This still weather is making it really easy to find and count birds out on the open water. Yet again, Jerry’s Point produced the goods today with a redhead Goosander out on the water with Red-breasted Merganser. Other totals included 4 Great Northern Diver, 4 Black-necked Grebe, 2 Scaup, 1 Common Scoter, 1 Goldeneye, 60+ Great Crested Grebe and 20+ Red-breasted Merganser. From the Houseboats in Bramble Bush Bay there were 32 Ringed Plover, 8 Sanderling and 9 Dunlin. Brands Bay was packed with 498 Black-tailed Godwit, 237 Dunlin, 4 Bar-tailed Godwit, 18 Grey Plover, c100 Redshank, c300 Wigeon, c120 Brent Goose, c30 Pintail and 1 Marsh Harrier. From Middle Beach there were 4 Black-necked Grebe and 1 Gannet (plus a dead one on the beach) and from South Beach 2 Black-necked Grebe, 2 Common Scoter and 1 Great Northern Diver. Out on Wareham Common the largest Fieldfare flock of the autumn was present with c150 logged today with c30 Redwing. At Upton Country Park there were 600+ Black-tailed Godwit, 250 Dunlin, 25 Knot, 66 Avocet, 30 Pintail, 70 Shoveler and good numbers of Teal and Wigeon. Swineham was Goose-tastic today with 71 Greylag Geese, 2 Egyptian Geese and 212 Canada Goose. Primed to draw in a Pink-foot, White-fronted or Bean Goose should the weather turn colder later in the winter. Also at Swineham a Hen Harrier was busy patrolling over the reed beds.

Pintail – Holes Bay CP – Rene Goad

Redhead Goosander – Jerry’s Point – Ian Ballam