The day began with a Great White Egret heading east over Wareham Common, landing along the Piddle north of Mount Pleasant. The low water levels at Poole Park drew in 1 Black-tailed Godwit, 5 Redshank , 10 Oystercatcher, 21 Mediterranean, c.600 Black-headed and 120+ Herring Gulls. The steady increase in returning Greylag Geese to Poole Park reached 47 today, while U060 continues to reside at Swineham. Despite the thick mist early morning, Baiter produced 1 Great Northern Diver, 19 Turnstone, 9 Great Crested Grebe, 14 Red-breasted Merganser, 2 Shag, 6 Brent Goose and 9 Oystercatcher. Similar challenges at Holes Bay revelaed 300+ Black-tailed Godwit, 89 Redshank, c.30 Dunlin, 25 Curlew and an absence of Avocet. PC World Drain offered 3 Chiffchaff, 1 Water Rail, Goldcrest, Redwing, Little Grebe and Grey Wagtail. At Swineham the Little Gull was still over the Lower Piddle floods and a Swallow was over the main pit. Although just outside the recording area a 1st winter Glaucous Gull was at the Alderney/Canford Heath water treatment works which could well be the individual thats been roosting on Brownsea in recent weeks.

Greylag Goose U060 – Swineham – Clive Hargrave