This is a tough one... Our armed forces are amazing, but so is our wildlife. Massive disturbance on the lagoon last night from very low flying chopper and chinook. Add to that huge stress caused by tonight's Poole fireworks and the poor birds arent getting much peace at the mo.... #WildBrownsea

WT Eagle G704 spending time over Brownsea... these shots from yesterday and he was back again this morning 😊 #WildBrownsea @dorsetwildlife.bsky.social @harbourbirds.bsky.social @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social

First green woodpecker I have seen on Brownsea for at least 5 years... they used to breed here every year but as with many places locally they seemed to vanish. Really good to see this one this morning 💚 #WildBrownsea @dorsetwildlife.bsky.social @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social @harbourbirds.bsky.social

A pretty big Halloween gull roost 🎃 At least 500-600 ghostly shapes (mostly herring ghouls 👻) on the lagoon... plus some stunning pink/purple skies #WildBrownsea @dorsetwildlife.bsky.social @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social @harbourbirds.bsky.social

Well over 600 cormorant on the lagoon today... and then the call went out and they pretty much all left! #WildBrownsea @dorsetwildlife.bsky.social @harbourbirds.bsky.social @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social

The calm before the storm... 21 spoonies, maybe 200 avocet, lots of teal, shoveler, plus cormorant and GBBG. Little egret fishing off north shore. And then the heavens opened! #WildBrownsea @dorsetwildlife.bsky.social @harbourbirds.bsky.social @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social

Pretty rough on the lagoon today but good to see substantial avocet flocks, plus good numbers of herring gulls (moments before a squall picked up and I exited the Tern Hide sharpish) #WildBrownsea #StormAusten @dorsetwildlife.bsky.social @harbourbirds.bsky.social @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social

The evening gull roost building in the calm before the storm... unusually and quite eerily quiet #WildBrownsea @dorsetwildlife.bsky.social @harbourbirds.bsky.social @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social

A huge flock of cormorant sinensis put up by the boat departing JLP jetty this morning.... almost a seabird murmuration! #WildBrownsea @dorsetwildlife.bsky.social @harbourbirds.bsky.social @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social

Common darter and cranefly lunch.... #WildBrownsea @dorsetwildlife.bsky.social

Burying and neatly patting down the winter's cache #WildBrownsea #RedSquirrel @dorsetwildlife.bsky.social

Eclipse male teal stripping seeds or inverts from glasswort through its bill then collecting them from the water. Interesting to watch! #WildBrownsea @dorsetwildlife.bsky.social @harbourbirds.bsky.social @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social

A chance to follow Barfleur out of the harbour on her final journey from Poole... was it really really lumpy? Yes 🌊 Did we all get soaked? Again yes💦 Was it worth it. Oh yes 🤩 Bye bye old gal 💙🤍❤️ #WildBrownsea

Some pretty snazzy Sika stags around at the mo... just look at this handsome fella! 🤎 #WildBrownsea @dorsetwildlife.bsky.social

I do love a buzzard 🤩 #WildBrownsea @dorsetwildlife.bsky.social @harbourbirds.bsky.social @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social

Some wonderfully obliging birds outside the Tern Hide in various weathers this week... grey plover, greenshank, barwit, blackwit, redshank, avocet, little egret #WildBrownsea @dorsetwildlife.bsky.social @harbourbirds.bsky.social @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social

Good views of great white egret on Brownsea lagoon this morning... convenient size comparisons to little egret too #WildBrownsea @dorsetwildlife.bsky.social @harbourbirds.bsky.social @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social @birdguides.bsky.social

Slo-mo merveille du jour. Warming up, pre-flight checks and away! ✨️ #WildBrownsea @dorsetwildlife.bsky.social @dorsetmoths.bsky.social

Busy spoonbill, avocet, egret and gull flocks in the mist this morning 🤍 #WildBrownsea @dorsetwildlife.bsky.social @harbourbirds.bsky.social @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social

Another of the eagle/corvid interactions earlier... eagle keeping a very close eye on its companions! #WildBrownsea @dorsetwildlife.bsky.social @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social @harbourbirds.bsky.social #RoyDennisFoundation

Juv WR eagle on the Brownsea lagoon earlier... treated us to about 20 mins of its presence before fi ally being seen off by determined corvids #WildBrownsea @dorsetwildlife.bsky.social @harbourbirds.bsky.social @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social #RoyDennisFoundation

Purbeck this week... house martins in huge numbers on poles, lines and nearby houses. An amazing sight! #Purbeck @dorsetwildlife.bsky.social @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social @birdguides.bsky.social

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@gavinbroad.bsky.social I've been advised you're the one to ask on this one?

Nicki T@wildontheroad.bsky.social · 3mo ago

Knowledgeable folks.... am I right in thinking this is a knot grass caterpillar with parasitoid wasp cocoon and that those young will have hatched from their 'zombified' host? #WildBrownsea @dorsetwildlife.bsky.social @dorsetmoths.bsky.social @georgemcgavin.bsky.social @savebutterflies.bsky.social

Buzzard... before and after noticing me... 🫣👀 #WildBrownsea @dorsetwildlife.bsky.social

Lota of moulting adult and gape-showing juv swallows on the lagoon today. Plus good close views of ringed plover and dunlin. Wader numbers increasing... #WildBrownsea @dorsetwildlife.bsky.social @harbourbirds.bsky.social @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social

Knowledgeable folks.... am I right in thinking this is a knot grass caterpillar with parasitoid wasp cocoon and that those young will have hatched from their 'zombified' host? #WildBrownsea @dorsetwildlife.bsky.social @dorsetmoths.bsky.social @georgemcgavin.bsky.social @savebutterflies.bsky.social

The rain and cloud cover made for an interesting moth trap last night... large fruit-tree tortrix, beet armyworm, red underwing, golden twin-spot #WildBrownsea @dorsetwildlife.bsky.social @dorsetmoths.bsky.social

Common sand and wood sand offering great comparison on the lagoon this afternoon #WildBrownsea @dorsetwildlife.bsky.social @harbourbirds.bsky.social @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social

Gorgeous wasp spider... the first I've seen on Brownsea for a long time. Could anyone shed light on the purpose of the zigzag web pls? #WildBrownsea @dorsetwildlife.bsky.social @georgemcgavin.bsky.social #BritishArachnologicalSociety #BAS