Today was another excellent day for birding around the harbour with perfect conditions and even a sprinkling of snow on the ground at dawn for some people. Most focus was given to the Studland area which returned a decent run of birds including the 4 Scaup off Redhorn along with 3 Great Northern Diver, 1 Long-tailed Duck, 11 Goldeneye and 4 Common Scoter. In Shell Bay there were 3 Great Northern Diver and on the beach 43 Grey Plover and 23 Ringed Plover were roosting. Out in Studland bay there were 6 Black-necked Grebe, 1 Red-throated Diver, 5 Common Scoter and a small passage of Auks, Kittiwake and Gannet heading west past Old Harry, as well as a couple of Lapwing heading east way out in Studland Bay suggesting a possible cold weather movement from further north. Out off Shipstal Point, Arne there were 9 Black-necked Grebe, 22 Spoonbill and 11 Goldeneye. A Slavonian Grebe was off Furzey Island and at Lytchett Fields there were 4 Green Sandpiper, 1 Yellow-legged Gull and 1 Marsh Harrier with another 3 Marsh Harrier in the Wareham Channel. The Ring-billed Gull was looked for during the afternoon but wasn’t seen.

Grey Plover roosting on Shell Beach, Studland