Insane scenes on our Winter Safari Cruise! Having already ticked off 2 Guillemot before departing Poole Quay, we set off on a route that took us into the Middlebere Channel with the idea of watching the roosting Spoonbill, but we weren’t expecting what happened next… The flock of 17 Spoonbill were feeding in the Middlebere Channel briefly on arrival but frantically lifted into the air as a female Peregrine bombed into action, quickly isolating one of the birds. After a close chase, the Spoonbill plunged into the water, narrowly avoiding the talons in close pursuit! The Peregrine then changed target and chased an Oystercatcher around the boat before giving up and moving on. A meander around the back of the islands then offered a Common Seal and numerous rafts of Red-breasted Merganser. Brownsea Lagoon was well attended with c.200 Avocet, c80 Bar-tailed Godwit, c300 Black-tailed Godwit, 5 Greenshank single Spotted Redshank and a couple of Mediterranean Gulls among the roosting Black-headed Gulls. We concluded with a Great Northern Diver off the Baiter Park shoreline. Elsewhere, Holes Bay  clocked up a further 615+ Black-tailed Godwit, 147 Avocet, 100+ Dunlin and 68 Pintail, with numerous of Wigeon and Teal remaining strong.

Bar-tailed Godwit & Avocet – Brownsea Lagoon – Clive Hargrave

Spotted Redshank – Brownsea Lagoon – Clive Hargrave