A welcome bit of sunshine resulted in more reports today – thank you! Studland Bay held 320 Brent Geese, 3 Common Scoter, 2 Great Northern Diver, 6 Black-necked Grebe, 44 Sanderling and in the village 3 Ring-necked Parakeet. Bramble Bush Bay was also productive with 2 Common Scoter, 1 Velvet Scoter, 3 Great Northern Diver, 9 Black-necked Grebe, 5 Sanderling and a Kingfisher. With water levels on Brownsea Lagoon still higher than normal Knot have been quite hard to locate recently so it was pleasing to hear of 38 in Brand’s Bay. In Poole Park the Great Northern Diver was still in attendance as well as several Goldeneye and Red-breasted Merganser with the drakes displaying in the glorious sunshine. Two Spoonbill were still on Otter Island in Lytchett Bay and at least 11 were seen from Shipstal Point in the afternoon. The adult male Hen Harrier continues to dart around various sites in the west of the harbour. At Swineham a Firecrest was seen and several pinging Bearded Tit remained resolutely hidden in the reeds although a Grass Snake lured out by the winter sun was more cooperative.

The Great Northern Diver was still in Poole Park on the main boating lake and at least one was seen off Poole Quay. 1 Great White Egret was in the Middlebere area as well as a Spoonbill with another of the latter over in Lytchett Bay. A male Hen Harrier is still roaming the harbour and the best place to try and see this majestic species is from the Avocet hide at Middlebere. A Greenshank was with the Bar-tailed Godwit flock in Whitley Bay with 3 Sandwich Tern nearby at ED sailing club.

A freezing cold School Bird Boat this morning was productive in that the number of Great Northern Diver seen from it increased to 8, the highest count so far this winter. Also seen were at least 7 Black-necked Grebe and about 15 Spoonbill hunkered down on Patchins Point. Lytchett Bay still held 3 Spoonbill and the ringtail Hen Harrier was seen there once again. The Great Northern Diver was still on the main boating lake in Poole Park but was stubbornly staying out in the middle. At least two Guillemot were still bobbing around just off Poole Quay with one of them venturing in quite close to the wall. A Siberian Chiffchaff  (Phylloscopus collybita tristis) was seen in amongst the Chiffchaff (Phylloscopus collybita collybita) at Norden Sewage Works.

The Great Northern Diver continued to show well off the model boat area of Poole Park where there was also 16 Goldeneye on the main lake. The only Spoonbill recorded today was in Lytchett Bay where a ringtail Hen Harrier flew over heading towards the Wareham Channel where the male was seen again too. Just one Purple Sandpiper was present in North Haven. The over-wintering Spotted Redshank was still in Holes Bay just off the outflow from the PC World Drain. Lastly, the Hooded Crow put in a reappearancec in Studland village around Manor Farm.

Great Northern Diver – Poole Park © Peter Moore

Velvet Scoter (6th Jan) – Poole Harbour © Peter Moore

Four Scaup were seen in the harbour between Brownsea and Arne in addition to the now regular female Velvet Scoter with a female Common Scoter. Up to 4 Great Northern Diver and several Guillemot were scattered around the harbour with 2 more of the former in Studland Bay and unusually one was in Poole Park. Water levels are still high on Brownsea Lagoon but it still held 4 Spotted Redshank, 5 Greenshank and several Knot and Grey Plover. A single Spotted Redshank was in Holes Bay again showing well near the outflow. In the Middlebere Channel a Great White Egret was seen again and a Barn Owl put in an early appearance around 2pm. A few Siskin and Redpoll were seen around Rempstone but no Crossbill could be located.

The Combination of a very high spring tide and low pressure meant that there wasn’t any mud on show in the harbour anywhere during the two-hour school bird boat this morning. Subsequently most birds were pushed up onto the fields surrounding the harbour but one of the few species which appeared to be present in higher than usual numbers was Brent Goose of which at least 500 were seen in the Middlebere Channel. 6 Egyptian Geese were seen on floods in the East Holme area. In Poole Park there was no sign of yesterday’s group of Pochard but there were 12 Goldeneye and 7 Red-breasted Merganser. The female Velvet Scoter was seen again with 2 female Common Scoter between Brownsea Island and Goathorn and just 1 Black-necked Grebe was seen from the boat in choppy waters. 28 Spoonbill huddled together on a small newly formed island on Shipstal Point with another 2 on Lytchett Fields. 20 Little Egret up at East Holme were probably displaced by the high water in the harbour. A single Siberian Chiffchaff was still present in the PC World Drain viewed from the car park by KFC. The Hawfinch was seen again at Priory Farm, East Stoke, where 43 Chaffinch were counted.

Once again the blustery conditions limited the number of reports received. It was good to hear though of a small flock of 6 Pochard in Poole Park in amongst the Coot and other assorted wildfowl. A single Great Northern Diver was off Poole Quay where 2 Guillemot were also seen. Higher than usual water levels pushed the regular roost of Spoonbill onto Gold Point where 28 were present with another 3 on Lytchett Fields. A total of 4 Hen Harrier were scattered around the west of the harbour.

The relative shelter of Studland Bay was where most of the action was today with 2 Common Scoter, 1 Slavonian Grebe, 7 Black-necked Grebe, 4 Great Northern Diver, c220 Mediterranean Gull with single Chiffchaff and Firecrest in Middle Beach car park. A short watch from the harbour mouth at lunchtime produced 6 Guillemot, 1 Razorbill and 1 Great Northern Diver. On Arne Moors 2 Hen Harrier were seen as were at least 3 Water Pipit.

Very stormy conditions meant there was little in the way of records today but the Hawfinch was seen again around Arne Farm and church though it remains elusive. Don’t forget if the weather is too bad to get out then you can always watch the new Feeder Cam at Holton Lee from the comfort of your own home here http://www.falconsflight.org.uk/BoPH%20SD2%20Holton%20Lee%20test%20stream.html

WE WOULD LIKE TO WISH ALL OUR READERS AND CONTRIBUTORS A VERY HAPPY NEW YEAR AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO WHAT PROMISES TO BE A MOST EXCITING YEAR FOR THE BIRDS OF POOLE HARBOUR!

In spite of the persistent drizzle throughout the morning a very successful boat trip around the harbour yielded 95 species of bird setting a new record from the boat – can’t be long before we break the 100 barrier! Highlights from the trip included: Egyptian Goose 4 (Bestwall), Pochard 2 (Swineham), Common Scoter 3, Velvet Scoter 1 (Bramble Bush Bay), Great Northern Diver 4 (2 of which were close in off South Haven), Spoonbill 23 (21 Shipstal, 2 Fitzworth Point), Slavonian Grebe 1 (Fitzworth Point), Black-necked Grebe 21, Hen Harrier 2 (male and female Arne Moors), Spotted Redshank 1 (Arne Moors), Guillemot 1, Sandwich Tern 3 and a Mediterranean Gull. There was also a flock of several hundred Lapwing in the Keysworth area but no Golden Plover could be located amongst them. After the recent heavy rains very little mud was exposed on Brownsea Lagoon resulting in hardly any small waders being present so the Stilt Sandpiper couldn’t be added to the year list just yet.

Elsewhere in the harbour a Great White Egret was again in Middlebere and a Barn Owl and Firecrest were seen in the Arne area.