Today was really ‘birdy’ with the added bonus of a Poole Harbour first being found in the shape of a Baird’s Sandpiper on the Brownsea Lagoon. This is only the 4^th record for Dorset, the last being found nearly 20 years ago in Christchurch Harbour in 1998. The Brownsea Lagoon was looking stunning with or without our rare North American friend with 2 Little Stint, 10 Spotted Redshank, 1 Garganey, 9 Spoonbill, c40 Avocet and good numbers of Redshank, Greenshank, Dunlin and Oystercatcher. Sandwich and Common Tern were still present and 2 Wheatear and 3 Yellow Wagtail were feeding over on the far sea wall. At Greenland’s Farm, Studland migrants were pretty evenly spread with 8 Redstart, 2 Whinchat, 3 Spotted Flycatcher, 10 Yellow Wagtail, 5 Whitethroat, 2 Woodlark, 4 Wheatear, 2 Blackcap and 2 Tree Pipit. Migration through Ballard included 5 Grasshopper Warbler, 5 Redstart, c10 Whitethroat, 4 Reed Warbler, 1 Garden Warbler, 2 Lesser Redpoll and several Willow Warbler and Chiffchaff. At Lytchett Fields the Wood Sandpiper was still present with 2 Ruff, 1 Little Ringed Plover, 4 Green Sandpiper, c20 Ringed Plover, c150 Dunlin, 6 Greenshank, 1 adult Yellow-legged Gull and the usual spread Lapwing, Snipe and Redshank. In Middlebere there were 19 Spoonbill, 4 Osprey, 6 Grey Plover, 3 Greenshank, 1 Redstart, 1 Whinchat and 1 Spotted Flycatcher. 

Record shot of Baird’s Sandpiper – Brownsea Lagoon – Stephen Menzie