A cold westerly wind whipped across the harbour today but there was still plenty to see with some nice highlights. Best bird was an adult Glaucous Gull which was found in the Brownsea gull roost this evening by Graham Armstrong. The Black Brant was still in the Brent Goose flock off Ower Bay and a Great White Egret was off the end Goathorn Point late afternoon during the Poole Harbour WeBS. Mid afternoon saw a tag team effort of 2 Merlin and the ringtail Hen Harrier chasing down a lone (and unfortunate) Meadow Pipit out in the mouth of the Frome off Swineham. There seemed to be some birds on the move as a ‘skywatch’ from the Slepe Heath viewpoint saw good numbers of finches and Meadow Pipit heading west along with a few alba wagtails. On the Brownsea Lagoon there were 5 Spoonbill and 3 were logged off Arne during the WeBS. An adult male Hen Harrier was seen at Morden Bog, along with another monochrome species in the shape of the Great Grey Shrike. Off Jerry’s Point there were 3 Black-necked Grebe and 2 Slavonian Grebe along with 3 Great Northern Diver.

We’ve also had our SM4 recorder out in the Lower Frome Valley this week. We haven’t really strated going through it properly yet, but did check one file and found this nice recording of a Red Fox calling which alarmed some Water Rail briefly as a small group of Grey Plover could be heard calling overhead…..departing perhaps?

Red-breasted Merganser – Central Harbour – Ian Lewington