Blimey! And just like that September was done. What a month its been with a great passage of birds passing through the harbour. The mid-autumn sun smothered the harbour today and even got a few birds singing with multiple Common Chiffchaff in pretty much full song at the PCW Drain this morning, with no less than 40 present in total, along with 10+ Blackcap, 3 Kingfisher and the first 3 migrant Song Thrush of the autumn dropping down from height, into the scrub. In Middlebere this morning there were 6 Curlew Sandpiper, 2 Great White Egret and c150 Avocet, plus a Hen Harrier was logged in the hide diary, but it didn’t state what age or sex. Wheatear have been rather thin on the ground this autumn, so 3 at Greenlands Farm were good today, and with autumn ploughing on, the checking of a few local ‘tins’ over the weekend logged some fresh, juvenile Adder which is always a joy to see. Finally, this evening a new record number of Spoonbill were logged on the Brownsea Lagoon with 115 counted by Brownsea warden Nicki Tutton. What will the harbour total end up being within the next few weeks before some start moving off on the next leg of their migration south?

Juvenile Adder under a Poole Harbour ‘tin’

Not as jammed packed today, being a Monday, but still a good range of birds none the less. A Curlew Sandpiper was on the mud off the Houseboats, South Haven this morning where 5 Crossbill and 15 Redpoll tracked north. At the Sunnyside scrape a male Mandarin Duck was enjoying the pools. At Lytchett Bay a 3rd calader year White-tailed Eagle was settled briefly and 2 full adults were seen in and around the Wareham Channel. On Brownsea the Spoonbill flock was back down to 93 again, but several were out on Shipstal, so the 108 were probably all still present and correct. This evening a roost watch at Swineham produced 37 Little Egret and 3 Great White Egret into the roost, plus there were 2 Curlew Sandpiper, 1 Little Stint and 2 Ruff on the Stilt Pools and 5 Curlew Sandpiper were at Middlebere this afternoon on the low-tide. The ringing station in the Lower Piddle Valley saw another massive Chiffchaff day with 205 ringed, plus 1 very late Willow Warbler, 2 late Grasshopper Warbler, 54 Blackcap and the seasons first Lesser Redpoll. Mid-afternoon 2 Marsh Harrier and 2 Red Kite drifted in high over Slepe Heath.

Red Kite – Over Slepe Heath

Another fantastic day today, despite the damp start. It was confirmed ‘officially’ thanks to a coordinated count that there are in fact 100+ Spoonbill in the harbour, 108 to be exact with the DWT Brownsea team counting 95 and 13 more being counted from our Autumn Safari which then joined the 95. We believe this is the full harbour total, although for all we know there could also have been one or two hiding in Middlebere, but for now we’ll settle for 108. This isn’t only a Poole Harbour record, but also a Dorset record and we believe the highest count of any Spoonbill flock currently anywhere in the country. Elsewhere 2 Glossy Ibis flew over RSPB Arne Moors this morning, at Swineham there were 3 Little Stint, 2 Ruff and 3 Curlew Sandpiper with another Ruff on Arne Moors and another 2 on the Brownsea Lagoon. Off Swineham Point 2 Spotted Redshank were feeding, 10+ Bearded Tit were in the reedbeds there, he Black-necked Grebe was still in the Wareham Channel and 3 Marsh Harrier were around Giggers Island. There were also 4 dark-bellied Brent Geese that flew over the Wareham Channel just after 9am. A Great White Egret was in the Wareham Channel and another went into roost at Hatch Pond this evening. At Middlebere the 2 Ring Ouzel from yesterday were still there, and a Hobby was still hunting hirundines. At the lower Piddle Valley ringing site 2 tardy Grasshopper Warbler were ringed along with a very late Willow Warbler plus 55 Chiffchaff. The last 7 days has seen a huge push of Common Chiffchaff with the Lower Piddle Valley ringing site ringing a whopping 1074 in just 7 days!

Glossy Ibis over RSPB Arne Moors from this AM’s Autumn Safari – Alison Copland

17 of this mornings 108 Spoonbill on the Brownsea Lagoon from this mornings Autumn Safari – Alison Copland

There was a real mix of Summer, Autumn and Winter today and some cracking birds to be seen. With the wind swinging round to the south, it seemed to have halted a whole range of birds in their tracks, making them utilise the harbour for the day. The best of the day included a Short-eared Owl which was getting harassed by a crow along the RSPB Arne shoreline, a Bittern flew across the Stilt Pools at Swineham mid-morning, a Black-necked Grebe was settled in the Wareham Channel, the first dark-bellied Brent Goose of the autumn flew in over Brownsea, there were 3 Little Stint, 3 Curlew Sandpiper and 2 Ruff on the Curlew Pools at Swineham, 2 Great White Egret in Middlebere and it seems as if the Spoonbill flock has now broken 100+ with 93 on the Brownsea Lagoon, and an uncountable flock of c15 at Shipstal Point at the same time. This is certainly the largest group in the UK currently. Other new arrivals included 16 Knot and 5 Grey Plover on the Brownsea Lagoon, both of which hae been notable in their absence the last few weeks plus 1 Curlew Sandpiper, and 2 Ring Ouzel were along the Middlebere track. The Avocet flock on Brownsea is now at about c300, Swallow and House Martin were still moving south during the course of the day, 3 Marsh Harrier were at Swineham and a Merlin was seen at Middlebere.

