So, so cold, but also so, so beautiful. The bright winter sun, and HUGE full moon rising this evening was just perfect in all regards. The full moon and cold weather is certainly seeing some cold weather movements occurring with Holes Bay hosting nearly c4000 wildfowl alone including 1912 Wigeon, a Holes Bay record of 288 Pintail, 1070 Teal and 191 Shoveler. There were no new scarcer arrivals (as of yet) but all the hangers on were still present including the c40 Russian White-fronted Geese moving between RSPB Arne Moors and the field at Ridge, the 10 Glossy Ibis were briefly in the Frome Valley but then flew into Swineham GP to roost this evening, 7 Black-necked Grebe were off Jerry’s Point along with 2 Slavonian Grebe, 2 Great Northern Diver, 8 Goldeneye and 1 Black-throated Diver. There was 1 Purple Sandpiper on the Groyne around from the Haven Hotel, 8 Mandarin Duck were on the River Piddle this afternoon. A Barnacle Goose was on the Piddle Flods early doors then relocated to the Swineham paddocks, and 46 Cattle Egret flew up the Frome Valley this morning, the 15 Tundra Bean Geese were still frustratingly a few hundred meters just outside our harbour recording area at Binnegar, just up from Holmebridge and what seems to be the final Studland Ring-necked Parakeet was in trees at Fort Henry, Studland. Finally there was 1 Slavonian Grebe and 1 Great Northern Diver off Middle Beach, Studland.

Russian White-fronted Geese – Ridge, Wareham 

Once again, it was another bird-packed day across the harbour recording area, with this morning seeing our first ‘Safari Cruise’ of 2026 which logged a great mix of winter species including the drake Scaup off Goathorn, 7 Black-necked Grebe out in South Deep, 4 Great Northern Diver spread across the harbour, 18 Spoonbill and c200 Avocet roosting on the Gull Islands in the Wareham Channel, 1 White-tailed Eagle in the Wareham Channel and 7 Marsh Harrier and 1 Merlin around Swineham. Other highlights from the day included the flock of c40 Russian White-fronted Geese moving between their favourite field at Ridge and RSPB Arne Moors, 1 Barnacle Goose at Swineham, the 10 Glossy Ibis were feeding in the mid-Frome Valley, just off the by-pass and later flew into Swineham to roost along with c50 Cattle Egret, 2 Great White Egret and a Bittern flew across the pit at dusk. There was also 1 Black-throated Diver that flew into the harbour at dawn and 1 Slavonian Grebe was off Jerry’s Point and a drake Pochard was on Swineham GP. Elsewhere there were 15 Tundra Bean Geese just outside the recording area between Holmebridge and Wool, just below Binnigar.

Female Merlin – Swineham GP from this mornings Winter Safari – Martin Wright

Happy New Year everyone! What a stunning start to 2026……cold, crisp and full of birds. Many a folk now ‘year list’, whether it be logging and tallying the birds they see in their gardens over the year, in Dorset or even across the country. Over the calendar year Poole Harbour offers a great opportunity to see and count a great range of birds, and New Years day often see’s many people out searching high and low for some of the tricker/scarcer species to ensure they’re on their lists nice and early. The big question for today was whether yesterdays Smew would hang around and provide a nice early 2026 gift. The short answer is no…..they didn’t hang around….or at best, simply weren’t found. Maybe, just maybe they’ll reappear somewhere in the coming days?

Regardless of the absent Smew, there were still loads of birds logged today, starting off at dawn with 4 different Great White Egret flying down/around the Lower Piddle Valley at first light as 3 Woodcock headed back to their woodland day time roosts and a Little Grebe called, passing in the dark overhead. As the light built 35 Cattle Egret then headed towards Wareham Common to feed. The 10 Glossy Ibis appeared from the Swineham direction about 8:30am, looking as if they were going to settle in the fields just south of Wareham train station, but in fact, took a detour and headed to the Frome Valley instead where they were later found feeding just west of the bypass. The White-fronted Goose flock grew to 43 today, still feeding in teh field just east of Ridge with a lone Barnacle Goose there too. The Tundra Bean Geese hadn’t been seen for a few days, but an amazing total of 14 were found further up the Frome Valley, just west of Holmebridge in fields below Binnegar. Whilst searching for the Smew, incidental finds included 7 Black-necked Grebe, 2 Slavonian Grebe, 2 Great Northern Diver and 1 Scaup. There were also 3 White-tailed Eagle soaring over Brands Bay along plus another was in the Wareham Channel. Merlin were seen out on Arne Moors and at Middlebere, a Pochard was on Swineham GP, Spoonbills were on the Gull Islands (6), Lytchett Bay (7), Brands Bay (1) and Holes Bay (2). being early January some birds are already starting to sing with Crossbills seen and heard displaying at Greenlands Farm and Slepe Heath. There were 2 Spotted Redshank, one in Upton CP and 1 in Lytchett Bay. Marsh Harrier totals are still good with no less than 7 floating around the west of the harbour. This afternoon a Great White Egret was at Holmebridge and 53 Cattle Egret were seen flying over Wareham Common into roost. Finally, there was a late but unconfirmed report of a White Stork at Sunnyside, Ridge.

