Today’s Young Birders ID Course (a project kindly supported by the Cameron Bespolka Trust) capitalised on the excellent low tide this afternoon, enjoying close views of three Slavonian Grebe, eight Black-necked Grebe, three Great Northern Diver, 38 Sanderling, Dartford Warbler and Firecrest, plus a stunning carpet of Dark-bellied Brent Goose, Wigeon, Teal and Dunlin along the southern mudflats. Find out more about our community for like-minded young conservationists and wildlife-lovers here.

Holes Bay was also chock-a-block with birds at low tide! The videos below were captured by one of our team this afternoon. Elsewhere, Crossbill were logged at Wareham Forest and Jerry’s Point. The fringes of the recording area clinched three Goosander west of Holmebridge, while a Spotted Redshank was recorded at Lytchett Fields, along with 97 Common Redshank, 6 Greenshank and a Green Sandpiper. And although they avoided us during the ID Course, two White-tailed Eagle were seen near Brands Bay earlier in the day.

Young Birders ID Course – exploring Jerry’s Point and Redhorn Quay

The stiff westerlies built throughout the day with seemingly few birders venturing out. A lunch break birding jaunt around Baiter Park included a Pale-bellied Brent Goose in with 121 ‘Dark-bellies’. This less-frequently encountered race of Brent Goose breeds in e. North American Arctic and n. Greenland, predominantly wintering in e. USA and Ireland. ‘SY’ the satellite-tagged Dark-bellied Brent Goose continues to kick around the harbour, feeding along the shoreline. The Baiter car park Black-headed Gull flock also featured a BTO metal ringed individual originally ringed as an adult in Dec 2011, awaiting details to find out where in the UK it has come from…

Elsewhere, a flying visit to Whitley Lake logged 24 Bar-tailed Godwit, 33 Sanderling and a couple of Mediterranean Gull. Middlebere enjoyed a raptor-fest, clocking up Goshawk, Sparrowhawk and a male Merlin by 11AM. Four Black-necked Grebe still present off Jerry’s Point, with a further three out in Studland Bay along with a Slavonian Grebe off Knoll Beach. Our team also led a Winter Birding ID Course across Studland this afternoon, starting at Shell Bay with two Great Northern Diver, followed by a further ‘GND’, three Black-necked Grebe, c.200 Dunlin and two Greenshank at Jerry’s Point. The course concluded at Brand’s Bay which boasted two White-tailed Eagle!

Pale-bellied Brent Goose (centre) in with Dark-bellied flock © Joe Parker 

Apologies for our website being down the last couple of days due to technical issues. Thankfully it’s now back up and running and so we are able to resume sightings as normal.

A mixed day in the harbour with some monstrous downpours making our wetland bird survey this afternoon difficult, before opening up in to a stunning evening. Despite the weather there were large numbers of waders on the low tide this afternoon with enormous numbers of Black-tailed Godwit, almost entirely in Holes Bay with 5236 counted. Counts of barely double figures could be managed in other classic areas like Lytchett Bay and the Wareham Channel. The 1 Goosander and 1 Little Gull were still in Holes Bay North East. In Brands Bay there were 660 Dunlin and 5 Knot, along with 2 White-tailed Eagles. Off Jerry’s Point there were 3 Great Northern Diver, 4 Black-necked Grebe and 3 Slavonian Grebe. From Middle Beach, Studland there were 1 Great Northern Diver, 3 Black-necked Grebe and 1 Common Scoter. In the Wareham Channel this afternoon from our low tide cruise there were 1 Spoonbill, 5 Marsh Harrier, 1 Hen Harrier, c200 Avocet, c1000 Dunlin, c10 Knot and 2 Greenshank. 1 Spoonbill was also in the Middlebere Channel and 3 were off Goathorn. 10 Glossy Ibis were still in North Bestwall paddocks at Swineham.

We also had some other great news this weekend! In 2022 the first Osprey nest in 180 years in Southern England was established at Careys Secret Garden as a result of our Poole Harbour Osprey translocation. The first chick to fledge for 180 years was a female we ringed ‘5H1’.
Last year she herself established her own nest up near the Rutland area and raised 3 chicks including 8R3, which our team members Brittany Maxted and Sam Ryde ringed last summer. Well, a few days ago 8R3 was seen in the Gambia by Osprey surveyor Fansu Bojang. Great to see 3rd generation Ospreys now starting to thrive as a result of the project.