Male White-tailed Eagle G463 – Wareham Channel from this AM’s Autumn Safari – Chris Herbert

Male Marsh Harrier – RSPB Arne Moors from this AM’s Autumn Safari – Chris Herbert

Female Grey Seal  from this AM’s Autumn Safari – Chris Herbert

It almost felt wintery this morning with the cold still conditions seeing many pairs of gloves being deployed for the first time this season. That said, the birding was still great, meaning the cold was just an inconvenient side effect for those that made it out. There were an impressive 10 Glossy Ibis in the harbour today with 9 at Lytchett Fields and 1 in Middlebere. Theres a really good chance this flock size could continue to grow with nearly c1000 across the country currently. Also in Middlebere today were 3 Great White Egret, 1 Osprey, 6 Curlew Sandpiper, 1 White-tailed Eagle and 1 Marsh Harrier. At Swineham 2 Little Stint, 2 Curlew Sandpiper, 1 Ruff and 10 Dunlin were on the Curlew Pools, 3 Marsh Harrier were off Swineham Point and Pintail are now appearing at multiple sites with 18 in Middlebere, 3 in Brands Bay and 10 in Holes Bay. Avocet numbers are also increasing with c400 in Middlebere and 200+ on Brownsea. On Wareham Common 14 Cattle Egret were feeding with the cattle, the Brownsea Lagoon held 82 Spoonbill, and later in the day 27 were on Shipstal.

Evolving winter scene with Spoonbills, Avocet and Teal – Middlebere – @dizzygirl66.bsky.social

The weather continues to be perfect for new arrivals to travel in from the north, and from this mornings early start Autumn Safari we were once again treated to witnessing species such as Wigeon, Shoveler, Gadwall and sinensis Cormorant all arriving in from high north, whilst at the same time hundreds and eventually thousands of Swallow, House Martin and fewer Sand Martin all gathered in numbers and begin heading north into the wind for the morning phase of their migration. On the low tide this morning 61 Spoonbill were feeding in the Wareham Channel and 3 Marsh Harrier were off Swineham Point. A White-tailed Eagle was sat distantly in a tree out on Keysworth and a Hobby was chasing hirundines high over the Wareham Channel. There were 2 Little Stint on the Swineham Pools, and 93 Spoonbill were counted on the Brownsea Lagoon again. A Great White Egret was on the Holton shoreline and 5 Cattle Egret were at Holmebridge. There are now 7 Glossy Ibis which were out feeding on the Pools Field at Lytchett Bay, plus a Little Stint was out on Lytchett Fields along with a Curlew Sandpiper. At Middlebere 1 Great White Egret was at the top of the channel, a juv-type White-tailed Eagle cruised over. Yesterday 2 Merlin were logged out on Hartland and 12 Marsh Harrier left the west harbour roost. Up on Ballard this morning more vis-mig was underway with 62 Crossbill over, plus 723 Siskin, 2 Yellow Wagtail and thousands of House Martin. 

Common Seal from out Autumn Safari this AM – Wareham Channel- Alison Copland

Grey Seal from out Autumn Safari this AM – Wareham Channel- Alison Copland

Stonechat – Brownsea Lagoon – Alison Copland

An amazing migration day across the harbour today, with more and more birds arriving from far away lands. Our Autumn Safari Cruise this morning was jam packed with good birds from start to finish. A juvenile Hobby was hunting hirundines over Arne and caught and devoured prey right above the boat at the start of the trip. One of the most amazing finds was a drake Scaup which was settled tight into the reed bed along the Keysworth shoreline in the Wareham Channel. Although distant, 2 Glossy Ibis arrived in from super high above the Purbeck ridge, before gradually dropping into the harbour area and settling on RSPB Arne Moors. A Great White Egret was along the Keysworth shoreline, 4+ Marsh Harrier were quartering over Swineham and Keysworth and a Spoonbill was on the Stilt Pools at Swineham, along with 1 potential Little Stint. The new pools on RSPB Arne Moors are already begining to attract birds with 10+ Dunlin, 2 Green Sandpiper and another potential Little Stint, although these pools are only viewable/accessible from our boat trips. All day thousands of Swallow and House Martin were on the move once again, at times, streaming over in groups of 100+ at a time. On the Brownsea Lagoon 73 Spoonbill were counted, highlighting it’s continued importence as the UK’s most important staging site for this species. Also on the lagoon were 200+ Avocet, 1 Little Stint, 40 Ringed Plover, 100+ Dunlin and 8 Greenshank. There were 2 White-tailed Eagle having a fight over the southern shores of the harbour this morning (resident female G466 and newly arrived 2023 G644), and by this afternoon 6 different individuals were in and around the harbour including 2 new arrivals which were freshly arrived from northern England in the last 24 hours having arrived on the northerly airflow. Wildfowl seemed to be arriving this morning with multiple Wigeon, Gadwall and Shoveler flocks dropping in at various sites. An Osprey was feeding in a tree along the RSPB Arne shoreline in the Wareham Channel and another was cruising around Lytchett Bay this afternoon. This morning the first 2 Lesser Redpoll of the autumn passed over South Haven, Studland along with 248 Siskin. There was another massive Chiffchaff movement across the harbour and this morning a whopping 222 were ringed in the Lower Piddle Valley, along with 69 Blackcap, 3 late Willow Warbler, 2 tardy Grasshopper Warbler, 10 Sedge Warbler and 2 Common Whitethroat.

