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Mike Morse @bexbirder.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

Covulvulus Hawk-moth caterpillar on Cogden Beach this morning. Obsidentify insisted it was an Auger shell but we got there in the end...

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Mike Morse @bexbirder.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

You don't often see them like this...

Hummingbird Hawkmoth at West Bexington this morning...

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Mike Morse @bexbirder.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

Dark morph juv Long-tailed Skua off West Bex this morning. Very close in and not attempting to fly suggesting poor energy reserves or illness... it continued to drift east when we left it around 9.30am.

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Mike Morse @bexbirder.bsky.social · 24/08/2026

Lesser Emperor at Cogden this morning .... the first record for here. Patrolling along the coastal path east of the boardwalk although realistically it had little choice of habitat, all the ponds at Cogden and West Bex have completely dried out...

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Mike Morse @bexbirder.bsky.social · 12/08/2026

Dutch ringed Med (3.742.469) back at West Bex for at least its 4th year.

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Mike Morse @bexbirder.bsky.social · 28/07/2026

Bird interest this morning was confined to an early movement of six Goosanders west, the other two were just out of shot. Still quite a few Blue-eyed Hawkers around...I got lucky with this one.

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Mike Morse @bexbirder.bsky.social · 21/07/2026

There seems to have been a recent influx of Blue-eyed Hawkers.... at least three today quite well spread across the patch.

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Mike Morse @bexbirder.bsky.social · 20/07/2026

Great Northern Diver off West Bex coastguard cottages this morning....

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Mike Morse @bexbirder.bsky.social · 16/07/2026

Waders at West Bex today included a new juv LRP and the lingering Green Sandpiper. Additionally, Yellow Wags (3) made it onto the year list (scarce here in spring) and there was an unseasonal Common Gull on the beach although I guess they will be on the move soon enough...

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Mike Morse @bexbirder.bsky.social · 11/07/2026

Birds on the move this last week include 156 Sand Martins in and around Burton Mere on the 8th then Green Sand, Curlew, 8 Cattle Egrets and 2 Teal thru. 2 LRPs lingered this morning.

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Mike Morse @bexbirder.bsky.social · 25/06/2026

Blue (Scarce) Chaser in the nature reserve at West Bex this morning... first patch record.

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Mike Morse @bexbirder.bsky.social · 22/06/2026

Just shy of 2,000 Manx Shearwaters east past West Bex 6.00am – 7.45am. With unidentifiable birds further out, I thought I was undercounting and numbers at Portland suggest that was the case although the movement might have started before I arrived. A Curlew east the only other bird of note.

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Mike Morse @bexbirder.bsky.social · 15/06/2026

Great views of 6 Manx Shearwater off West Bex beach this morning, which meant I got them on my WeBS count too.

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Mike Morse @bexbirder.bsky.social · 10/06/2026

There was no sound let alone sight of a Cuckoo on patch this spring.... However, we usually do better when birds head back south again and that was the case this morning with this bird at Cogden.

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Mike Morse @bexbirder.bsky.social · 25/05/2026

Less exciting, but probably more important, we noticed a few Small Eggar tents this morning too....

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Mike Morse @bexbirder.bsky.social · 25/05/2026

Nice to join in with the current moth action down here... Crimson Speckled at West Bex this morning...

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Mike Morse @bexbirder.bsky.social · 19/05/2026

Five of the six Arctic Skuas that flew east past West Bex this morning.... other birds on the move included 89 Kittiwakes, 114 Gannets and singles of Whimbrel and Brent Goose.

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Mike Morse @bexbirder.bsky.social · 14/05/2026

You have to take your highs where you can this spring.... not able to trace a local release the two Grey Partridge, re-found this morning at West Bex, are getting the benefit of the doubt... 😉

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Mike Morse @bexbirder.bsky.social · 24/04/2026

A scattering of common migrants around this morning but also the shock of stumbling on two Grey Partridge at Cogden. Assume from a release, but who knows? I think conservation releases are more likely than shooting these days...anyway, makes a change from the bloody Red-legs.

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Mike Morse @bexbirder.bsky.social · 12/04/2026

Whilst it's great to have lingering Garganey on patch (2 still this morning, 3 on Friday) some variety wouldn't go amiss...

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Mike Morse @bexbirder.bsky.social · 08/04/2026

Male and female Garganey on West Bexington Mere this morning. Also decent arrival of Common Whitethroats and our first Reed Warbler of the year...

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Mike Morse @bexbirder.bsky.social · 20/03/2026

Wheatears on the move this morning with at least 35 across West Bex and Cogden. Also 4 Red Kites, Sand Martin, Red-t Diver and a passage of Gannets and auks just after dawn that fizzled out about an hour later...

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Mike Morse @bexbirder.bsky.social · 17/03/2026

Five days later than last spring, two Wheatears were new for the year at Cogden... a Sand Martin through too...

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Mike Morse @bexbirder.bsky.social · 14/03/2026

Well, a south coast patch and a lot of legwork is clearly no guarantee of an early Wheatear.... a female Garganey on West Bex Mere was decent compensation however....

