Steve Groves
@swannerysteve.bsky.social
Swanherd & patch birder. Posting only Abbotsbury Swannery bird sightings & other wildlife news.
Here I go again! Re the ‘Wyke Regis’ Desert Wheatear… Just a reminder that ‘Wyke Regis’ Bridging Camp is not in Wyke Regis it’s in the Civil Parish of Chickerell. So it’s the Chickerell Desert Wheatear… And don’t even get me started on ‘Littlesea’! 🤨😂
November 24, 2025 at 6:38 PM
Here I go again! Re the ‘Wyke Regis’ Desert Wheatear… Just a reminder that ‘Wyke Regis’ Bridging Camp is not in Wyke Regis it’s in the Civil Parish of Chickerell. So it’s the Chickerell Desert Wheatear… And don’t even get me started on ‘Littlesea’! 🤨😂
Reposted by Steve Groves
Baikal Teal showing really well out in the eastern side of the bay with Eurasian Teal. Would be visible from New Barn Road @swannerysteve.bsky.social
November 24, 2025 at 1:44 PM
Baikal Teal showing really well out in the eastern side of the bay with Eurasian Teal. Would be visible from New Barn Road @swannerysteve.bsky.social
Reposted by Steve Groves
Baikal Teal again this afternoon, I've only seen it twice this week. These photos were from the 17th, on calm afternoons the teal seem to be gathering in the eastern side of the bay. @swannerysteve.bsky.social
November 21, 2025 at 3:43 PM
Baikal Teal again this afternoon, I've only seen it twice this week. These photos were from the 17th, on calm afternoons the teal seem to be gathering in the eastern side of the bay. @swannerysteve.bsky.social
Baikal Teal still present this morning out in the Swannery Embayment. Swannery closed. View only from public rights of way. @joestockwell.bsky.social @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social
November 14, 2025 at 10:43 AM
Baikal Teal still present this morning out in the Swannery Embayment. Swannery closed. View only from public rights of way. @joestockwell.bsky.social @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social
Only a phone-scoped shot but you can see what it is 😅 It doesn’t show in the pic but head plumage has advanced a lot in a week so now pretty convinced that there has only been the one bird all along. So the female ‘type’ was the same 1cy drake.
@joestockwell.bsky.social
@dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social
@joestockwell.bsky.social
@dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social
November 13, 2025 at 3:12 PM
Only a phone-scoped shot but you can see what it is 😅 It doesn’t show in the pic but head plumage has advanced a lot in a week so now pretty convinced that there has only been the one bird all along. So the female ‘type’ was the same 1cy drake.
@joestockwell.bsky.social
@dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social
@joestockwell.bsky.social
@dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social
Having a brill day on patch! @joestockwell.bsky.social picked up a Yellow-browed Warbler (1st this year) & then he found a Pallas’s Warbler! First site record! Also 2 Siberian Chiffchaff & a late Garden Warbler present. Then I refound the drake Baikal Teal! @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social
November 13, 2025 at 3:02 PM
Having a brill day on patch! @joestockwell.bsky.social picked up a Yellow-browed Warbler (1st this year) & then he found a Pallas’s Warbler! First site record! Also 2 Siberian Chiffchaff & a late Garden Warbler present. Then I refound the drake Baikal Teal! @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social
Siberian Chiffchaff in the Swannery withybed today & 150+ Cattle Egrets in to roost this evening. No sign of Baikal Teal since Friday. @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social
November 11, 2025 at 10:12 PM
Siberian Chiffchaff in the Swannery withybed today & 150+ Cattle Egrets in to roost this evening. No sign of Baikal Teal since Friday. @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social
It was the WeBS this morning & a thorough search of the Swannery embayment for Baikal Teal (or Baikal Teals?) with @nickurch.bsky.social & Al Barrett drew a blank. I did find a rather dinky Yellow-legged Gull though, no doubt last Sunday’s bird. @joestockwell.bsky.social @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social
November 9, 2025 at 2:54 PM
It was the WeBS this morning & a thorough search of the Swannery embayment for Baikal Teal (or Baikal Teals?) with @nickurch.bsky.social & Al Barrett drew a blank. I did find a rather dinky Yellow-legged Gull though, no doubt last Sunday’s bird. @joestockwell.bsky.social @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social
Drake Baikal Teal at Abbotsbury Swannery this am, I last saw ♀ last Friday so clearly not moulted in a week! Currently on Fleet/Chesil shore opposite Swannery. No access SE of tank traps. @joestockwell.bsky.social @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social @birdguides.bsky.social @rarebirder.bsky.social
November 7, 2025 at 9:23 AM
Drake Baikal Teal at Abbotsbury Swannery this am, I last saw ♀ last Friday so clearly not moulted in a week! Currently on Fleet/Chesil shore opposite Swannery. No access SE of tank traps. @joestockwell.bsky.social @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social @birdguides.bsky.social @rarebirder.bsky.social
Couldn’t find the Baikal Teal or yesterday’s reported Scaup this afternoon but light abysmal. Ad. Yellow-legged (or Caspian) Gull on the beach but very distant.
