Grim to start, lovely by the end….a typical mid-September day. No big push of birds today due to the wet start, but birds started to emerge after lunch with Curlew Sandpipers at Lytchett Bay, Middlebere and the Brownsea Lagoon. The autumns first Merlin was also at Middlebere this evening with a good mix of waders including 310 Black-tailed Godwit, 3 Spotted Redshank, 17 Knot, 11 Greenshank, 3 Great White Egret and 1 Cattle Egret. At Swineham Point this evening 3 Glossy Ibis were flying around, and there were also 3 Marsh Harrier, 1 Osprey and 200 sinensis Cormorant flew up the Piddle Valley at dusk. Brownsea hosted 50+ Spoonbill again, a lone Gannet was in Studland Bay. There was a Spotted Redshank in Holes Bay yesterday.

Merlin – Middlebere this evening – Garry Hayman