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Mike Morse @bexbirder.bsky.social · 23/02/2026

Last day of a trip to Oman... Great views of my two most wanted amongst a list of some really great birds...

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Mike Morse @bexbirder.bsky.social · 31/12/2025

The White-fronts were still around at 11.00am, but were likely disturbed by a group of walkers that passed us heading towards the Mere. The party of Brents included this gorgeous juvenile.

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Mike Morse @bexbirder.bsky.social · 31/12/2025

Two Russian W-fronted Geese currently on and around West Bex Mere + 6 Brent's.

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Mike Morse @bexbirder.bsky.social · 27/12/2025

No grey geese for us sadly, but a couple of Sibe Chiffs showed well at West Bex.

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Mike Morse @bexbirder.bsky.social · 15/12/2025

Just found an Olive-tree Pearl on my front door... seems quite late Paul? @paulupwey.bsky.social

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Mike Morse @bexbirder.bsky.social · 13/12/2025

One of two Firecrests at Cogden this morning...

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Mike Morse @bexbirder.bsky.social · 10/12/2025

Sibe Chiff at West Bex this morning...

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Mike Morse @bexbirder.bsky.social · 19/11/2025

Given its size (50-60cm) and location (top of a fairly mature tree) we're assuming this is a Asian Hornet nest at West Bex. It's been reported and if confirmed is likely to be of significant concern to the local bee keepers...

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Mike Morse @bexbirder.bsky.social · 17/11/2025

A glorious morning with a Short-eared Owl out to sea at dawn the highlight. Other good birds included 5/6 Cirl Buntings, Firecrest and Black Redstart.

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Mike Morse @bexbirder.bsky.social · 15/11/2025

One of two Black Redstarts around West Bex village this morning.... our first of the autumn. More importantly, we have water in the Mere at long last with Gulls & wildfowl to search through. Happy days...

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Mike Morse @bexbirder.bsky.social · 21/10/2025

We've seen this Merlin at West Bex every day since Friday, but this morning was the first time we found it settled... a little cracker.

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Mike Morse @bexbirder.bsky.social · 10/10/2025

A Red-necked Grebe was a bit of a surprise off West Bex this morning. A little distant and crap light but still a smart bird...

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Mike Morse @bexbirder.bsky.social · 07/10/2025

An Arctic Skua west was the best of this morning's birds....

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Mike Morse @bexbirder.bsky.social · 06/10/2025

Cropped and cleaned up pic of this morning's Whooper's Swans as they headed west past West Bex just after 8.00am. The birds are currently at Colyford, Devon.

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Mike Morse @bexbirder.bsky.social · 06/10/2025

Six probable Whooper Swans just flown west past West Bex...

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Mike Morse @bexbirder.bsky.social · 01/10/2025

Might be of interest... European Storm Petrel carcass at West Bex this morning... very desiccated, so probably from last winter.

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Mike Morse @bexbirder.bsky.social · 30/09/2025

Earlish Red-throated Diver off West Bexington this morning...

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Mike Morse @bexbirder.bsky.social · 28/09/2025

A peach of 1w Casp at West Bex this morning along with Ring Ouzel, Spot Fly, 7 Wheatears and an exceptional flock of 120 Cormorants flying west at dawn... easily the highest single count we've witnessed here.. 99 in the picture

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Mike Morse @bexbirder.bsky.social · 07/09/2025

Some of the 81 Balearics Shearwaters that went east past West Bex this morning...I think I picked up the tail-end of the movement with unidentified birds distantly ahead of them...

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Mike Morse @bexbirder.bsky.social · 01/09/2025

Rubbish snatched shot but a Grey Phalarope has just flown east past West Bex...

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Mike Morse @bexbirder.bsky.social · 31/08/2025

Juv Sabine's Cogden found b.y @notquitescilly.bsky.social it flew east at around 9.00am...

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Mike Morse @bexbirder.bsky.social · 26/08/2025

The Caspian Gull was around West Bex again this morning.... shame about the oil....

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Mike Morse @bexbirder.bsky.social · 24/08/2025

Juv Caspian Gull at West Bex this morning... @joestockwell.bsky.social is checking the ring number to see if it's the bird seen at the Swannery yesterday, but it's slightly oiled so I imagine so. Redstart and Bearded Tit the best of the common migrants...

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Mike Morse @bexbirder.bsky.social · 22/08/2025

This confiding Dutch ringed Med Gull is back for its third year on the same patch of beach at Cogden this morning... a steady trickle of common migrants through the last few weeks, but nothing to get the pulse racing...yet.

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Mike Morse @bexbirder.bsky.social · 01/08/2025

Great to report that Cirl Buntings have bred on patch again this year. Now would be a good time of year to look for juvs, especially in areas where Cirls have been seen during winter. Please send any sighting to recorder@dorsetbirds.co.uk. Breeding records will be treated in strictest confidence.

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Mike Morse @bexbirder.bsky.social · 25/07/2025

Three Yellow Wags at West Bex this morning were the first of the year here (we rarely see them in spring)... also new Wheatear and Whinchat.

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