The best birds of the month were a Great Egret and at least one Roseate Tern.
More details on the above birds and the rest of this month's sightings follow below in taxonomic order...
Present throughout, with 880 counted during the Wetland Bird Survey on the 24th.
Black Swan...
Two were present throughout.
Canada Goose...
Present throughout, with 425 counted during the Wetland Bird Survey on the 24th.
Barnacle Goose...
Two were present all month. |
| The two Barnacle Geese (from the British naturalised population) July 2016 © Steve Groves |
(Common) Shelduck...
Present throughout, with 26 counted during the Wetland Bird Survey on the 24th (and virtually all of these were locally fledged young).
Gadwall...
One on the 7th was the only record this month.
(Eurasian) Teal...
Present throughout with a peak of nine on the 28th.
Mallard...
Present throughout, with 237 counted during the Wetland Bird Survey on the 24th.
(Northern) Shoveler...
Four arrived on the 23rd and there were then regular sightings, with a peak of nine on the 29th.
(Common) Pochard...
Single figures were present throughout.
Tufted Duck...
Present throughout, with 36 counted during the Wetland Bird Survey on the 24th.
Red-breasted Merganser...
The female that arrived in June lingered all month.
(Common) Pheasant...
Present throughout.
(Great) Cormorant...
Present throughout, with 24 counted during the Wetland Bird Survey on the 24th.Little Egret...
Present throughout, with 23 counted during the Wetland Bird Survey on the 24th.
Great (White) Egret...
One was seen briefly on the 13th, the first since July 2014. It was too distant to photograph so below is an image of the 2014 bird.
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| Great Egret (with Little Egret) July 2014 © Charlie Wheeler wheeler-photography |
Present throughout, with a peak of four on the 6th.
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| Grey Heron July 2016 © Charlie Wheeler wheeler-photography |
Little Grebe...
There was one on the 4th but from the 24th there were regular sightings, with a peak of six on the 29th.
Great Crested Grebe...
Present throughout, with 25 counted during the Wetland Bird Survey on the 24th.
(Western) Marsh Harrier...
An adult male (presumably the Radipole bird) was seen on the 9th.(Eurasian) Sparrowhawk...
One was seen on the 15th.
(Common) Buzzard...
Single figures were seen regularly.
(Common) Moorhen...
Present throughout, with seven counted during the Wetland Bird Survey on the 24th.
(Eurasian) Coot...
Present throughout, with 254 counted during the Wetland Bird Survey on the 24th.
(Eurasian) Oystercatcher...
Six (three nesting pairs) were present throughout (along with, by the month's end, their three fledged young). |
| Unfledged (Eurasian) Oystercatcher July 2016 © Charlie Wheeler wheeler-photography |
(Northern) Lapwing
Present throughout with a peak of eight on the 18th.
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| (Northern) Lapwing July 2016 © Steve Groves |
Little Ringed Plover
One on the 13th, two from the 15th to the 18th and one on the 29th. |
| Juvenile Little Ringed Plover July 2016 © Steve Groves |
(Eurasian) Whimbrel...
Singles on the 10th and 24th.
(Eurasian) Curlew...
Singles on the 5th, 8th, 9th and 22nd.Black-tailed Godwit...
Single figures were seen regularly through the month but there was a peak of 23 on the 24th.
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| Black-tailed Godwits July 2016 © Steve Groves |
One on the 24th.
Dunlin...
Single figures were seen regularly but there were at least 10 present on the 25th.
Common Sandpiper...
Single figures were seen regularly with a peak of nine on the 24th.
Green Sandpiper...
Single figures were seen regularly from mid-month with a peak of five on the 22nd.
(Common) Redshank...
Single figures were seen regularly with a peak of three on the 13th.
Single figures were seen regularly with a peak of three on the 13th.
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| Juvenile (common) Redshank July 2016 © Charlie Wheeler wheeler-photography |
Sandwich Tern...
