Although there isn’t much snow left, there was a glimmer of pale beauty just outside the harbour recording area today when a pale morph Gyr Falcon was photographed at Durlston CP this afternoon. We haven’t seen the photo yet, but we don’t need to. The words ‘Gyr Falcon’ instantaneously form an image of power, strength and wonder in to any birders imagination. Apparently it flew west towards Seacombe and Winspit this afternoon, so no doubt the Purbeck coast will be an ‘area of interest’ for many birders tomorrow morning. Who knows….maybe it u-tuned and decided to roost on top of Ballard Down. We can all but dream.

Meanwhile, back down here on planet earth, the Snow Bunting was still at Hamworthy Beach, a Black-throated Diver was in Parkstone Bay and c20 Common Chiffchaff were in the PCW Drain this afternoon. This evening there was a Spoonbill and Great White Egret on the Stilt Pools at Swineham and 27 Cattle Egret went into roost at Swineham where a drake Pochard was on the gravel pit. On Shipstal Point, RSPB Arne 18 Spoonbill were on the spit, a lone Spotted Redshank was in the Lower Piddle Valley and there wasn’t much reported from the Studland area today other than 2 Great Northern Diver and 2 Black-necked Grebe off Jerry’s Point.

Great Northern Diver – Jerry’s Point 

Black-necked Grebe – Jerry’s Point