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Phil Bentley @bikingbirder.bsky.social · 5h

Top work, Shaun (and co-ringers). More of the same/similar please 🙏😉

Phil Bentley @bikingbirder.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

The sole highlight of a brief stop at Silverlake was a flock of 10 Goosanders - all ‘brownheads’. Disappointingly, nothing of note in the now-sizeable gull flock. Even more disappointing were the crazy numbers of non-native geese (>1000?). An unwelcome trend, IMHO. #DorsetBirds

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Phil Bentley @bikingbirder.bsky.social · 13/09/2026

Nice to pick out this presumed 1cy Caspian Gull from among the regular flock of loafing gulls at Culverwell, Portland earlier today. As befits the time of year, it appears - to these eyes at least - to be in something of a transitional plumage state on the way to 'classic' 1st winter. #DorsetBirds

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Phil Bentley @bikingbirder.bsky.social · 19/08/2026

Having previously seen several hundred, mostly distant Cory's Shearwaters from various headlands over the years, it was nice to obtain reasonably close views of this bird alongside the Scillonian a couple of days ago. Not pelagic trip 'crazy close', but I'll take it!

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Phil Bentley @bikingbirder.bsky.social · 08/08/2026

You’re welcome. Hope you get to see them.

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Phil Bentley @bikingbirder.bsky.social · 08/08/2026

Hi John. Head for Westover Down, which is just west of the high point of the minor road (Lynch Lane) between Calbourne and Brighstone. Walk W along the footpath for 10-20 m and you’ll come across an open scrubby area. The QOSFs were here. What3words: flow.identify.noun

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Phil Bentley @bikingbirder.bsky.social · 02/08/2026

I never imagined that I'd ever see a Queen of Spain Fritillary in Britain. So I was super-chuffed to see 3 on the Isle of Wight yesterday. They were amazingly confiding, often showing down to a couple of feet as these photos 👇 attest. A stunning butterfly. @savebutterflies.bsky.social

A Queen Of Spain Fritillary nectaring on a flower head. It's orange-brown in colour, with black spots on the upper wings and pearl-coloured 'lunettes' on the under wings.

A Queen Of Spain Fritillary perched on a flower head. It's orange-brown in colour, with black spots on the upper wings.

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Phil Bentley @bikingbirder.bsky.social · 31/07/2026

As a relative newbie to Dorset I've only been visiting Silverlake for a little over 2 years. Ring-necked Duck is the rarest I've seen there. Good for wildfowl in winter. The gull roost has had Caspian & YL Gulls. But probs other scarce/rares that I'm unaware of. Top spot for dragons & damsels 🙂

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Phil Bentley @bikingbirder.bsky.social · 30/07/2026

The gravel pits at Silverlake are looking nicely primed to attract a rare wader, tern or gull in the coming weeks. Only noteworthy birds this morning, however, were singles of Common Sand, GWE, and a dark-mantled LBB Gull, presumably of the 'intermedius' race. #DorsetBirds

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Phil Bentley @bikingbirder.bsky.social · 18/07/2026

Also at least 3 apiece of Common & Green Sandpiper, and 2 Greenshank.

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Phil Bentley @bikingbirder.bsky.social · 18/07/2026

Bittern flew over the eastern footpath at Lodmoor at 11:45. It flew towards the western corner of the reserve, calling most of the way. @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social #DorsetBirds

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Phil Bentley @bikingbirder.bsky.social · 16/07/2026

When one of Meta's evil miniaturised cyber-flies photobombs your picture of a Dark Green Fritillary. Sinister or what?! (Photo taken at Durlston C.P., Dorset) #ukbutterflies

A fritillary butterfly showing pearl marks on its green-brown underwing. Being watched by a flying insect.

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Phil Bentley @bikingbirder.bsky.social · 04/07/2026

D'oh! So now knowing the ID I can see that it is in fact illustrated on p9 of the concise Waring et al guide, as a potential macro confusion species. Every day's a school day, as the saying goes 😅

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Phil Bentley @bikingbirder.bsky.social · 04/07/2026

Great stuff, thanks very much for the ID. No wonder I couldn't find it in my field guide to *macro* moths 🤦‍♂️. Perhaps a cue for me to invest in the full Waring et al guide. Anyhows, my first 'big micro'!

