Not much change in the Poole Harbour birding scene recently with the Smew in Holes Bay still taking center stage with the close range Spoonbills and Spotted Redshanks providing a an equally entertaining side show. A sub-adult male Hen Harrier has been present in Middlebere the last two mornings along with 8 Spoonbill a Merlin, 704 Avocet and a Marsh Harrier. Out in Studland bay 3 Slavonian Grebe were present as were 128 Brent Geese and 17 Med Gulls.

 Lapwings – Middlebere 02/02/15

I went out recording the other night a few hours before the snow hit Dorset and was being watched by a HUGE solar ring around the moon making it look like a giant eye was following me around everywhere. Anyway, whilst making my way down to Middlebere these Lapwing were making a range of sounds I wasn’t familair with. Within the recording are a few standard  Lapwing calls (27 and 50 seconds), but the squeeky, scratchy calls throughout are sounds I don’t think I’ve heard from Lapwing before.