This still weather is making it really easy to find and count birds out on the open water. Yet again, Jerry’s Point produced the goods today with a redhead Goosander out on the water with Red-breasted Merganser. Other totals included 4 Great Northern Diver, 4 Black-necked Grebe, 2 Scaup, 1 Common Scoter, 1 Goldeneye, 60+ Great Crested Grebe and 20+ Red-breasted Merganser. From the Houseboats in Bramble Bush Bay there were 32 Ringed Plover, 8 Sanderling and 9 Dunlin. Brands Bay was packed with 498 Black-tailed Godwit, 237 Dunlin, 4 Bar-tailed Godwit, 18 Grey Plover, c100 Redshank, c300 Wigeon, c120 Brent Goose, c30 Pintail and 1 Marsh Harrier. From Middle Beach there were 4 Black-necked Grebe and 1 Gannet (plus a dead one on the beach) and from South Beach 2 Black-necked Grebe, 2 Common Scoter and 1 Great Northern Diver. Out on Wareham Common the largest Fieldfare flock of the autumn was present with c150 logged today with c30 Redwing. At Upton Country Park there were 600+ Black-tailed Godwit, 250 Dunlin, 25 Knot, 66 Avocet, 30 Pintail, 70 Shoveler and good numbers of Teal and Wigeon. Swineham was Goose-tastic today with 71 Greylag Geese, 2 Egyptian Geese and 212 Canada Goose. Primed to draw in a Pink-foot, White-fronted or Bean Goose should the weather turn colder later in the winter. Also at Swineham a Hen Harrier was busy patrolling over the reed beds.

Pintail – Holes Bay CP – Rene Goad

Redhead Goosander – Jerry’s Point – Ian Ballam

A murky morning created an atmospheric start around the south of the harbour, making for calm, yet challenging field conditions. Jerry’s Point featured the bird of the day… a male Long-tailed Duck, as well as a strong supporting cast of 2 Scaup, 1 female type Common Scoter, 6 Great Northern Diver (including 1 in summer plumage), 7 Black-necked Grebe, 1 Goldeneye, 43 Great Crested Grebe, 30 Red-breasted Merganser, 30 Dark-bellied Brent Goose, 31 Oystercatcher, 23 Turnstone, 19 Dunlin and 1 Great White Egret off Redlake. Brand’s Bay hosted a further 365 Wigeon, 69 Pintail, 32 Teal, 18 Dark-bellied Brent Goose, 280 Black-tailed Godwit, 140 Dunlin, 2 Greenshank, 2 Grey Plover, 21 Lapwing, 19 Curlew and Redshank.

Elsewhere, a Stoborough garden enjoyed a visiting Firecrest and Holes Bay racked up peak counts of 1244 Wigeon, 640 Black-tailed Godwit and 121 Avocet, as well as singles of Grey Plover and Kingfisher.

Wigeon – Brand’s Bay – Gary Hayman

Pintail – Brand’s Bay – Gary Hayman

It was pretty mild today, almost spring like in fact with Skylark in full song just outside Lytchett Minster. One of the highlights of the day were 2 Water Pipit that were colour-ringed as part of a national scheme to track their movements across the UK/Europe and possibly back to their breeding grounds in the spring. After a week of trying 2 were finally caught by Stour Ringing Group in Lytchett Bay and were ringed with yellow colour-rings labelled 0K and 1K in black lettering. Will be fascinating to see if they appear anywhere else in the UK this winter. Elsewhere around the harbour the Jerry’s Point area was well watched again with 4 Great Northern Diver, 37 Red-breasted Merganser, 2 Goldeneye, 1 Common Scoter and 3 Black-necked Grebe and in Brands Bay there were 310 Black-tailed Godwit, 22 Lapwing, 1 Curlew Sandpiper, 1 Peregrine and 2 Great White Egret. Around Middlebere/Slepe/Wareham Channel area there were 2 Hen Harrier, 5 Marsh Harrier and 1 Merlin. There were 2 late Wheatear up on Nine Barrow Down and 3 more House Martin off Studland.

Water Pipit – Lytchett Bay – Shaun Robson

Water Pipit ‘1K’ – Lytchett Bay – Shaun Robson

A slightly nippier wind today from the east, with Jerry’s Point area with 4 Great Northern Diver, 1 Scaup, 2 Goldeneye, 1 Black-necked Grebe, 23 Red-breasted Merganser, 29 Turnstone, 2 Sandwich Tern and several Dark-bellied Brent Geese. There were 2 ringtail Hen Harrier in the Swineham area, which looked like a male and a female. In Holes Bay there are up to 4 Kingfisher utilising the rocky shoreline which are providing excellent views for anyone walking along there on cold frosty mornings. There was a Merlin in Ridge and a few House Martin were logged with 2 over Scotland Farm and 6 off Brownsea. There were 2 Cattle Egret again in the field just beyond the Bakers Arms roundabout.

Kingfisher – Holes Bay – Alison Copland

Well, we entered another lockdown today, but we’re glad to hear most nature reserves and open spaces remain open access to the public. This means people are still able to follow the current guidelines but still get some fresh air, exercise and go birding. This resulted in 6 Great Northern Diver being seen off Jerry’s Point today with 3 Goldeneye, 5 Red-breasted Merganser, 1 Red-necked Grebe and the Great White Egret was in Brands Bay and later seen at Littlesea. A Grey Phalarope was also found off the end of the near the Houseboats in Bramble Bush Bay. 2 Cattle Egret were seen again over Lytchett Bay and there were 2 Water Pipit at Lytchett Fields. Annoyingly a blanket of Fog was settled over Poole Harbour north meaning Wood Pigeon movement never really got going. A Hen Harrier was also seen high over Lytchett Fields and off Middle Beach there was 4 Black-necked Grebe and 1 Great Northern Diver.

Great Northern Diver – Jerry’s Point – Paul Swann

Grey Phalarope – Bramble bush Bay – Nick Gadenne

Highlights off a blustery Jerry’s Point were 4 Great Northern Diver, of which 2 in stonking summer plumage). Open water species also present in the area included 4 Scaup (uncommon in this area of the harbour), 1 Goldeneye, 18 Red-breasted Merganser, 6 Black-Necked Grebe and 25+ Great Crested Grebe.

Swineham featured a nice male Marsh Harrier & ringtail Hen Harrier hunting simultaneously, quartering the Keysworth shoreline, flushing 150+ Lapwing and 700 Starling in the process. The gravel pit held 3 Pochard, while Stilt Pools saw 140 Black-tailed Godwit, Ruff, 19 Curlew and Lapwing. Great White Egret were recorded at Brands Bay and Lytchett Fields. The Holes Bay high tide roost held a minimum of 60 Avocet and 500 Black-tailed Godwit.

Ruff – Stilt Pools, Swineham – Gary Hayman