I’ve been receiving some cracking photos of the Grey Phalarope from Brownsea Island over the last couple of days. It’s not often these birds show so well down to just a few meters, but this bird has been well and truly showing off in-front of the lower hide on the lagoon. I have included a couple of the recent photos for you to enjoy.

copyright Lorne Bissell                                  copyright Phyl England  

I also received a historic photo from Emma Seidel of the Poole Harbour record count of all 34 Spoonbill out on Shipstal Point, Arne. However, the log book in the NT hide at Middlebere actually claims 37 last week! So the challenge is on to try and capture that amazing total, although I think some have dispersed over to Lodmoor already.

Other reports from the the NT hide Middlebere include 4 Little Stint(?), 1 Barn Owl and 9 Greenshank, 1 juv Curlew Sandpiper, 1 Spotted Redshank, 15 Dunlin and a Grey Plover

Raptors continue to impress with a decent variety out on Hartland Moor including a male Hen Harrier, Marsh Harrier, 1 Peregrine, 1 Merlin also Buzzard and Kestrel.

The Lytchett Bay locals seem to be settling in for the winter as numbers should hopefully continue grow now with 33 Dunlin, 26 Redshank, 2 Greenshank, 4 Green Sandpiper, 1 Pintail, 3 Sparrowhawk and 1 Peregrine.

On the Brownsea Lagoon the Grey Phalarope was joined by 5 Spoonbill, 10 Spotted Redshank, 1 Curlew Sandpiper and good numbers of all the usual Knot, Bar and Black-tailed Godwit, Dunlin, Greenshank, Turnstone etc

On Hatch Pond an impressive roost of 200+ Pied Wagtail have begun to roost in the reed beds as a Sparrowhawk was trying to figure out how to pick one off.

Also just outside the Poole Harbour area 5 Redwing flew over Lytchett Matravers.