The sun finally appeared this afternoon making for an almost summer-like sunset this evening which was stunning to watch. The harbour was perfect for watching this morning from our Winter Safari, with loads going on in various corners of the harbour. In total there were 6-7 different Great Northern Diver spread across the water, the Long-tailed Duck was showing well off Jerry’s Point feeding with a raft of Red-breasted Merganser and there was a minimum of 5 Goldeneye dotted around. We had 2 different White-tailed Eagles including an adult in Brands Bay and one of the wild fledged juveniles from the SE coast chilling out in the Wareham Channel. A Water Pipit showed well briefly a few times off Swineham Point where there were also 4 Spoonbill, plus another 8 on the gull islands. A Green Sandpiper was on the Stilt Pools at Swineham and a Barnacle Goose was out on RSPB Arne Moors. The Snow Bunting was still on Hamworthy Beach, there were just 4 Black-necked Grebe out off Middle Beach, Studland and a Merlin was on Hartland Moor. Over the weekend there were 15+ Common Chiffchaff at Norden sewage works, but only 7 there today.

Great Northern Diver – Central Harbour 

Common Chiffchaff – Norden Sewage Works

Freezing day out in the harbour today but lots of rewards for those who did get out birding. Nice sightings in and around Swineham from our Winter Safari with 1 Great White Egret, 3 Marsh Harrier, 1 White-tailed Eagle and 1 Barnacle Goose. In Lytchett Bay there was also 1 Great White Egret, 3 Marsh Harrier and 5 Greenshank. In Brands Bay the first sighting of 1 Golden Plover turned up at this site. 6 Black-necked Grebes were still off Long Island, with another 5 from Middle Beach, Studland and at least 7 Great Northern Diver were distributed widely across the harbour. c15 Spoonbill were split evenly at high tide between Shipstal at RSPB Arne and the gull islands in the Wareham Channel. The Black Redstart at Poole Quay was still showing really nicely opposite the Swan Inn in the Palm tree, although it did disappear out of sight for periods.

Snow Bunting – Hamworthy Beach – Mark Wright

White-tailed Eagle G466 – Wareham Channel, from this mornings Winter Safari – Mike Kirby

Another grey day in the harbour but that didn’t mean there weren’t plenty of good sightings. A very confiding female-type Black Redstart on Poole Quay, opposite the Swan Inn was a nice treat after our boat trip this morning. It was feeding around the palm tree and some of the surrounding rooftops. The Barnacle Goose was still present at Swineham on the Arne Moors side this time, still amongst the mixed goose flock. The Snow Bunting was still showing well from Hamworthy Beach. At least 5 Great Northern Diver were distributed around the harbour and 1 Black-throated Diver was still off Parkstone Bay. The White-tailed Eagle pair were seen distantly in Brands Bay and there was plenty of wader activity on the Brownsea Lagoon at high tide with c100 Bar-tailed Godwit, 1000+ Dunlin, c50 Grey Plover and small numbers of Greenshank, Turnstone and Black-tailed Godwit. The 1 Spotted Redshank in Holes Bay south-west was joined by a second today, although there was no further sign of the red-head Goosander. In Lytchett Bay 1 Lesser Redpoll was visible along with 140 Avocet and 1 Marsh Harrier.

Mediterranean Gull red ringed ‘PUN1’ – Shell Bay Beach on Monday 13th – Life history information shows this is a 9-year old bird (born in 2016), ringed as a nestling in south-west Poland. It regularly winters at Studland but has also been to Suffolk, Belgium, back to Poland and the Netherlands!

It was still beautifully calm today, allowing for good viewing in all areas. A redhead Goosander in Holes Bay south was ‘new in’ and there was a Spotted Redshank there too. There were 7 Black-necked Grebe, 5 Common Scoter and 1 Great Northern Diver off Middle Beach, Studland and off Jerry’s Point 1 Slavonian Grebe, 2 Black-necked Grebe and 3 Great Northern Diver. Once again there were 3-4 White-tailed Eagles moving around the harbour, this time with the arrival of female G818 who tends to prefer the Avon Valley, but today she seemed to like Brownsea. The Snow Bunting was still at Hamworthy Beach and 1 Black-throated Diver was off Baiter this morning.

Wigeon – Middlebere

With thick fog covering the landscape for most of the day it’s no surprise that sightings and reports were a tad limited today. The Snow Bunting spent the afternoon moving in and out of the gloom and at least 1 Black-throated Diver was visible off baiter this afternoon. Off Middle Beach, Studland 7 Black-necked Grebe were just visible as were 2 Slavonian Grebe. A Purple Sandpiper was feeding off Jerry’s Point this morning, 13 Spoonbill were on Shipstal Point, Arne and the White-tailed Eagle pair were moving between Middlebere, the Wareham Channel and the southern shore.

Avocet – Holes Bay 

It was a day of White-tailed Eagle sightings today, with multiple sightings of up to 4(!) individuals around the harbour including in the Wareham Channel from our School Bird Boat, RSPB Arne and around Long and Round Islands. 2 of these are immature birds and so do not have the white tails like our local pair yet. They were certainly interacting today, but don’t seem to have been pushed out just yet by our territorial pair. Elsewhere in the harbour 1 Black-throated Diver was still off Baiter Park along with at least 2 Great Northern Diver in the North Channel and 1 in the Wareham Channel off Ham Common. 1 Great White Egret was at Swineham along with 1 Barnacle Goose and 2 Ruff in the Lower Piddle Valley. 1 Goshawk was in and around Middlebere and 15 Spoonbill were roosting at Shipstal Point, Arne. 5 Black-necked Grebes were spending time around Long Island as seen from Arne. 1 Spotted Redshank was at Lytchett Fields from Rock Lea View and the long-staying Snow Bunting was still being very confiding at Hamworthy Beach. Brownsea Lagoon was packed full of waders today with c1000 Dunlin, c50 Grey Plover, c10 Knot, 3 Greenshank, c100 Black-tailed Godwit and c20 Bar-tailed Godwit.

Dunlin and Grey Plover Flock over Brownsea Lagoon – School Bird Boat this morning

Despite a light/moderate wind during the course of the day, it had settled down by this afternoon allowing for some decent coverage of open water areas. From Jerry’s Point this afternoon 3 Slavonian Grebe were just off the point, along with the Long-tailed Duck, 2 Great Northern Diver, 1 Black-necked Grebe, 2 Goldeneye and 20+ each of Red-breasted Merganser and Great Crested Grebe. Shell Bay had 1 Great Northern Diver just off shore and 25 Sanderling on the beach and off Middle Beach this evening 11 Black-necked Grebe went into the roost along with 7 Common Scoter. In Brands Bay 1 Spoonbill was feeding, there were excellent totals of Dunlin, Black-tailed Godwit, Grey Plover and 34 Knot. Yesterday 23 Goldeneye were counted at dusk roosting off Fitzworth. A drake Goosander was out in Arne Bay this afternoon, the Snow Bunting was still on Hamworthy Beach, a ringtail Hen Harrier was on a post out from Middlebere this afternoon, 3 Sandwich Tern passed out in Shell Bay and a Spotted Redshank and 3 Spoonbill were in Lytchett Bay.

Mediterranean Gull – Shell Bay, Studland

Kingfisher on the Houseboats – Bramble Bush Bay, Studland

Spoonbill – Brands Bay, Studland

Slavonian Grebes – Jerry’s Point, Studland