Several torrential downpours and an exceptionally high tide made for a slightly wet final Autumn Safari of the year this morning to say the least, but none of that could dampen our spirits when we were rewarded during the dry spells with 1 Great White Egret, 1 Cattle Egret, 2 White-Tailed Eagle, and 3 Marsh Harrier in the Wareham Channel, 3 Red-breasted Merganser in the central harbour, plus 27 Spoonbill, 300 Avocet, 500 Dunlin, 5 Rock Pipit on the Brownsea Lagoon. Great White Egret were also reported elsewhere with two over Lytchett Fields first thing and one over Middlebere early afternoon along with 2 Spotted Redshank. Cattle Egret were present at Holmebridge once again with 6 mixed in amongst 10 Little Egret. At Brands Bay this afternoon there were 5 Brent Geese, 131 Wigeon, 14 Pintail, 7 Avocet, 7 Grey Plover, 131 Black-tailed Godwit, 7 Bar-tailed Godwit, 139 Redshank, 3 Knot, 88 Dunlin and 2 Sandwich Tern. And in Holes Bay there were nearly 1000 Wigeon, over 100 Teal and doubles figures of Shoveler and Pintail, 500 Black-tailed Godwit, 100 Redshank and few each of Oystercatcher and Curlew. In the Ulwell gap 3 Ring Ouzel were still feeding on berries and there were 3 Firecrest up on Ballard Down.

Cattle Egret – Holmebridge – Mark Wright