What a difference a few days make. On Saturday I was in a t-shirt watching Dartford Warblers singing in the blissful sunshine. By Monday I was back to thermals and not able to feel my fingers… and oh yeah, it snowed!
Lets start with Saturday. There were still 3 Brambling at Church Lane in Wareham (along with Small Tortoiseshell Butterfly) also in and around Swineham 6 Great Crested Grebe, 1 Little Grebe, 4 Cetti’s Warbler and 2 Reed Bunting, 150 lapwing a Peregrine Falcon, 400 Blackwits, 30 Grey Plover, 10 Redshank, 30 Curlew and 4 Red-breasted Merganser. The Studland area saw 5 Slavonian Grebe, 34 Black-necked Grebe 5 Great Crested Grebe and a Sandwich Tern from Knoll Beach.
The weather started to change on Sunday but the first summer migrant appeared in the shape of a Sand Martin over Poole Park lake. The Hoopoe was re-found in Upton on Blandford Road. Still 3 Hen Harrier and a Merlin around Middlebere/Arne Moors area. There were 2 but possibly 4 Firecrest in Slepe Copse with 2 Spoonbill and a Yellow-legged Gull at Middlebere.
Mondays weather was bitter, hence not many sightings however there were 2 Spotted Redshank in Holes Bay along with good numbers of Redshank, Dunlin and Black-tailed Godwit. Also a Stonechat in Upton CP was a notable sighting.
Still a biting wind today keeping the birds low, but up to 15 Mediterranean Gulls were at Baiter with 1 Goldeneye and 7 Ringed Plover. At Lytchett Bay a Stonechat and Snipe were the best finds.
Although most of Storm Darragh passed through last night, the wind was still peaking at between 40mph –…
Find out moreWith Storm Darragh whipping across Dorset and Poole Harbour all day, there wasn’t much to report, although some…
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