A rather murky autumn day today although numbers of waders are continuing to build up nicely. Lytchett Fields was the busiest it’s been this autumn with 8 Green Sandpiper, 1 Common Sandpiper, 8 Greenshank, 104 Dunlin, 4 Curlew Sandpiper and 1 Spotted Redshank. On the Brownsea Lagoon the number of Spoonbill is the highest so far this autumn in the harbour with 74 seen this morning. The number will likely peak in the next few weeks but will we see a record harbour count with the previous highest being 80?

A good spread of birds in Brands Bay today as well with 3 Pintail, 2 Grey Plover, 1 Ringed Plover, 1 Bar-tailed Godwit, 2 Greenshank, 2 Red Knot and 33 Mediterranean Gull all being present. Wheatear are still passing through the harbour with 2 seen at Holes Bay and 3 at Hartland as well as 1 Woodlark at the latter. Birds of prey sightings were few and far between today as they were probably sheltering from the rain this afternoon but one Marsh Harrier was seen in Lytchett Bay.

Some of the 74 Spoonbills on the Brownsea Lagoon – @WildOnTheRoad on Twitter