Single figures were seen regularly, with a peak of seven on the 9th.
Common Tern...
At least 200 were present, a figure which included over 100 fledged young by the month's end.  |
| Recently fledged Common Tern July 2016 © Charlie Wheeler wheeler-photography |
Roseate Tern...
An adult was present on the 9th, with it or another also on the 25th. Both sightings involved birds with single rings on both legs but unfortunately no details could be seen.
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| Roseate Tern 9th July 2016 © Steve Groves |
Black-headed Gull...
Present throughout, with 81 counted during the Wetland Bird Survey on the 24th. This included the three young from the Tern Island, which are believed to be the first ever fledged on The Fleet/Chesil Bank. Two previous nesting attempts at Abbotsbury in recent years both failed.
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| The three Black-headed Gull fledglings July 2016 © Steve Groves |
Mediterranean Gull...
Single figures were seen regularly, with a peak of five on the 5th.
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| Juvenile Mediterranean Gull July 2016 © Steve Groves |
Lesser Black-backed Gull...
Single figures were seen regularly.
(European) Herring Gull...
Present throughout, with a peak of over one hundred on the 5th.
Yellow-legged Gull...
At least two juveniles were seen regularly from the 23rd.
Great Black-backed Gull...
Single figures were present throughout.
(Feral/Domestic) Rock Dove...
Seen regularly.
(Common) Wood Pigeon...
Present throughout.
(Eurasian) Collared Dove...
Seen regularly.Tawny Owl...
One was seen on the 10th.
(Common) Swift...
Single figures were seen regularly.
(Common) Kingfisher...
Singles were seen regularly.
(European) Green Woodpecker...
Seen, or at least heard, regularly.
Great Spotted Woodpecker...
Seen regularly.
(Common) Kestrel...
Single figures were seen regularly.
Peregrine Falcon...
Singles were seen regularly.
(Eurasian) Magpie...
Seen regularly.(Western) Jackdaw...
Present throughout.
Rook...
Present throughout.
Carrion Crow...
Present throughout.
(Northern) Raven...
Up to four were seen regularly.
Goldcrest...
Present throughout.
(Eurasian) Blue Tit...
Present throughout.
Great Tit...
Present throughout.
Coal Tit...
Present throughout.(Eurasian) Skylark...
Present Throughout.
Sand Martin...
Seen regularly, with a peak of 300 on the 22nd.
(Barn) Swallow...
Present throughout. | |
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Single figures were seen occasionally.
Cetti's Warbler...
Present throughout.
Long-tailed Tit...
Present throughout.
(Common) Chiffchaff...
Present throughout.
(Eurasian) Blackcap...
Present throughout.
(Common) Whitethroat...
Present throughout.
Sedge Warbler...
Present throughout.
(Eurasian) Reed Warbler...
Present throughout.
(Eurasian) Nuthatch...
One on the 1st.(Eurasian) Treecreeper...
(Eurasian) Wren...
Present throughout.
(Common) Blackbird...
Present throughout.
(European) Robin...
Present throughout.
(European) Stonechat...
One juvenile on the 27th.Dunnock...
Present throughout.
House Sparrow...
Present throughout.
Yellow Wagtail...
One juvenile from the 9th to the 15th.
Grey Wagtail...
One on the 6th.
Pied Wagtail...
Present throughout.
Meadow Pipit...
Present throughout.
Rock Pipit...
Singles on the 21st, 23rd and 29th.
(Common) Chaffinch...
Present throughout.
(Eurasian) Bullfinch...
One was heard on the 5th.
(European) Greenfinch...
Present throughout.
(Common) Linnet...
Present throughout.
(European) Goldfinch...
Present throughout.
(Common) Reed Bunting...
Present throughout.  | |
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| Scarlet Tiger Moth July 2016 © Charlie Wheeler wheeler-photography |
August sightings to follow shortly.