Two juvenile White-tailed Eagles over Brands Bay – Mark Wright

Now, it’s not like we want to blow our own trumpet, but if you read yesterday’s sightings blog, which we wrote less than 24 hours ago, we were hypothesising and day dreaming that today a dream end to the year would involve the arrival of something special like a Smew or Bewick’s Swan. Well, at about 10am this morning, not one but two Smew were found out in Brands Bay, one being a fine drake. The last Poole Harbour Smew record was on Feb 23rd 2016. However, the last drake Smew record was as far back as 2008, and even more amazingly it was also logged on Dec 31st of that year. Smew are such special winter birds, especially the drakes, we really hope they hang on for several weeks as they’ll be great additions to our Winter Bird Boat lists. Also logged from Jerry’s Point/Brands Bay was the drake Scaup, plus 2 Slavonian Grebe, 5 Black-necked Grebe, 2 Great Northern Diver and 1 White-tailed Eagle. There were 38 Russian White-fronted Geese at Ridge, but no sign of the Tundra Bean Geese. The 10 Glossy Ibis were once again in wet fields just south of Wareham train station. Out off Middle Beach, Studland 9 Black-necked Grebe were present along with 3 Great Northern Diver and 10 Great Crested Grebe.

Now we don’t want to start getting too cocky and start making outlandish predictions for tomorrow, but a new years day Red-breasted Goose or Sociable Plover wouldn’t go amiss.

From all of us here at Birds of Poole Harbour we want to wish you all the very Happy New Year and we look forward to a bird-filled and inspiring 2026.

Drake Smew (White Nun) and redhead Smew (and male Red-breasted Merganser) – Brands Bay/Jerry’s point – Phil Bentley

Drake Scaup (and male Red-breasted Merganser) – Brands Bay/Jerry’s point – Phil Bentley

With only one day left of 2025, we’re laying down the gauntlet for a whole suit of great birds to be found on the final day! With the developing cold spell and the recent goose arrival, thoughts of Smew and Bewick’s Swans start to muster….now that would be a nice end to 2025 (and start to 2026)

Today the goose party arrived in at dawn from the west and settled in the field close to Ridge, but then later de-camped over on to RSPB Arne Moors with 38 Russian White-fronted Geese and 5 Tundra Bean Geese present. There was a Black-throated Diver close to the harbour entrance, the drake Scaup was also still present, viewable from Jerry’s Point between Redhorn Quay and Brownsea. The 10 Glossy Ibis were once again in the flooded fields just south of Wareham train station and 9 Spoonbill were in Lytchett Bay this afternoon.

Glossy Ibis – Wareham floods – Annabel Sharpe

Still steady and calm today, and still very ‘goosey’ with no change in goose flock totals with the 38 Russian White-fronted Geese and 5 Tundra Bean Geese still present in the field just east of Ridge along the Arne Road, plus the lone Barnacle Goose put in an appearance this morning. However, todays interesting ‘goose story’ isn’t about one of our recent new arrivals, rather an individual thats been around several weeks in the shape of a dark-bellied Brent Goose at Baiter which is sporting a sat-tag collar and white ring with ring number SY. This has now been traced back to the project thanks follower Simon Johnson who sent us the data today, highlighting this bird was first ringed and tagged March this year in Eckwarderhorne, Butjadingen Germany (near Bremerhaven) in NW Germany. Seemingly it was ringed on it’s spring migration back on route back to it’s breeding grounds, and we’re hoping the ringers are going to get back to us to provide a map highlighting where some of our wintering brents go to breed…..just so long a sthe tag is still working! The Glossy Ibis flock were on flooded fields next to the Wareham bypass again, tucked in the eastern corner of the floods just north of the bypass. There were 2 Pochard on the Wareham Common floods just south of the bypass below the Doctors surgery. In Lytchett Bay this morning 2 White-tailed Eagle were seen over Otter Island.

