With yesterdays strong winds from the east, it was hoped that maybe some sea birds had been blown into Poole Bay, and despite the wind swinging early this AM to a light south westerly we were able to log a Sooty Shearwater heading across Poole Bay before being seen heading out towards Old Harry. Also out in Poole Bay were 2 Merlin seen heading in off the sea, 1 dark-bellied Brent Goose, 1 Curlew, 1 Kittiwake and 1 Common Scoter. Elsewhere around the harbour it was busy again with a juvenile White-tailed Eagle on the Brownsea Lagoon with 101 Spoonbill, 4 Curlew Sandpiper, 377 Avocet, 1 Glossy Ibis (over) and 25 Greenshank. A Glossy Ibis was in the Wareham Channel, 1 Spotted Redshank was on the Stilt Pools, Swineham, 1 Barnacle Goose was also at Swineham, Osprey were over Middlebere, Lytchett Bay and the Wareham Channel, 2 Great White Egret were on Arne Moors with another in Middlebere and there were singles of Hobby over Middlebere and Swineham.

Egyptian Goose, Barnacle Goose and Canada Goose – Swineham, from this AM’s Autumn Safari – Alison Copland

Eurasian Spoonbill flock – DWT Brownsea Lagoon from this AM’s Autumn Safari – Alison Copland

Despite the cloud all day, a perfect sunset saw the day out, illuminating the whole harbour on the low tide and it’s many, many birds! There were 5 Glossy Ibis in the Wareham Channel this evening, with 4 each of Great White Egret and Marsh Harrier out on Arne Moors. There was also a feeding flock of c150 Avocet also out in the Wareham Channel this evening and 2 Spoonbill. There was a minimum of 2 Osprey still, including an un-ringed juvenile which landed on our tree cam at RSPB Arne this morning. A White-tailed Eagle caught a fish in the Wareham Channel this evening. This morning 2 Glossy Ibis flew past the PCW Drain, Holes Bay, 93 Spoonbill were later counted on the Brownsea Lagoon, 5 Grasshopper Warbler and a Water Rail were ringed at the Carey Ringing Station.

Un-ringed juvenile Osprey – RSPB Arne

Un-ringed juvenile Osprey – RSPB Arne

Some of our team were active out across much of the harbour today with two Autumn Safari Cruises, giving good coverage throughout the day and a fantastic range of species at different locations. Highlights from today included 94 Spoonbill on the Brownsea Lagoon, along with 1 Little Stint, c400 Avocet, 16 Greenshank, 4 Sanderling, c25 Ringed Plover and 1 Great White Egret was on the north shore. In the Swineham/Wareham Channel area tehre were 2 Osprey, 2 White-tailed Eagle, 4 Great White Egret, 4 Glossy Ibis, 2 Pochard, 3 Marsh Harrier, 2 Goshawk 1 Red Kite, 1 Peregrine and 8 Sandwich Tern. At the Carey Ringing Station 3 Grasshopper Warbler were ringed along with 176 Common Chiffchaff, 13 Stonechat, 42 Blackcap and 1 Spotted Flycatcher. A Little Ringed Plover was on the Stilt Pools at Swineham.

Avocet flock Brownsea Lagoon – Alison Copland

Another perfect day across the harbour, with a harbour year tick in the shape of a Black Tern seen from our Autumn Safari Cruise this AM. It was a busy boat with plenty to see, including an increase of Spoonbill with 76 now on the Brownsea Lagoon along with c300 Avocet, 4 Bar-tailed Godwit, 65 Ringed Plover, 2 Greenshank, 28 Turnstone, 9 Sanderling and plenty of Redshank and Oystercatcher. Up around the Wareham Channel we logged 2 Osprey, 2 White-tailed Eagle, 4 Marsh Harrier, 3 Great White Egret, 1 Yellow Wagtail, 1 Wood Sandpiper, 4 Green Sandpiper and 2 Common Sandpiper. This evening there was a Curlew Sandpiper, 2 Spoonbill and 7 Knot. A Green Sandpiper was ringed at the Carey Ringing Station. A Hobby was up over Hydes Heath, RSPB Arne.

Green Sandpiper ringed at the Carey Ringing Station this AM

It was another fine day, with a fine selection of birds to complement the weather. In Middlebere there was a newly arrived Wood Sandpiper, along with 2 Curlew Sandpiper, 10 Knot, 6 Greenshank, 1 Osprey, 1 Marsh Harrier, 1 Peregrine and a Great White Egret. There was an Osprey over Lytchett Bay, 2 in the Wareham Channel and 1 seen near Brands Bay. Wildfowl numbers in Holes Bay are growing and consisted of 275 Teal, 182 Wigeon, 25 Shoveler and 21 Pintail, with a Spotted Redshank there too.

After yesterday nights first Song Thrush of the autumn which was logged during a nocturnal migration session, we were super stoked this evening whilst analysing last nights recordings when we found 25 calls of a passing Eurasian Dotterel over our listening station in Lytchett Matravers. This is a great record considering visual Dorset records normally consist of between 0-2 birds on average per year.

Sonagram of Eurasian Dotterel calls showing key modulation element, especially on first call – Lytchett Matravers @ 4:37am 

With this mornings heavy fog not lifting across the harbour until about 10am, we had to be patient until any birding could start, but when it did clear it was another stunningly beautiful late September day. Our Autumn Safari this AM produced the goods and logged 2 Pochard new in on Swineham GP with good numbers of Gadwall, Tufted Duck, Coot and Mallard. There seems to be a new layer of surface weed on the main gravel pit which we haven’t seen before, and it seems to be excellent for attracting dabbling ducks this autumn, so lets hope it attracts and sees wildfowl numbers build through the winter. There were a couple of Osprey still about, including Kielder Forest juvenile female 2B9, who’s still here having first arrived into the harbour on August 16th. Male White-tailed Eagle G466 was in the Wareham Channel this morning with 2 Great white Egret, c200 Avocet and 1 Marsh Harrier. On the Brownsea Lagoon there were only 45 Spoonbill and 2 Bar-tailed Godwit plus small numbers of Avocet, Greenshank, Redshank and Ringed Plover. A juvenile Little Ringed Plover was on the Stilt Pools at Swinheam and yesterday evening 46 Cattle Egret and 1 Glossy Ibis went into the Swineham roost. Last night we also registered the beginnings of the next phase of autumn migration with first nocturnal migrating Song Thrush of the autumn. Song Thrush are always the first to start moving with first Redwings probably only a week away now.

Sonagram of Song Thrush nocturnal flight call