Very nice….thats month one done and dusted. Now into a nice short month which leads us nicely into early spring. Although looking at the weather maps for the next week, the southerly airflow is being delivered north Africa, which in the past has delivered us an early spring migrant or two. Like in 2020 when during similar weather conditions a House Martin and Sand Martin arrived on Feb 11th. Thats pretty exceptional but always worth keeping an eye out. Although today felt like spring it was still a wintery theme in terms of the birds with 8 Waxwing commuting between Canford Heath and Dacolme Drive, Upton. At both sites they’re attracting the attention of the local Sparrowhawks, so lets hope the 8 remain 8 for a while longer. In Poole Bay this morning calm conditions allowed a count of auks from up on Old Harry with 546 Razorbill logged and amazingly just 1 Common Guillemot. Also 1 Slavonian Grebe in Studland Bay and a Great Northern Diver was also calling/singing briefly. On Wareham Common 11 Cattle Egret were feeding, this evening 2 White-tailed Eagle flew over the Morden Park Corner turning, heading for Wareham Forest and this morning a Goshawk flew over Wareham Common. There was a Spotted Redshank at Lytchett Fields and 1 in Middlebere.

Waxwing – Upton – Alison Copland