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Phil Bentley @bikingbirder.bsky.social · 04/07/2026

Identification of this upside-down moth has eluded me. Seen on stream-side vegetation in the New Forest y'day. Approx 1-1.5 cm in length. A species of Carpet or Coronet, perhaps? Any suggestions from you expert moth-botherers would be most welcome. (2nd 📷 has been rotated 180 deg). #TeamMoth

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Phil Bentley @bikingbirder.bsky.social · 03/07/2026

Having made several unsuccessful attempts to find Southern Damselfly in the Purbeck area I threw in the towel and decided to head to foreign lands (i.e. Hampshire 😅) to try my luck at a traditional site. Favourable conditions this AM produced c10 males and 3 females, some of which posed nicely 👇

A male Southern Damselfly. Blue eyes and a long blue abdomen with black markings.

A female Southern Damselfly. It has a dark abdomen and a yellow-and-black thorax.

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Phil Bentley @bikingbirder.bsky.social · 12/06/2026

Omitted to state the time of sighting - 3:30 pm

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Phil Bentley @bikingbirder.bsky.social · 12/06/2026

Bittern just flew over the east footpath at Lodmoor heading in Overcombe direction. Half an hour late 😄 #DorsetBirds

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Phil Bentley @bikingbirder.bsky.social · 25/05/2026

A belated shout out to the folks who administer the Lesvos Birders WhatsApp group. Your patience in the face of repeated transgression of the group posting rules was truly impressive - kudos!

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Phil Bentley @bikingbirder.bsky.social · 25/05/2026

Lesvos - Day 10 (8.5.2026) And so we reach the final stop on this mini photo-journey around Lesvos. What an amazing place! The below 📷 of an Olivaceous Warbler is my trip favourite in terms of composition, if not for technical proficiency, being nicely framed by tamarisk sprays. #lesvosbirds

An Olivaceous Warbler singing from the top of a Tamarisk bush.

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Phil Bentley @bikingbirder.bsky.social · 24/05/2026

Lesvos - Day 9 (7.5.2026) Several wetland areas are within easy walking distance of Skala Kallonis ('birding central'). All of them are good for heron sp incl Purple, Grey & Night Heron, both Bittern sp, and 3 Egret sp. Squacco Herons were often photogenic 👇. Little Bitterns less so! #lesvosbirds

A Squacco Heron perched on a dead branch.

A male Little Bittern hunting for a meal on the edge of a reed bed.

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Phil Bentley @bikingbirder.bsky.social · 23/05/2026

Lesvos - Day 8 (6.5.2026) The sound of Scops & Long-eared Owls bleeping and hooting in the grounds of the main tourist hotels in Skala Kallonis was a regular feature of the evenings/nights. The Nikon P950, which usually struggles in these situations, didn't fare too badly for once 👏 #lesvosbirds

A Scops Owl roosting in a Eucalyptus tree.

A Long-eared Owl roosting at the top of a pine tree.

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Phil Bentley @bikingbirder.bsky.social · 22/05/2026

Lesvos - Day 7 (5.5.2026) There are plenty of Collared Doves on Lesvos. But also small numbers of Laughing Doves, a more recent coloniser. While they might not get the pulse racing in quite the same way as, say, the shrikes or warblers, they do have a certain pastel-hued charm 😊 #lesvosbirds

A Laughing Dove perched on a telephone cable.

A pair of Laughing Doves perched in a tree.

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Phil Bentley @bikingbirder.bsky.social · 19/05/2026

Lesvos - Day 6 (4.5.2026) As a young birder I used to dream of seeing the exotic Near Eastern buntings that invariably appeared together across 2 plates near the back of my field guides. I finally caught up with the last two on Lesvos - Cretzschmar's (📷) and Cinereous (camera shy!) #lesvosbirds

A male Cretzschmar's Bunting perched on barbed wire.

