With the wind building today, it made birding conditions slightly trickier but there was still lots ‘to be had’. The Purple Sandpiper group grew to 3 today, which is the highest harbour total for a number of years! Todays were located on one of the rocky groynes by the ‘Shack by the Shore’ food outlet at Shore Road, Sandbanks. The harbour entrance and Jerry’s Point area wa sbusy again and saw 2 Slavonian Grebe, 6 Black-necked Grebe, 6 Goldeneye, 5 Great Northern Diver, 1 Velvet Scoter and 34 Red-breasted Merganser. Across the whole harbour c10 Great Northern Diver were counted, plus there were c20 Spoonbill around the shipstal area of RSPB Arne, 8 Marsh Harrier around Swineham and 8 Glossy Ibis were still in wet meadows at Swineham by the gravel pit. Merlin have been a bit scrace this winter, but 1 was hunting briefly over the gull islands in the Wareham Channel this morning. A White-tailed Eagle was also sat on the shoreline in the Wareham Channel and later this evening a Scaup was reported off Jerry’s Point.

Purple Sandpiper – Shore Road, Sandbanks – Garry Hayman

Glossy Ibis – Swineham – Garry Hayman