Spring really felt like it had sprung today, I even had Red Admiral in the garden this afternoon. An RSPB bird boat left Poole Quay this morning and we weren’t disappointed. The Black Guillemot showed brilliantly next to the boat off the Brownsea southern shore, there were 4 Black-necked Grebe off the house boats at Studland and16 Spoonbill on Shipstal Point, Arne and another 4 on Gold Point. The Brownsea Lagoon held Avocet, Black and Bar-tailed Godwit, Dunlin, Knot, Grey Plover, Greenshank, Redshank, Oystercatcher, a pale-phase Buzzard, Shovler, Teal and Wigeon. In Holes Bay today the Smew re-appeared in Holes Bay south and 2 Spoonbill, 2 Spotted Redshank and a Common Sandpiper were near the outflow along with a couple of Chiffchaff and the Siberian Chiffchaff.  The Poole Harbour raptor count is still strong with 4 Hen Harrier seen today in and around Middlebere, including 2 males, and there are still several Marsh Harrier around the Wareham Channel and Merlin was on Hartland. Black-necked Grebes were in Shell Bay and off Middle Beach with 5 Common Scoter at the latter. Earlier in the week there were 1161 Black-tailed Godwit in Holes bay which is certainly notable.