Ed Betteridge

The track thanks to the animal tracker app….

We didn’t expect to catch this Kestrel during a garden winter CES catch in Dorset this morning. Then to find the bird had a Dutch ring and a satellite tag!! (Tracking data in comments below ⬇️)

We're thrilled to be speaking at the 2026 Careys Secret Garden Migration Festival, running from February 13th-15th. We can share with you a 20% discount code for tickets for Friday & Sunday, for BoPH supporters. Enter the code BOPH20 at checkout.
www.careyssecretgarden.co.uk/products/mig...

Great views of this stunning adult LITTLE GULL in Holes Bay this afternoon. Also a distant 1st winter amongst 7 species of Gulls present #dorsetbirds
@dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social @harbourbirds.bsky.social

The Carey ringing year got up and running this morning with 119 birds (71 new) including a local control Siskin, a Jay (after none last year) and a Great Tit from 2022.

We got lucky with the Wyke Regis Desert Wheatear this afternoon in strong winds when it flew across the fleet whilst watching roosting Gulls. It then showed distantly on Chesil Beach before disappearing amongst the pebbles. A cr Oyc from Blakeney Point (8/25) showed a bit better

Have seen photos of a good candidate for Caspian Gull taken by @edjbetteridge.bsky.social on the Brownsea Lagoon on Oct 3rd. @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social @birdguides.bsky.social

Still only small numbers moving/arriving currently but the first Poole Harbour Redwing of the autumn ringed this AM in Lower Piddle Valley by @edjbetteridge.bsky.social . @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social

Forster’s Tern briefly from our Autumn Safari cruise this PM in the Wareham Channel, also 1 Glossy Ibis, 2 BN Grebe, 1 WT Eagle, 3 RB Merg’s (first of autumn), 113 Spoonbill, 3-4 Marsh Harrier, 2 Spotshank @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social @birdguides.bsky.social

A busy month at Carey, Dorset with 3,912 birds caught! This included 1729 Chiffchaffs, 740 Blackcaps, 50 Wilwa, 198 Sedgies, 68 Gropper, 26 Cettis, 302 House Martins, 14 Nightjar, 4 Redstart, 4 Spot Fly, 46 Stonechat, 55 Goldcrest and 13 Firecrest!! #ukbirding

A great bird boat around Poole Harbour yesterday morning with @harbourbirds.bsky.social, highlighted with great views of WT Eagle, 7 Curlew Sand (12 species of wader), Honey Buzzard, Bearded Tit, 62 Spoonbills, Kingfisher etc with great views of more WT Eagles over Carey today #ukbirding

A productive morning at Portland Bill seeing more Balearic Shears in a morning than I ever seen (66+)! Personal totals were 2-3 Grey Phal, 2 LT Skua, Sooty Shear, 9+ Stormies and 2 Arctic Skua @portlandbirdobs.bsky.social

AQUATIC WARBLER!!! Still can’t believe we caught this stunner at Carey this morning! Made it worthwhile giving it a go between weather fronts. The bird was interestingly a good weight of 15g! #ukbirding

A WRYNECK yesterday was a great way to end a busy August at Carey. Overall, 2,847 birds trapped including 281 Gropper and 1261 Sedgies! #ukbirding

Wryneck ringed near Carey Secret Garden this AM. Photo by @edjbetteridge.bsky.social .
@birdguides.bsky.social @birdguides.bsky.social

Hit 4000 birds ringed at Carey this autumn today with a monster of a 20.0g Sedge Warbler! However, the stand out highlight of the morning was this stunning HOBBY!! Not something I ever thought I would be lucky enough to catch!

Join us for a Young Birders Autumn Bird Ringing Demonstration on the 13th September 7-9:30am at Carey’s Secret Garden! Free event for 13-18 year olds.

More information here: www.birdsofpooleharbourbookings.co.uk/young-birders

(Birds ringed and handled under BTO license. Photos by Ed Betteridge.)

Some catches at the Piddle Valley Ringing site recently. Over 2000 birds ringed under license, contributing to long-term monitoring of Autumn migrants.

Come along to a Bird Ringing Demo this Sat. 7-9am at Careys Secret Garden!
www.birdsofpooleharbourbookings.co.uk/event/autumn...
📸-Ed Betteridge

A busy start to my time running Carey Ringing Station in Dorset with 1147 birds of 32 species caught in the last fortnight! Highlights have been 527 Sedgies, 157 Gropper, 69 Reed, 15 Garwa, 99 Wilwa, 3 Tree Pipit, 9 Kingfisher and 7 Nightjars!! #ukbirding

A busy morning with 162 new birds trapped at Carey. Highlight was this juvenile Nightjar alongside 93 Sedgies, 25 Gropper, 8 Willows and a Garden Warbler! #ukbirding

Coming to the end of my first week working in Dorset. Not a bad start with over 350 birds ringed including 71 Groppers! And last night got lucky with great flight views of the Purple Heron! #ukbirding
@birdingfox.bsky.social @harbourbirds.bsky.social

Another great morning for Grasshopper Warbler with 17 ringed in the Lower Piddle Valley this morning by @edjbetteridge.bsky.social .

@dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social @birdguides.bsky.social

A great start to ringing activities in the Lower Piddle Valley this AM with the first 6 Grasshopper Warbler of the autumn ringed. Last year this site produced 259…..will it be a record breaking year? @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social @birdguides.bsky.social @edjbetteridge.bsky.social

Nice to have my 1st Vagrant Emperor on the Calf of Man the other day, only the 2nd Calf record! #ukbirding

Breeding plumage Laughing Gull viewed from underneath

Breeding Plumage Laughing Gull

Ed and Eleanor watching the Laughing Gull flying over the sea

LAUGHING GULL found by @edjbetteridge.bsky.social this afternoon!

Smart summer-plumage adult, very vocal circling with other gulls for 15mins before heading towards the Isle of Man.

@manxwildlifetrust.bsky.social
@britishbirds.bsky.social
@rarebirder.bsky.social @birdguides.bsky.social

Didn’t expect to have a very vocal LAUGHING GULL fly around above me whilst I went to ring gull chicks on the Calf of Man this afternoon!! The bird stayed around just long enough for others to get there and bring a camera before it headed high north! #ukbirding

I did not expect to flush not 1 but 2 Quails, metres apart from the cliffs on the Calf of Man this afternoon!! Not typical Quail habitat right next to a Herring Gull colony! #ukbirding

📣 NEW BLOG POST! 🦆

We had some great birding highlights throughout May, and the Ornithology Team have been busy following the progress of our breeding birds. Head over to our new blog to find out more... 👇

www.mwt.im/blog/calf-ma...

@manxwildlifetrust.bsky.social

#calfofman #ManxNature

With migration slowing recently on the Calf of Man, I’ve been putting effort into nest finding especially Wheatears with the 100th pulli ringed today!!! #ukbirding

Yesterday the Calf of Man was visited by this stunning white Hen Harrier!!!! The bird spent a short while hunting before gaining a lot of height a disappearing north. What a bird!!!! #ukbirding