November 2, 2025 at 3:01 PM
Couldn’t find the Baikal Teal or yesterday’s reported Scaup this afternoon but light abysmal. Ad. Yellow-legged (or Caspian) Gull on the beach but very distant.
Baikal Teal present again this morning on Chesil/Fleet shoreline in between constant raptor flushes. Possibly viewable from tank traps but note there is strictly no access along the beach beyond the fence. Swannery Grounds now closed for winter. @joestockwell.bsky.social @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social
October 31, 2025 at 10:41 AM
Baikal Teal present again this morning on Chesil/Fleet shoreline in between constant raptor flushes. Possibly viewable from tank traps but note there is strictly no access along the beach beyond the fence. Swannery Grounds now closed for winter. @joestockwell.bsky.social @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social
I couldn’t find the Baikal Teal today & I wasn’t on site yesterday. Flock very flighty though & a good number of Teal flew off down The Fleet late morning so maybe at Rodden Hive. No Scaup either. A (redhead) Goosander was the best I could do. @joestockwell.bsky.social @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social
October 30, 2025 at 9:02 PM
I couldn’t find the Baikal Teal today & I wasn’t on site yesterday. Flock very flighty though & a good number of Teal flew off down The Fleet late morning so maybe at Rodden Hive. No Scaup either. A (redhead) Goosander was the best I could do. @joestockwell.bsky.social @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social
Baikal Teal still present today on Chesil/Fleet shoreline. 3 Scaup in embayment. Probably all viewable from tank traps but note there is strictly no access along the beach beyond the fence there. Swannery Grounds now closed for winter. @joestockwell.bsky.social @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social
October 28, 2025 at 2:11 PM
Baikal Teal still present today on Chesil/Fleet shoreline. 3 Scaup in embayment. Probably all viewable from tank traps but note there is strictly no access along the beach beyond the fence there. Swannery Grounds now closed for winter. @joestockwell.bsky.social @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social
Baikal Teal still present today in western Swannery embayment per Charlie Wheeler. Probably viewable from tank traps but please note there is strictly no access along the beach beyond the fence there. Swannery Grounds now closed for winter. @joestockwell.bsky.social @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social
October 26, 2025 at 2:45 PM
Baikal Teal still present today in western Swannery embayment per Charlie Wheeler. Probably viewable from tank traps but please note there is strictly no access along the beach beyond the fence there. Swannery Grounds now closed for winter. @joestockwell.bsky.social @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social
Baikal Teal still today but please note the Swannery Grounds are now closed for the winter (a little earlier than planned). The Swannery embayment now only viewable from usual rights of way. Probably best viewed from tank traps but note there is no access along the beach beyond the fence there…
October 24, 2025 at 3:45 PM
Baikal Teal still today but please note the Swannery Grounds are now closed for the winter (a little earlier than planned). The Swannery embayment now only viewable from usual rights of way. Probably best viewed from tank traps but note there is no access along the beach beyond the fence there…
Pinkfoot/Bean flew north at 8am. @joestockwell.bsky.social @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social
October 23, 2025 at 9:25 AM
Pinkfoot/Bean flew north at 8am. @joestockwell.bsky.social @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social
Two freshly arrived trans-Atlantic vagrant Wood Ducks this morning 😉 @joestockwell.bsky.social @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social
October 23, 2025 at 9:20 AM
Two freshly arrived trans-Atlantic vagrant Wood Ducks this morning 😉 @joestockwell.bsky.social @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social
Baikal Teal Abbotsbury Swannery this am in western embayment from Helen Hide. Doubtfully viewable from rights of way other than grounds. There is no right of way SE of tank traps on beach. If you walk beyond fence there everything will flush! @joestockwell.bsky.social @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social
October 23, 2025 at 9:17 AM
