Another near perfect day with calm conditions, autumnal warmth and great birds. Our Autumn Safari was jam packed with decent birds this morning logging 8 Glossy Ibis, 2 Great White Egret, 2 White-tailed Eagle, 1 Merlin, 4 Marsh Harrier and 2 Common Scoter all in the Wareham Channel, plus another 3 Common Scoter off Jerry’s Point. On Brownsea 76 Spoonbill were roosting where there were also c50 Avocet, 13 Greenshank and 13 Mediterranean Gull. Wildfowl numbers are building nicely with good numbers of Wigeon, Teal and Gadwall now appearing in all the low-tide bays, and there were c20 dark-bellied Brent Geese along the southern shores near Ower Bay. In Middlebere this morning there were c550 Avocet, 7 Curlew Sandpiper, 2 Spotted Redshank, 5 Knot, 2 Great White Egret and 1 Merlin. This afternoon 9 Glossy Ibis flew up the Frome Valley and then this evening 7 Glossy Ibis were back in the Wareham Channel and headed towards the Arne roost at sunset, plus a late Hobby was hunting over RSPB Arne Moors and multiple small groups of Crossbill were moving around the south of the harbour all day. There was an excellent record of 6 Cattle Egret roosting at Hatch Pond last night before heading off north this morning. Last night a noc-mig sound recording station over Oakdale revealed c75 Song Thrush and c50 Redwing migrating overhead and finally, a vis-mig session at the harbour mouth this morning at South Haven, Studland produced 755 Goldfinch, 235 Siskin, 197 Redpoll, 71 Crossbill and 52 Swallow.

Great White Egret – Wareham Channel from this AM’s Autumn Safari – Alison Copland

Female White-tailed Eagle G466 – Wareham Channel from this AM’s Autumn Safari – Alison Copland