Again, the Stilt Sandpiper was in Middlebere early morning and then again in the late afternoon, accompanied by 20 Spoonbill, 1 Great White Egret, 1 Osprey, 5 Spotted Redshank, 1 Green Sandpiper, 3 Knot, 200+ Black-tailed Godwit and 200+ Avocet. At Lytchett Fields there were 5 Ruff, 3 Little Stint, 2 Curlew Sandpiper, 1 Knot, 1 Spoonbill, 1 Wheatear and 40+ Meadow Pipit. A sea watch from Branksome Chine produced 1 Red-throated Diver, 20 Common Scoter, 8 Wigeon and a handful of Sandwich Tern. In the Wareham Channel 31 Spoonbill were feeding off Giggers Island during the low tide and 4 Marsh Harrier were in the same area including an adult male. 

 Stilt Sandpiper – Middlebere – Simon Buckell

Stilt Sandpiper 02 MVI_2662 from Waderworld on Vimeo.

There was a good arrival of Firecrest with birds seen at Knoll Beach, Greenland’s Farm and South Haven. In Middlebere the Stilt Sandpiper was still feeding in the top of the channel with 3 Ruff also present (rare here), 21 Spoonbill, 1 Osprey, 1 Marsh Harrier and 300+ each of Avocet and Black-tailed Godwit. A Great White Egret was in Brands Bay. In Holes Bay a Little Stint was feeding on the low tide (also rare here) with 1 Spoonbill, 409 Black-tailed Godwit, 41 Little Egret and 40 Dunlin. At Lytchett Fields there were 4 Little Stint, 2 Ruff, 1 Marsh Harrier 1 Wheatear and the normal good spread of common waders. Migration through Ballard again was pretty slow with just 8 Chiffchaff, 1 Redstart and 16 Meadow Pipit ringed. 

Common Redstart – Ballard Down – Olly Slessor