Steve Groves
@swannerysteve.bsky.social
Swanherd & patch birder. Posting only Abbotsbury Swannery bird sightings & other wildlife news.
Well, so much for that theory 😂… we had the 2cy ♂ Scaup and the 2cy♀ Long-tailed Duck together in the Pochard flock this morning. The ♀ Garganey is with the Teal still & the Red-necked Grebe is still near the tank teeth. @joestockwell.bsky.social @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social
February 4, 2026 at 9:21 AM
Well, so much for that theory 😂… we had the 2cy ♂ Scaup and the 2cy♀ Long-tailed Duck together in the Pochard flock this morning. The ♀ Garganey is with the Teal still & the Red-necked Grebe is still near the tank teeth. @joestockwell.bsky.social @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social
Red-necked Grebe,♀ Garganey & the Long-tailed Duck all present in the Swannery embayment today but no Scaup. It seems the latter 2 are on a timeshare. Alternating between the east & west Fleet but never together here! Ringtail Hen Harrier too. @joestockwell.bsky.social @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social
February 3, 2026 at 5:00 PM
Red-necked Grebe,♀ Garganey & the Long-tailed Duck all present in the Swannery embayment today but no Scaup. It seems the latter 2 are on a timeshare. Alternating between the east & west Fleet but never together here! Ringtail Hen Harrier too. @joestockwell.bsky.social @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social
The Red-necked Grebe, the ♀ Garganey & the 2cy ♂ Scaup all present in the Swannery embayment today. @joestockwell.bsky.social @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social
February 2, 2026 at 6:26 PM
The Red-necked Grebe, the ♀ Garganey & the 2cy ♂ Scaup all present in the Swannery embayment today. @joestockwell.bsky.social @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social
The Red-necked Grebe was still present at the Swannery this morning,near the tank teeth; whilst the 2cy drake Scaup was back in the Pochard flock. I couldn’t find the over-wintering ♀ Garganey though that was with the Teal again on Friday. @joestockwell.bsky.social @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social
February 1, 2026 at 12:45 PM
The Red-necked Grebe was still present at the Swannery this morning,near the tank teeth; whilst the 2cy drake Scaup was back in the Pochard flock. I couldn’t find the over-wintering ♀ Garganey though that was with the Teal again on Friday. @joestockwell.bsky.social @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social
Long-tailed Duck with the Pochard flock again today, it was last seen a week ago. The Red-necked Grebe is still present too but it’s a little more camera shy. @joestockwell.bsky.social @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social
January 29, 2026 at 7:34 PM
Long-tailed Duck with the Pochard flock again today, it was last seen a week ago. The Red-necked Grebe is still present too but it’s a little more camera shy. @joestockwell.bsky.social @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social
The Red-necked Grebe is still present in the western Swannery embayment near the tank teeth this pm & @joestockwell.bsky.social picked out a 2cy Long-tailed Duck with the Pochard this am. @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social
January 22, 2026 at 5:48 PM
The Red-necked Grebe is still present in the western Swannery embayment near the tank teeth this pm & @joestockwell.bsky.social picked out a 2cy Long-tailed Duck with the Pochard this am. @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social
The Red-necked Grebe still present this morning but no Scaup & not a great deal else, the two lingering White-tailed Eagles not helping matters! 😏 @joestockwell.bsky.social @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social
January 18, 2026 at 1:06 PM
The Red-necked Grebe still present this morning but no Scaup & not a great deal else, the two lingering White-tailed Eagles not helping matters! 😏 @joestockwell.bsky.social @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social
The Red-necked Grebe still in the western Swannery embayment late morning. Viewable from the tank teeth or distantly from Chapel Hill. @joestockwell.bsky.social @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social
January 17, 2026 at 12:15 PM
The Red-necked Grebe still in the western Swannery embayment late morning. Viewable from the tank teeth or distantly from Chapel Hill. @joestockwell.bsky.social @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social
Not a bad day at the Swannery! First a 2cy drake Scaup. Then we heard, & @joestockwell.bsky.social eventually saw, a Spotted Redshank. Then lunchtime I found a Red-necked Grebe. Both the latter not annual here & the way it’s going, the former may soon go that way too! 🙁 @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social
January 16, 2026 at 2:28 PM
Not a bad day at the Swannery! First a 2cy drake Scaup. Then we heard, & @joestockwell.bsky.social eventually saw, a Spotted Redshank. Then lunchtime I found a Red-necked Grebe. Both the latter not annual here & the way it’s going, the former may soon go that way too! 🙁 @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social
Drake Scaup (seemingly an ad.) with the Pochard flock mid-day today but virtually all the teal disappeared down the Fleet as I arrived. Presumably due to the W-t Eagle relentlessly bothering the Coot again 🙄 @joestockwell.bsky.social @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social
January 10, 2026 at 4:19 PM
Drake Scaup (seemingly an ad.) with the Pochard flock mid-day today but virtually all the teal disappeared down the Fleet as I arrived. Presumably due to the W-t Eagle relentlessly bothering the Coot again 🙄 @joestockwell.bsky.social @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social
Reposted by Steve Groves
@swannerysteve.bsky.social Green-winged Teal from this lunchtime.
January 9, 2026 at 2:26 PM
@swannerysteve.bsky.social Green-winged Teal from this lunchtime.