A male Black-headed Bunting singing from a power cable.

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Phil Bentley @bikingbirder.bsky.social · 18/05/2026

Lesvos - Day 5 (3.5.2026) Shrike-fest! Shrikes are one of my favourite bird families, and Lesvos has them in absolute spades. On most days a tally of 10+ Red-backed & Masked Shrikes wasn't unusual, with slightly lower numbers of Woodchats and the odd Lesser Grey. Fantastic stuff. #lesvosbirds

A male Red-backed Shrike perched on a bush.

A female Red-backed Shrike perched on bare branches.

A Woodchat Shrike perched on the top of a tree.

A male Masked Shrike singing from the top of an olive tree.

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Phil Bentley @bikingbirder.bsky.social · 17/05/2026

The Camargue in Southern France is probably the nearest place (to the UK) to see large numbers of Flamingos. Fairly easy to travel there by train (as I've done in the past) if you don't fancy flying.

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Phil Bentley @bikingbirder.bsky.social · 17/05/2026

Meant to qualify that 'second record for Greece' statement with 'purported'. Just reiterating what I heard locally 😄

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Phil Bentley @bikingbirder.bsky.social · 17/05/2026

If the Lesser Flamingo (which is unringed) is accepted by the relevant authority it will represent only the second record for Greece.

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Phil Bentley @bikingbirder.bsky.social · 17/05/2026

Lesvos - Day 4 (2.5.2026) The Kalloni Salt Pans constitute one of the premier bird sites on Lesvos. Greater Flamingos are an unmissable feature of the pans. They were joined by a much rarer Lesser Flamingo on 1st May; the latter species being smaller, pinker & having an all dark bill. #lesvosbirds

A Lesser Flamingo (middle bird) with 5 Greater Flamingos.

A Lesser Flamingo (2nd from right) with 2 Greater Flamingos.

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Phil Bentley @bikingbirder.bsky.social · 16/05/2026

Lesvos - Day 3 (1.5.2026) Day three produced one of my most-wanted trip species in the form of a trio of Spur-winged Lapwings (or Plovers, if you prefer its former moniker). These ones have somewhat better credentials than the bird I saw at Dungeness in June 1997 😂 #lesvosbirds

2 Spur-winged Lapwings on a sandy river bank.

A Spur-winged Lapwing on a sandy river bank.

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Phil Bentley @bikingbirder.bsky.social · 15/05/2026

Lesvos - Day 2 of 10 (30.4.2026) Crested Larks (AKA the 'Lesvos Roadrunner' 😄) were a frequent sight, usually scuttling a few metres in front of you along the island's many sandy tracks. This one - in somewhat less typical habitat! - posed nicely for a photo opportunity. #lesvosbirds

A Crested Lark perched on a power cable.

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Phil Bentley @bikingbirder.bsky.social · 14/05/2026

Lesvos - Day 1 of 10 (29.4.2026) So, I came very late to the Lesvos party...about 25 years late! But I'm very pleased I finally made it. Eastern Olivaceous Warblers (📷) seemed to exhibit one of two display modes: fiendishly skulking or, as in this case, absurdly showy. #lesvosbirds

An Eastern Olivaceous Warbler singing on top of a bush. Lesvos, Greece, April 2026.

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Phil Bentley @bikingbirder.bsky.social · 16/04/2026

Increasing fractions of a 1st-winter Bonaparte's Gull 😄 showing under/upper-wing markings & coloration, plus structural diffs compared to Black-headed Gull. Lynch Cove (Dorset), April 2026. Nice find by @luvaducksbutt.bsky.social

Image of a partially submerged Bonaparte's Gull.

Image of a Bonaparte's Gull (below) alongside a Black-headed Gull (above).

