Breezy conditions today for the bank holiday Monday, but that brought with it the first Curlew Sandpiper of the year at Lytchett Fields this morning. A very good spring record for the site and it was starting to moult into summer plumage. Along side it were 1 Dunlin, 10 Ringed Plover and 2 Little Ringed Plover and 2 Marsh Harrier were also present. Just outside of the harbour boundary, but 1 Marsh Tit was calling at Kilwood DWT Nature Reserve today. Totally out of the blue this evening was a Russian White-fronted Goose which appeared on Swineham Point. White-fronted Geese have been rare enough in the winter here in Poole Harbour over the last few decades, let alone on an early May morning. Where it’s come from is anyones guess, but a great addition to the the Poole Harbour year list.

With lots of Red-footed Falcon turning up all round the country in the last few days, including birds in Cornwall, Somerset and up to 10(!) birds at some sites in East Anglia, are we due a sighting in Poole/Purbeck this week?

Russian White-fronted Goose – Swineham Point – Trevor Warwick

Curlew Sandpiper (left) and Dunlin (right) this morning – Lytchett Fields – Ian Ballam