I couldn’t find the female Garganey this lunchtime but I did find a drake American Green-winged Teal! In the western embayment near the tank teeth. Couldn’t get even a half decent pic but @joestockwell.bsky.social has. @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social
January 9, 2026 at 2:19 PM
I couldn’t find the female Garganey this lunchtime but I did find a drake American Green-winged Teal! In the western embayment near the tank teeth. Couldn’t get even a half decent pic but @joestockwell.bsky.social has. @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social
Female Garganey again in the western Swannery embayment this lunchtime, having been elusive for a couple of weeks. Probably regretting its decision to overwinter 🥶😰 @joestockwell.bsky.social @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social
January 8, 2026 at 2:38 PM
Female Garganey again in the western Swannery embayment this lunchtime, having been elusive for a couple of weeks. Probably regretting its decision to overwinter 🥶😰 @joestockwell.bsky.social @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social
Not much to report from the Swannery this morning, largely down to constant flushes (I wonder why?) & dreadful light 🙄 A lot of Teal & Shoveler but impossible to check through them all. @joestockwell.bsky.social @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social
January 4, 2026 at 1:25 PM
Not much to report from the Swannery this morning, largely down to constant flushes (I wonder why?) & dreadful light 🙄 A lot of Teal & Shoveler but impossible to check through them all. @joestockwell.bsky.social @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social
The Fleet from Buller’s Cliff, Abbotsbury this morning. 12 Golden Plover with the Lapwings over the Swannery meadows but still no geese!😏
January 3, 2026 at 10:25 AM
The Fleet from Buller’s Cliff, Abbotsbury this morning. 12 Golden Plover with the Lapwings over the Swannery meadows but still no geese!😏
A rather unseasonal Garganey with the Teal in the Swannery embayment this lunchtime 🙂 @joestockwell.bsky.social @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social
December 22, 2025 at 2:36 PM
A rather unseasonal Garganey with the Teal in the Swannery embayment this lunchtime 🙂 @joestockwell.bsky.social @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social
Apparent 4cy Yellow-legged Gull on the beach opposite the Swannery this lunchtime. Actually darker mantled than it looks in this phone-scoped pic. Pretty quiet again otherwise. No Baikal Teal since the 4th & no Scaup since the 11th. @joestockwell.bsky.social @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social
December 15, 2025 at 2:39 PM
Apparent 4cy Yellow-legged Gull on the beach opposite the Swannery this lunchtime. Actually darker mantled than it looks in this phone-scoped pic. Pretty quiet again otherwise. No Baikal Teal since the 4th & no Scaup since the 11th. @joestockwell.bsky.social @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social
My best ever views of an Otter at the Swannery today. It’s mum was around too.
December 14, 2025 at 3:51 PM
My best ever views of an Otter at the Swannery today. It’s mum was around too.
1cy drake Scaup back in the Pochard flock this morning but still no Baikal Teal. @joestockwell.bsky.social @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social
December 11, 2025 at 10:23 AM
1cy drake Scaup back in the Pochard flock this morning but still no Baikal Teal. @joestockwell.bsky.social @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social
Reposted by Steve Groves
Cattle Egret pre-roost, 166 in this image and at least 15 that weren't! So a minimum of 181 currently roosting at the Swannery tonight @swannerysteve.bsky.social
December 10, 2025 at 6:02 PM
Cattle Egret pre-roost, 166 in this image and at least 15 that weren't! So a minimum of 181 currently roosting at the Swannery tonight @swannerysteve.bsky.social
No sign of today’s reported Slavonian & Black-necked Grebes either despite being on site most of the day 🤔
December 10, 2025 at 2:53 PM
No sign of today’s reported Slavonian & Black-necked Grebes either despite being on site most of the day 🤔
Portland Harbour North is now a vacant Wetland Bird Survey site. If there are any local birders willing to take it on, a couple of hours one Sunday morning a month. Then please let me know. @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social
@webs-gsmp.bsky.social
@webs-gsmp.bsky.social
December 10, 2025 at 2:48 PM
Portland Harbour North is now a vacant Wetland Bird Survey site. If there are any local birders willing to take it on, a couple of hours one Sunday morning a month. Then please let me know. @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social
@webs-gsmp.bsky.social
@webs-gsmp.bsky.social
There’s been no sign of the Baikal Teal since the 4th apart from an apparent erroneous report on the 5th. Really impressed with visiting birders re no access beyond tank teeth… until today 😡 Seems like some people feel they can just do what they like. Complete flush of duck and gulls along shore! 🤬
December 10, 2025 at 2:40 PM
There’s been no sign of the Baikal Teal since the 4th apart from an apparent erroneous report on the 5th. Really impressed with visiting birders re no access beyond tank teeth… until today 😡 Seems like some people feel they can just do what they like. Complete flush of duck and gulls along shore! 🤬
Baikal Teal in the Swannery Western Embayment this morning so pretty close to the tank teeth. Please note there’s no right of way SE along the beach beyond the fence there. @joestockwell.bsky.social @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social
Digiscoped pic…
Digiscoped pic…
December 4, 2025 at 10:01 AM
Baikal Teal in the Swannery Western Embayment this morning so pretty close to the tank teeth. Please note there’s no right of way SE along the beach beyond the fence there. @joestockwell.bsky.social @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social
Digiscoped pic…
Digiscoped pic…
The (1cy ♂) Baikal Teal & (1cy ♂) Scaup still present this afternoon at the Swannery. The former out in the embayment with 300+ Teal, though mobile, the latter with the Pochard flock. View only from rights of way. @joestockwell.bsky.social @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social
November 30, 2025 at 2:47 PM
The (1cy ♂) Baikal Teal & (1cy ♂) Scaup still present this afternoon at the Swannery. The former out in the embayment with 300+ Teal, though mobile, the latter with the Pochard flock. View only from rights of way. @joestockwell.bsky.social @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social