A perfect Poole Harbour day today with a warm early spring sunshine beating down across the area. Whether it lasts into the end of the month is a different question all together, with what looks like a pretty exceptional cold spell on its way. Still, places like Arne were busy with a good selection birds including the Black Brant again in Middlebere with 1 Great White Egret, 1 Hen Harrier and off Shipstal were 20 Spoonbill, 2 Great Northern Diver and 8 Black-necked Grebe. Off North Haven late afternoon/early evening 5 Black-necked Grebe, 1 Great Northern Diver and a Sandwich Tern were in South Deep. A HUGE number of gulls were feeing along the southern shores too on the early evening low tide consisting mostly of Common and Herring Gull but also a build in numbers of Mediterranean Gull, many of which are now in almost near full breeding plumage. Firecrest were at Upton CP, Arne car park and Norden Sewage Works. There were even several over-wintering Chiffchaff that had been fooled into thinking spring really had arrived with one or two in full song at the PC World outflow. 

Water Pipit – Holton Pools – Mark Wright (Twitter @markwright12002)