2nd calendar year Osprey 8R3-  The Gambia – Fansu Bojang

Constant monitoring provides such a great insight in to how valuable and important areas are, and with thanks to a committed group of watchers, Holes Bay is proving to be a vitally important site for a whole range of species. Gratitude and kudos to the likes of Martin Adams, Steve Smith and Nick Woods who have been counting the waders and wildfowl in Holes Bay, pretty much daily this winter and today logged 286 Pintail and 226 Shoveler NW which signal nationally significant numbers, not to mention the internationally important total of 4786 Icelandic Black-tailed Godwit. This is a phenomenal total and represents roughly 11-12% of the current UK over-wintering population, and 9-10% of the current global population……all in Holes Bay!!!! Not bad for a site that was almost too toxic to walk past a few decades ago.

Out in Studland Bay there were 3 Common Scoter and 3 Black-necked Grebe, Wareham Common held 31 Cattle Egret and 6 Cirl Bunting were feeding out toward Old Harry. This morning, one of the PCW drain Siberian Chiffchaff was calling and singing quite a bit when the sun came out, the Ruff was in Holes Bay NW again, with the Little Gull still in the NE sector and at Poole Park the Pochard was still on the main boating lake and the drake Mandarin was still on the smaller lake.

Carpets of Black-tailed Godwit – Holes Bay – Martin Adams

A rather stop/start day, but eventually the dank, murk won and once again it was rather grey over the harbour. In Holes Bay NE the adult Little Gull was feeding in the mouth of the PCW channel and the redhead Goosander was out in the middle of the NE sector. Around the harbour there were 6 Great Northern Diver, and at Swineham 3-4 Marsh Harrier were active despite the rain and another Little Gull was just west of the Wareham bypass, just past Purbeck School.

Adult Little Gull – Holes Bay NE – Mick Brooks

Although still wet, the mild weather has really got a lot of birds going, with Rock Pipits in full song and display flights up at Old Harry and Ballard this morning, and once again Woodlarks singing beautifully at a few heathland sites. There were 2 adult Little Gull on the floods just west of Stoborough this afternoon and 12 Spoonbill were on Shipstal Point, RSPB Arne. On Baiter 2 pale-bellied Brent Geese were feeding with the dark-bellied Brent Goose flock and sadly what looks to be a dead Black-throated Diver was found long dead on Baiter Beach. The redhead Goosander was in Holes Bay NE again and an adult Little Gull was in Holes Bay south.

Deceased Black-throated Diver – Baiter Beach – Brittany Maxted

2 pale-bellied Brent Geese – Baiter Park – Brittany Maxted

The rain forecast didn’t materialise this morning, allowing plenty of birders out today. Off Jerry’s Point there were 3 Slavonian Grebe, 5 Black-necked Grebe and 1 Red-necked Grebe showing well. Off South Beach, Studland there was another Slavonian Grebe, 3 Black-necked Grebe, 2 Common Scoter and 1 Great Northern Diver. There were 12 Great Northern Diver spread about inside the harbour from our Winter Safari Cruise this morning, with most being in South Deep, Central Harbour and the North Channel. In Shell Bay there was an impressive group of 350+ Dunlin and 40 Sanderling, although these were later scared by dog walkers. 6 Spoonbill were feeding in the Wareham Channel this morning and at least 12 were later roosting at Shipstal. 1 Ruff was amongst a flock of Lapwing flying around the lower Piddle Valley. In Holes Bay the 1 adult Little Gull and red-head Goosander were still present. The 10 Glossy Ibis were still at Swineham today, behind the rugby Club

Female Crossbill inspecting one of our Osprey Platform Cameras

Despite being a weekend, there didn’t seem to be much birding going on, with very limited reports coming through, although all the old guard are still about with the 10 Glossy Ibis still at Swineham, the 3 Purple Sandpiper were at the Haven Hotel groyne, 2 White-tailed Eagle flew over Brownsea and flushed c3100 Black-tailed Godwit. At Shipstal, Arne 17 Spoonbill were roosting, c15 Cattle Egret were around Worgret and a Spotted Redshank was at Lytchett Fields. These still mornings are allowing for early bird song to be heard with Woodlark almost in full voice at multiple sites.

Black-tailed Godwit flock flushed by White-tailed Eagles – Brownsea Lagoon – Derek Morgan

White-tailed Eagles passing over Brownsea Lagoon – Derek Morgan

Great Northern Diver – Brownsea channel – Derek Morgan