It was another busy day across the harbour, and it seems there’s no better time to get out and explore than now, although with another 3 months of winter to go, things can surely get better and better? That said, it’s pretty damn good now! Our Low-tide cruise this afternoon was mega busy with no less than 6 Great Northern Diver, plus 3 Red-throated Diver, 2 Common Scoter, c70 Red-breasted Merganser, 17 Goldeneye and c20 Great Crested Grebe on open areas of the harbour. In the Wareham Channel a White-tailed Eagle was sat out on the salt marsh of Shag Looe Point, at the top of the channel were 4 Marsh Harrier, 1 Great White Egret, with another seen flying from Arne to towards Holes Bay. There were 12 Spoonbill feeding south of Green Island, on an earlier School Bird Boat an Eider was seen in central harbour. An adult Yellow-legged Gull was on the mud in the Wareham Channel with c300 Dunlin, c500 Black-tailed Godwit, 40 Lapwing also present out there, as were small parties of Avocet containing 10-100 birds which were dotted around various shorelines. In Lytchett Bay 2 Marsh Harrier were constantly flying back and fourth past the Rock Lea viewpoint. The PCW Drain help a minimum of 8 Chiffchaff and what also looked like an over-wintering Willow Warbler there too with 1 Firecrest also present. A Spoonbill was in Holes Bay along with 85 Pintail.

White-tailed Eagle from Low-tide Cruise – Wareham Channel – Derek Morgan

Goldeneye from Low-tide Cruise – Central Harbour – Derek Morgan

Spoonbills from Low-tide Cruise – Newton Bay – Derek Morgan

Red-throated Diver from Low-tide Cruise – South Deep – Derek Morgan