Baikal Teal Abbotsbury Swannery this am in western embayment from Helen Hide. Doubtfully viewable from rights of way other than grounds. There is no right of way SE of tank traps on beach. If you walk beyond fence there everything will flush! @joestockwell.bsky.social @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social
Baikal Teal again on the back of Chesil opposite the Swannery, showing well but relatively distantly from Helen Hide. First chance I’ve had to look today! 🙄 @joestockwell.bsky.social @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social
October 22, 2025 at 1:18 PM
Baikal Teal again on the back of Chesil opposite the Swannery, showing well but relatively distantly from Helen Hide. First chance I’ve had to look today! 🙄 @joestockwell.bsky.social @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social
I can’t find the Baikal Teal in the western embayment this morning, where the bulk (500+) of the Teal are. Eastern embayment completely burnt out by strong sun light currently. Our first Scaup of the autumn however. 1cy ♂. @joestockwell.bsky.social @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social
October 21, 2025 at 8:40 AM
I can’t find the Baikal Teal in the western embayment this morning, where the bulk (500+) of the Teal are. Eastern embayment completely burnt out by strong sun light currently. Our first Scaup of the autumn however. 1cy ♂. @joestockwell.bsky.social @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social
Baikal Teal Abbotsbury Swannery this pm in western embayment from Helen Hide. Doubtfully viewable from rights of way other than grounds. There is no right of way SE of tank traps on beach. If you walk beyond fence there everything will flush! @joestockwell.bsky.social @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social
October 20, 2025 at 1:44 PM
Baikal Teal Abbotsbury Swannery this pm in western embayment from Helen Hide. Doubtfully viewable from rights of way other than grounds. There is no right of way SE of tank traps on beach. If you walk beyond fence there everything will flush! @joestockwell.bsky.social @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social
Not working today & stuff to do this morning but couldn’t resist popping down the Swannery this afternoon & bingo! A rather nice 1cy Caspian Gull on the back of the beach. Not even tried to find the Baikal Teal yet. @joestockwell.bsky.social @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social
October 20, 2025 at 1:30 PM
Not working today & stuff to do this morning but couldn’t resist popping down the Swannery this afternoon & bingo! A rather nice 1cy Caspian Gull on the back of the beach. Not even tried to find the Baikal Teal yet. @joestockwell.bsky.social @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social
Baikal Teal is still present this morning. Conditions improved slightly. Flock very mobile. Swannery open 10am. No entry before 10am. Doubtfully viewable from rights of way other than grounds. There is no right of way SE of tank traps on beach. If you walk beyond fence there everything will flush!
October 19, 2025 at 9:58 AM
Baikal Teal is still present this morning. Conditions improved slightly. Flock very mobile. Swannery open 10am. No entry before 10am. Doubtfully viewable from rights of way other than grounds. There is no right of way SE of tank traps on beach. If you walk beyond fence there everything will flush!
I made a half hearted attempt to locate the Baikal Teal this morning but viewing conditions atrocious even from the hides so gave up. Flock continually flushing too. Couldn’t even find the bulk of them in a quick second attempt 😬😓 @joestockwell.bsky.social @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social
October 19, 2025 at 8:47 AM
I made a half hearted attempt to locate the Baikal Teal this morning but viewing conditions atrocious even from the hides so gave up. Flock continually flushing too. Couldn’t even find the bulk of them in a quick second attempt 😬😓 @joestockwell.bsky.social @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social
Reposted by Steve Groves
The Baikal Teal at Abbotsbury did the decent thing and hung around until the weekend. The first female-type individual I've seen, with a striking face pattern even at range & big chestnut thumbprints across the breast. An altogether lovely beast @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social
October 18, 2025 at 2:19 PM
The Baikal Teal at Abbotsbury did the decent thing and hung around until the weekend. The first female-type individual I've seen, with a striking face pattern even at range & big chestnut thumbprints across the breast. An altogether lovely beast @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social