For a drab, foggy Monday morning, the harbour was bustling with birds today. You could be mistaken for thinking Lytchett Fields was in fact some marshy wetland in North America when not one but two North American visitors were on site with the long staying Lesser Yellowlegs and a new find of a Green-winged Teal, a close relative of our Teal. Hidden in amongst the resident flock of Teal on Sherford Pools it could have been present for quite some time but it wasn’t until sharp-eyed patch watcher Ian Ballam picked out the cream vertical lines that run either side from the Teals shoulder down its flank that it could be picked out and separated from the rest of the flock. There was also a report of another North American visitor toady when a Black Brant was seen at Middlebere, this being a very close relative of our dark-bellied Brent Goose. Our school bird boat trip was busy too with a redhead Goosander off Hamworthy beach, 3 Great Northern Diver in central harbour, 2 Black-necked Grebe off Jerry’s Point, 4 Common Scoter in South Deep (near Brands Bay), 8 Spoonbill on Shipstal and 1 on the Brownsea Lagoon, c30 Goldeneye in central harbour and roughly equal numbers Great Crested Grebe and Red-breasted Merganser of c100 of each. Out in Shell Bay a Slavonian Grebe was feeding and there were 17 Black-necked Grebe off Middle Beach. As to be expected in early December, Holes Bay on this mornings rising tide provided great views of a whole range of species including Avocet, Curlew, Dunlin, Redshank, Black-tailed Godwit, Oystercatcher, Wigeon, Teal, Gadwall, Pintail and 2 Tufted Duck all just meters away from the cycle path in the NE corner. 

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Green-winged Teal – Lytchett Fields – Nick Hull

Red-breasted Merganser – Central Harbour – Paul Morton

Common Scoter – South Deep (near Brands Bay) – Paul Morton