As we approach November, our returning winter birds continue to arrive, and today (right on cue) the first Water Pipit of the autumn/winter was arrived and was ringed at RSPB Lytchett Fields. This week typically sees the first of these scarce winter arrivals with only 200-300 arriving into the UK each winter and Poole Harbour seeing 2-3 staying around certain salt marsh areas around Swineham and Lytchett Bay. From our Autumn Safari this morning the calm waters allowed for us to scan pretty much the whole harbour and saw us log c20 Great Crested Grebe, 2 Common Scoter and 1 Red-breasted Merganser, plus the roving flock of c500 sinensis Cormorants. At Swineham we saw 3-4 different Marsh Harrier including the near full adult male. Male White-tailed Eagle G463 also flew down the Frome Valley past us and later this afternoon 2 younger eagles were in the Wareham Channel seen flying up the Piddle Valley. The Brownsea Lagoon was stacked with birds including c500 Avocet, c70 Ringed Plover, c100 Dunlin, 15 Bar-tailed Godwit, 5 Greenshank, c200 Black-tailed Godwit and 6 Turnstone. Plus, the annual Spoonbill exodus from Brownsea has also occurred with only 1 present there today but 8 at Shipstal, Arne and 5 in Holes Bay NW. Also in Holes Bay there are already high totals of wildfowl with 1190 Wigeon, 501 Teal, 76 Pintail, 49 Shoveler counted. At Lytchett Fields there were 5 Green Sandpiper, 1 Spotted Redshank and late this afternoon an unconfirmed report of a Grey Phalarope was reported in Shell Bay, Studland. The PCW Drain still has c15 Common Chiffchaff, plus there were 2 Firecrest and a Cetti’s Warbler in the channel.

Male Marsh Harrier from this mornings Autumn Safari – Swineham – Harry McBride

Male Marsh Harrier from this mornings Autumn Safari – Swineham – Harry McBride

Water Pipit – Ringed under license at Lytchett Fields – Shaun Robson