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Reposted by Phil Bentley

Liz Woodford @woodfordliz.bsky.social · 16/04/2026

Bonapartes still at Lynch cove 11.29 this morning , lesser whitethroat singing @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social @birdguides.bsky.social

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Phil Bentley @bikingbirder.bsky.social · 15/04/2026

1w Bonaparte’s Gull still present at Lynch Cove / Littlesea. Also 1 Whimbrel east, 1 Whinchat & 1 L W’throat. @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social @portlandbirdobs.bsky.social

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Reposted by Phil Bentley

Domestique @domestiquecycling.com · 12/04/2026

OMGGGGGGGGGGG 🇧🇪 Wout van Aert wins 🇫🇷 Paris Roubaix!!!!!!!

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Phil Bentley @bikingbirder.bsky.social · 07/04/2026

So it was a Shelduck that I saw very distantly (bins only) from Dancing Ledge! 2 Puffin reasonably close into the ledge. Otherwise 7 Swallows, 4 W’throat & a few WW were best of rest in testing E wind. @staldhelmsbirder.bsky.social

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Phil Bentley @bikingbirder.bsky.social · 17/03/2026

Superb find, Paul. And an overdue Dorset tick for me. 👏👏👏

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Phil Bentley @bikingbirder.bsky.social · 16/03/2026

Ouch, I feel your pain - literally! Next time we meet up I can bore you with tales of the numerous exercises I do to counteract PFPS, viz Patellar-Femoral Pain Syndrome. If you haven’t done so already, it’s worth researching on t’interweb 🦵😖

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Phil Bentley @bikingbirder.bsky.social · 16/03/2026

I happened to pass you (by car) as you were cycling the final, no doubt welcome, few hundred metres home along Worgret Rd. I’ve been tempted to ride that route myself, only it’s c60 miles for me. So until I get a couple of titanium knee replacements, that’s about 15 miles too many 😆

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Reposted by Phil Bentley

Shaun Robson @narwhalsh.bsky.social · 16/03/2026

Just dropped through my Dorset letterbox this morning. Great work by all involved, plenty of art to add to the excellent photos. If the web has drawn you away from County bird reports & bird clubs, have a rethink. They are an essential part of our birding communities culture 🙏

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Phil Bentley @bikingbirder.bsky.social · 11/03/2026

Aha! Just saw your ebird entry, and can see that it’s the site that I have been visiting. So I guess I must also be going to the wrong spot at that location! Any hints gratefully received 😉

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Phil Bentley @bikingbirder.bsky.social · 11/03/2026

Well done, Mick. I tried a (former?) traditional spot a couple of days ago but drew a blank…again. The quest goes on…

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Reposted by Phil Bentley

Wildlife Trust BCN @wildlifebcn.org · 05/03/2026

Later this month new Government legislation comes into force clamping down on harm caused by dogs in the countryside. The SSSI and Ancient Woodland is home to a range of rare wildflowers, birds, butterflies and other species.

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Phil Bentley @bikingbirder.bsky.social · 04/03/2026

After a couple of blank years (for me) it was nice to bump into this returning individual again on #BrownseaIsland whilst carrying out a bird survey with @studlandbirds.bsky.social. I imagine there aren't too many places in the UK where you can see Forster's Tern & WT Eagle on the same day 😃

Digiscoped record shot of a Forster's Tern on Brownsea Island lagoon, 4 March 2026.

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Phil Bentley @bikingbirder.bsky.social · 02/03/2026

Trying to 📷 today's agile, overhead Red-rumped Swallow at Radipole, Weymouth was always going to be something of a fool's errand. The autofocus on my Nikon P950 never seems to be quite up to the task (user blames tools 🙄). Cracker of a bird tho. Shout out to finder @remblax.bsky.social #DorsetBirds

Red-rumped Swallow at Radipole, Weymouth, 2 Mar 2026.

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Phil Bentley @bikingbirder.bsky.social · 24/02/2026

A distant shot of today's lonesome Pale-bellied Brent Goose enjoying the sun (remember that?) + a snack on the Long Island, Poole Harbour sand spit. Nearby, 3 or 4 Firecrests were seen around the Middlebere cottages. Ace to hear lots of resident birds in full voice today. @harbourbirds.bsky.social

Pale-bellied Brent Goose on Long Island, Poole Harbour, 24 Feb 2026.

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