Not sure we quite fancy a goose for Christmas, but we certainly appreciate a goose at Christmas. Scarce geese is something we’ve struggled with in the harbour in recent years but today a White-fronted Goose was found in amongst a Greylag flock on a flooded pool next to Swineham. Other than six that flew straight through the harbour 2-weeks ago, it was the fist settled record of this species in Poole harbour since 2013. From a public bird boat there were 2 Great Northern Diver, 5 Black-necked Grebe and 1 Common Scoter spotted off the south shore of Brownsea and on Shipstal. The full flock of Cattle Egret hadn’t been reported for a while so it was nice to see 18 back at Holme Lane again. Raptors in the harbour consisted of a ringtail Hen Harrier at Middlebere, an adult male briefly from Swineham Point, both male and female Merlin at Slepe Heath and only 3 Marsh Harrier out of the west harbour roost.