It’s a funny state of affairs these days when within a 1 mile range you’re able to see a mixture of both arctic and (historically) Mediterranean species all rubbing shoulders with one another. Today the Russian White-fronted Goose flock increased to 38 individuals and had attracted the attention of a lone Barnacle Goose which seemed keen to tag along. They were also joined by the 5 Tundra Bean Geese and a smattering of Greylags and Canada Geese, all of which were in the first field on the left, past Ridge. Then, just up the river on Wareham Common the 10 Glossy Ibis were feeding next to the bypass, just south of the railway line and further up again 45 Cattle Egret were around Worgret/the Wareham bypass area. It was eagle city today with no less than 4 White-tailed Eagles logged around Lytchett Bay, plus 2 were over Brands Bay and another in the Frome Valley. An adult drake Scaup was found during WeBS off Goathorn, in-between Round and Green Island and a Pochard was off Cordite Way. Yesterday a Short-eared Owl was present around Brands Bay briefly and today off Jerry’s Point there were 4 Great Northern Diver, 10 Great Crested Grebe, 1 Slavonian Grebe, 10 Black-necked Grebe, 18 Red-breasted Merganser and 8 Goldeneye. In Lytchett Bay this morning during WeBS 6 Spoonbill, 2 Marsh Harrier and 1 Spotted Redshank were counted plus another 9 Spoonbill were off Shipstal Beach. A Black Redstart was on Corfe Castle yesterday afternoon.

Bar-tailed Godwit – Newton Bay during WeBS count

Tundra Bean Geese – Ridge, Wareham

Russian White-fronted Geese – Ridge, Wareham

It was blimmin cold again today, certainly good weather for winter geese to stick around, and in fact the Russian White-fronted Goose flock grew ever so slightly to 34, and the 5 of the recent 6 Bean Geese were also feeding with them, all of which were still in the first fields just east of Ridge, along the Arne Road. The White-fronted Goose flock is part of a national influx thats currently taking place, with several thousand having arrived from mainland Europe just before Christmas. ‘Russian White-fronts’ are far more numerous across Europe than their closely related subspecies the ‘Greenland White-front’ which is actually of high conservation concern. Likewise with the Bean Geese, which all look to be ‘Tundra Bean Geese’, which is the commoner of the two subspecies, the other being ‘Taiga Bean Goose’. With so many Russian White-fronted Geese and Tundra Bean Geese currently in the country, and with so much of the winter remaining, theres a good chance these totals will grow.

Elsewhere there were 4 Slavonian Grebe off Jerry’s Point with 2 Great Northern Diver, plus 4 Spoonbill were in Lytchett Bay, several Red Kite seemed to be on the move with sighings over Oakdale, Upton and Creekmoor. There were 2-3 White-tailed Eagle moving around the Wareham Channel/Lytchett Bay area and a Merlin was at Middlebere. Finally, we received information relating to teh sad fate of a Wood Pigeon that was ringed at Carey back on August 21st this year, which was sadly found dead a few days before Christmas in North Central France, giving us a clue as to at least where some of our migrating Wood Pigeon go for the winter. Hundreds of thousands leave the UK each November and it’s always been considered the many?/most? go to the Cork Oak forests in Spain and Portugal, but it seems some just decide to hop across the channel to soak up a bit of French culture for the winter….sadly this particular one didn’t even see in the New Year.

Two Bean Geese (left and centre) and 1 Russian White-fronted Goose (right) – Ridge – Perter Moore

Juvenile Wood Pigeon ringed at Carey Secret Garden on Aug 21st 2025 – Ed Betteridge

Finding location and distance traveled of Wood Pigeon from Aug 21st when ringed at Carey Secret Garden and finding location on Dec 22nd 2025

With the recent goose influx, it was no surprise that today a settled flock was found around the harbour when a decent total of 31 Russian White-fronted Geese and 6 Tundra Bean Geese were found feeding in a field just east of Ridge, near RSPB Arne. This White-fronted Goose flock is the largest for the Poole Harbour area in quite some time, with flock sizes ranging from just 1 – 19 over the last 15 years, the average in that period being only 2.5 per year. They used to be an almost annual occurrence up until the mid to late noughties when sightings and flock sizes dropped off dramatically. Late December is typically the time when parties would arrive, so the timing is spot on, but for 2025, this is an excellent ‘modern’ total. There was also a report of 6 ‘grey geese’ that flew over Lytchett Bay which could have reffered to the/a Bean Goose flock.

Elsewhere there were were 7 Black-necked Grebe and 2 Slavonian Grebe off Jerry’s Point, 1 Spotted Redshank was at Lytchett Bay and there were White-tailed Eagles reported over Lytchett Bay, Middlebere and Brands Bay. There has definetaly been an arrival of Redwing and Fieldfare with more small parties much in evidence, plus 3 Pochard in Brands Bay was quite a turn up along with 1 in Poole Park too with c30 Tufted duck. 

Russian White-fronted Geese – Ridge, Wareham – Mark Wright

Russian White-fronted Geese – Ridge, Wareham – Mark Wright