A perfect Poole Harbour day today with a warm early spring sunshine beating down across the area. Whether it lasts into the end of the month is a different question all together, with what looks like a pretty exceptional cold spell on its way. Still, places like Arne were busy with a good selection birds including the Black Brant again in Middlebere with 1 Great White Egret, 1 Hen Harrier and off Shipstal were 20 Spoonbill, 2 Great Northern Diver and 8 Black-necked Grebe. Off North Haven late afternoon/early evening 5 Black-necked Grebe, 1 Great Northern Diver and a Sandwich Tern were in South Deep. A HUGE number of gulls were feeing along the southern shores too on the early evening low tide consisting mostly of Common and Herring Gull but also a build in numbers of Mediterranean Gull, many of which are now in almost near full breeding plumage. Firecrest were at Upton CP, Arne car park and Norden Sewage Works. There were even several over-wintering Chiffchaff that had been fooled into thinking spring really had arrived with one or two in full song at the PC World outflow. 

Today was a busy day with a good mix of species dotted around the harbour. Highlight was a report of a Black Guillemot off the SE corner of Brownsea, which frustratingly flew off towards Furzey before being conformed. At Lytchett Fields a Water Pipit, 1 Merlin and 3 Spoonbill were seen from the viewpoints and a ringtail Hen Harrier flew past Holton Pools. From Arne the Black Brant was still in the Brent Goose flock at Middlebere with a single pale-bellied Brent too, also 2 Slavonian Grebe, 1 Great Northern Diver, 16 Spoonbill and 7 Black-necked Grebe were of Shipstal Point, Arne. On the southern shores near the Wytch Channel a Great White Egret was feeding, a ringtail Hen Harrier flew through and in Bramble Bush Bay there were 4 Black-necked Grebe, 2 Common Scoter, 3 Great Northern Diver and a single Spoonbill. In Shell Bay, Studland a further 3 Black-necked Grebe and 2 Great Northern Diver were logged. At Norden sewage works there were 3 Chiffchaff, 3 Goldcrest and 1 Firecrest.

What a difference a day makes! Glorious spring like sunshine today resulted in a few more sightings. A single Spoonbill was still on Lytchett Fields and just across the river (Sherford) a ringtail Hen Harrier was seen again from the new hide at Holton Lee where a Greenshank also showed well. This new hide is always a great place to observe Kingfisher up close and personal and today was no exception – well worth a visit. Just 1 Black-necked Grebe was seen in the Shell Bay area today and at least 30 Sanderling were still on the groynes by the Haven Hotel. Two Spoonbill were in the Middlebere Channel in addition to 4 Spotted Redshank.

An even wetter and windier day than yesterday but don’t worry spring is just around the corner and we’ll be heralding the first returning Wheatear in no time! A Guillemot in Poole Quay viewable from the office window was perhaps unsurprisingly the only bird of interest noted today.

Request for content:

As I’m sure you’re aware we are opening our Birds of Poole Harbour Engagement Base (HQ) on the 1^st of March and we need your help: Do you have any old bird’s nests, feathers, bird’s bones etc which we can feature in our display? If so please email info@birdsofpooleharbour.co.uk and we will be more than happy to come and collect them. Thank you.

Another wet day resulting in little birding activity with the only reports coming from Studland Bay where a single Great Northern Diver, 12 Black-necked Grebe, 31 Mediterranean Gull and a Sandwich Tern were all seen from Middle Beach.

Five Common Scoter were off Middle Beach along with 2 Great Northern Diver and 13 Black-necked Grebe with 5 of the latter in Shell Bay. Just over the peninsula there was another Great Northern Diver with 2 Black-necked Grebe in Brand’s Bay where there was also 2 Common Scoter and 2 Sandwich Tern. In the Lytchett Bay area 4 Spoonbill were toing and froing whilst at least 1 Green Sandpiper was on the Fields. 2 Purple Sandpiper are still managing to feed unobtrusively on groynes at Sandbanks in addition to 29 Sanderling. A Hawfinch was seen again flying over Norden Sewage Works and a Firecrest was still foraging on the filter beds in the company of several Chiffchaff and Goldcrest.

Clear but windy conditions meant that choppy waters in the harbour made it difficult to count birds on the water for today’s WeBS count. Brand’s Bay highlights included singles of Red-necked Grebe, Whimbrel, Greenshank and Peregrine as well as 45 Knot, 8 Sanderling and 7 Turnstone. In Lytchett Bay there were 4 Spoonbill, 1 Water Pipit and 1 Green Sandpiper whilst a ringtail Hen Harrier was still touring the general area also being seen at Holton Lee. A Great Northern Diver was slightly unusual so far up the harbour in Holes Bay opposite the Premier Inn. At Sunnyside there was a Green Sandpiper with good numbers of Redwing in the area. 2 Hawfinch were seen flying over Policemans Lane at the extreme west of Upton and 1 was seen again near Norden Sewage Works where there was also a Marsh Tit, 3 Chiffchaff and about 15 Siskin.

With wet miserable weather for most of the day birding opportunities were somewhat limited. 3 Spoonbill were still on Lytchett Fields RSPB and in the early morning, before the rain set in, a ringing session at a site in north Poole yielded an adult male Brambling and several Siskin. At Norden park and ride car park 3 Hawfinch were seen whilst on the nearby sewage works were a Firecrest and 7 Chiffchaff.

The first winter drake Velvet Scoter was off Middle Beach with 3 Common Scoter as well as a Great Northern Diver and 14 Black-necked Grebe. A single Spoonbill was on Lytchett Fields and 4 were at Middlebere where a ringtail Hen Harrier was also seen.

Birds of Poole Harbour Volunteer Opportunities :

Passionate about Poole Harbour and its bird life? Like talking to people about the beauty of Poole Harbour and the surrounding area? You could be just who we’re looking for to help volunteer in our new Birds of Poole Harbour HQ which opens on March 1st 2018. We’re looking for a small team of enthusiastic, knowledgable and dedicated volunteers to help build our charity presence around Poole Harbour with volunteer roles in our new HQ on Poole Quay. If you’re interested and think this could be for you please email us at info@birdsofpooleharbour.co.uk and we’ll get a volunteer role specification form out to you right away!

A nice selection of waders were in Brand’s Bay this morning and included 2 Greenshank, 3 Grey Plover, 12 Ringed Plover and 30 Sanderling amongst the usual throng. 2 Spoonbill were again in Lytchett Bay and a lone bird was on Lytchett Fields before relocating to the Holton Lee scrape. Raptors are still featuring strongly and there are at least 6 Hen Harrier in and around the harbour as well as 4 Marsh Harrier and 2 Merlin in addition to several Peregrine. A Hawfinch was seen again in trees just behind Norden Sewage Works where there were 4 Chiffchaff and a Firecrest was nearby along Holme Lane.