A nice varied day today with spring wrestling winter to the ground and trying to stamp its authority on March. At dawn 1 possibly 2 Short-eared Owls were out hunting in the Lower Frome Valley between Swineham and Arne Moors whilst the ringtail Hen Harrier dashed out across the Wareham Channel. Along Soldiers Road it was nice to hear a small flock of Redwing sub-singing and engaged in ‘community song’ before darting out of the woodland and announcing their more familiar ‘zeee’ as they headed off. A Woodlark was also high in the sky above Stoborough Heath singing and battling against the northerly wind. Without doubt, bird of the day was a Common Crane which flew in over Ridge, Wareham, heading south towards Hartland. At Morden Bog the Great Grey Shrike was near the decoy pond and on the Brownsea Lagoon saw 2 newly arrived Spoonbill drop down for an afternoon feed. At Lytchett Fields the 1^st Skylark of the summer was heard singing and there was 1 Spotted Redshank, 2 Greenshank, 1 Kingfisher and 1 Peregrine.

Adder – Ballard Down