It was a typical wet, blustery end of October today, but with the strong southerly it did deliver some new birds into the harbour with a Black-throated Diver low over Poole Quay at the end of our Autumn Safari cruise which headed towards the Wareham Channel. Plus, there was a tight flock of 24 Red-breasted Merganser off the Round Island shoreline. The Brownsea Lagoon was busy once more and logged 31 Spoonbill, c500 Avocet, 5 Greenshank and c200 Black-tailed Godwit. Female White-tailed Eagle G466 was sat along the Goathorn Peninsular, 3 Marsh Harrier and 2 Red Kite were over Swineham and a Peregrine was hunting off Hamworthy Beach. Out in central harbour there were 2 Common Scoter and the Snow Bunting was still on Studland Beach, just south of Pilots Point. In Middlebere this morning there were 12 Knot, 1 Spotted Redshank, 1 Curlew Sandpiper and 1 Common Sandpiper.

Female White-tailed Eagle G466 from this AM’s last Autumn Safari – Brands Bay – John Thorp

Spoonbill  from this AM’s last Autumn Safari – Brownsea Lagoon – John Thorp