Spoonbill – Stilt Pools, Swineham – Mya Bambrick

What an absolutely pristine day, and with the sun and switch in wind direction, a delivery of birds was observed at multiple sites across the harbour. After sustained southerly wind for several weeks, last night suddenly saw a clear night and a northerly airflow properly kick in which meant birds from further north took advantage of the tail wind and ended up on the south coast. The main arrivals today consisted of Common Chiffchaff, Swallow and House Martin. Common Chiffchaff were everywhere and with 163 ringed in the Lower Piddle Valley alone highlights that many thousands would have been spread right across the harbour this morning. Swallow and House Martin were on the move all day, with high totals (but un-counted) logged across the entire Poole Harbour airspace from sunrise to sunset. The first arrival of Ring Ouzel also dropped down with 1 in the Ulwell Gap and 2 at Ballard logged. A late Swift was over Ballard Down. There were only 4 of Glossy Ibis seen today at Lytchett Bay in the pools field next to Rock Lea view but there was a Little Stint on Lytchett Fields with 2 Spotted Redshank. At South Haven, Studland the Chiffchaff arrival was also much in evidence with c150 logged in bushes around the point plus 605 Siskin passed over and a Whinchat and Wheatear were also there. At Slepe Heath a Tree Pipit, 5 Crossbill and a random Ringed Plover passed over. At lunch time 4 White-tailed Eagle were circling over Stoborough with 4 Raven and 460 Cormorant entered the Piddle Valley roost and 5 Spoonbill flew up the Piddle Valley. The Brownsea Lagoon still had 70+ Spoonbill, will we reach 80 by the end of September?

Knot – Brownsea Lagoon – Nicki Tutton

It’s back! The long-returning Forster’s Tern was seen today from our Autumn Safari Cruise on a post, off of Ham Common Nature Reserve. Having been originally seen in 2023, as the 2nd ever for Dorset and 22nd ever for the UK, this long-returning, mega rare, north American Tern has reappeared. It was last seen in March this year and has not been seen since, although there was an unconfirmed report a few weeks ago. Last summer it spent time in Ireland, before making it’s way back to Poole Harbour, to eventually overwinter in Brittany, France. It’s likely it will do the same again this winter, but hopefully it will stick around in the harbour for a few more people to see. In the past it’s favoured marker bouys off Moriconium Quay, Shipstal Beach, the Brownsea Lagooon and occasionally Lytchett Bay.

The 6 Glossy Ibis reapearred again today at Lytchett Fields this morning, having been favouring the river Frome and Swineham areas. This afternoon 2 Ruff and 6 Curlew Sandpiper were in the Middlebere Channel on the falling tide this afternoon. The PC World Drain was jumping with birds first thing this morning: 40+ Common Chiffchaff, 10+ Blackcap, 1 Lesser Whitethroat, 1 Cetti’s Warbler, 2 Kingfisher, 3 Jay 

From our Autumn Safari Cruise we also saw 2 White-tailed Eagle, neither of which were our local pair. 1 was an adult 4-year old female G486 and the other a 2nd calendar year youngster G717, both in the Wareham Channel. 2 Osprey were also in the Wareham Channel along with 2 Marsh Harrier, 1 Peregrine, 3 Kingfisher, 2 Common Sandpiper and 2 Green Sandpiper. On the Brownsea Lagoon there were c200 Avocet, 1 Kingfisher, 5 Curlew Sandpiper, 20 Greenshank and 70+ Spoonbill making Poole Harbour, and specifically the Brownsea Lagoon the most important staging site in the UK for this species as numbers will continue to build until mid-October, when many then leave to destinations beyonds, including one sat-tagged individual last summer which staged in Poole Harbour during September but ended up in Senegal by Christmas!

 Forster’s Tern – Wareham Channel, off the Ham Common Nature Reserve – Alison Copland