied Wagtails appear to be nesting immediately south of the trail somewhere and a rare spring Jay flew across Old Castle Road.
April 17th
A third nest has appeared in the proto-rookery next to Asda, with eight Rooks in attendance this morning. At Smallmouth a Fulmar flew south along the shoreline and three Whimbrel and two Little Egrets were feeding out in the harbour on the low tide.
April 10th
Blackcaps were much in evidence this morning with five or six singing males spread along the length of the trail. In contrast there were just two Chiffchaffs, one at Chickerell Road and one opposite the Sailing Club. This year Chaffinches have also hern quite scarce with one singing just south of Buxton Road and another just off the trail near the Outdoor Education Centre. At Smallmouth a couple of Linnets were still about and the adult male Kestrel was back again. Two mergansers just south of Smallmouth may have been the last ones left of the wintering flock.
April 3rd
The first Sandwich Terns of the year, eight of them, were off Sandsfoot this morning and ranging widely throughout the harbour. A Blackcap singing at Rodwell Halt was also a first for the year. Off Smallmouth the flock of 50 Red-breasted Mergansers was the highest total seen since early January.
March 26th
Another two year ticks for the trail this morning with Green Woodpecker and Linnet both in Wyke Cutting.
March 21st
Two new species for the year list today with a Meadow Pipit heading north over Wellworthy Close and a pair of Shelduck out in the harbour flying towards the breakwaters.
March 19th
Another Kestrel today, this time a female hovering above the Sailing Club. A bit further on at Wyke Road a Sparrowhawk flew along the trail and at Rodwell Halt a Goldcrest was singing, the first of the year.
Rook on nest, 12th March 2022
An adult male Kestrel hunting over the southern end of the trail was an interesting sighting today, suggesting that there may perhaps be a female on eggs nearby somewhere. At the other end of the trail the Rooks were in attendance at both nests near Asda.
Magpie, Newstead Road, 12th March 2022
Ears were more useful than eyes today with a Jay calling from the Outdoor Education Centre and a Buzzard calling nearby at Wyke Road. A bit further along the trail at Sandsfoot Halt the same (or perhaps a different) Buzzard flew low over the trail.
February 26th
Last year's Rook nests survived until last week when Storms Dudley, Eunice and Franklin put paid to them but this morning there were two new ones, built on the same spot by Asda but on the opposite side (east).
February 20th
A first for the trail today when a Black Brant turned up with a flock of Dark-bellied Brents at the Sailing Club. February 13th
A male Peregrine made a low pass over the trail this morning near Sudan Road where there was also a Coal Tit calling. Two Song Thrushes together near Buxton Road were a good indication that they will breed there again this year, always their favourite site.
February 6th
The first Jay for several weeks was at Rodwell Halt as were two Coal Tits. In the harbour everything was a bit distant in the choppy water but I just about managed to locate eight Black-necked Grebes, two Slavonian Grebes and what was probably a female Goosander flying north high up.
January 30th
A Song Thrush was singing at Rodwell Halt this morning, along with the Chiffchaff at Buxton Road were the first sightings of both species this year. Sandsfoot produced the first Common Scoter of the year and a flock of 33 Cormorants flying south low over the shoreline. Further out the harbour produced 11 Black-necked Grebes, 2 Slavonian Grebes and 25 mergansers, a typical count for recent weeks.
January 11th
A very foggy mornng but three Black-throated Divers were so close off the Sailing Club that they could be seen very clearly. Further out a record count for this winter of twelve Black-necked Grebes were found with two Slavonian Grebes in the distance. At Rodwell Halt a Jay was heard calling for the second time this week.
January 3rd
An excellent start to the year with Black-throated and Great Northern Divers and Black-necked and Slavonian Grebes all off the Sailing Club, whilst overhead four Ravens flew north. A bit further on a Goosander flew over the southern end of the Trail and a smart male Stonechat was at the end of Wyke Cutting. At Rodwell Halt a Great Spotted Woodpecker was drumming loudly.